JOLO, Sulu – United States (US) Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney has turned over to the provincial and local government here at least two vital infrastructure projects worth P41.5 million during ceremonies held here early this week.

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan Thursday said Kenney turned over to the Sulu provincial government the P23.1 million 702-square meter building of the Area Coordinating Center (ACC) and the P18.4 million building for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Jolo Emergency Rescue Network.

Tan said the turnover ceremonies was attended by US and Philippine military officials, national government officials, officials of the Sulu provincial government, including Jolo town officials led by Mayor Hussin Amin.

The governor said the completion of the ACC is expected to boost the moral of the people in the province as all functions of the provincial government will be placed under one roof.

He said the ACC facility could accommodate all the councils under the Sulu provincial governor’s chamber in a single location to work out solutions to prevailing problems on peace and order or simply for planning and development efforts for the province.

Amin also thanked Kenney and the US government for extending to this town the much-needed fire station equipped with emergency rescue network facilities.

The US government allocated P18.4 million for the construction of the two-storey building with mezzanine, with a floor area of 701.5-square meters for the BFP-Jolo Fire Station and Emergency Response Network, Amin said.

The mayor here said the new building could boost the morale of firemen as he appealed to the US government through the US envoy to donate additional firetrucks in order to add efficiency to the firefighters responding to emergency calls in this capital town of Sulu.

“Our firetrucks here are already old and not so efficient anymore to respond to a fire call that is why we need a new and modern firetruck for this town,” he explained.