Help provide access to clean water for 250 families in Upper Sinumaan, Talipao, Sulu, where some of these families have been displaced by armed conflicts for more than 20 years.

The Sinumaan Complex in Talipao, Sulu, has seen some of the most intense armed conflicts in the Province of Sulu. Known as an Abu Sayyaf Group stronghold, the complex sits at the foot of Mount Sinumaan, Mount Gasam, and Mount Tunggol and consists of Barangays Bud Bunga, Upper Sinumaan, and Lower Sinumaan.

As the usual site of combat engagements, Upper Sinumaan residents have experienced successive displacements, with some Sitios being displaced as far back as 20 years. This creates a ripple effect: with residents displaced from their homes and livelihoods, socio-economic activities come to a halt, thereby increasing their vulnerability to being recruited by threat groups in exchange for food, money, or other subsistence.

As part of the Philippine Army’s Community Support Program, spearheaded by the 6TH Special Forces Company, 2ND Special Forces Battalion, and 1st CMO Company, 12CMO Battalion, three (3) sitios of Upper Sinumaan have been repatriated, the last being in March 2022. Now in the rehabilitation phase, several hard (infrastructure) and soft (capability building) projects have been initiated by the 6TH Special Forces Company to sustain the community towards resilience.

Water, being essential to communities, has been identified as one of the urgent concerns of the community. The last water project in the community was during the 1970’s when a 500-liter catchment tank was built at a natural spring known to the locals as "Tubig Dakula." To accommodate the repatriation of IDPs, the Philippine Army has sourced out stakeholders for the development of a water system to serve more or less 250 families in the eleven (11) sitios of Upper Sinumaan. The 10,000L watertank, however, is just a part of the Level II water system—several components are yet to be constructed for the system to serve the community.

In partnership with Gawad Kalinga and The Great Filipino Race, 100% of the proceeds of the Sulu 1st Heroes Ultra Run will be channeled to this community project to jump start the Level II water system. Runners and volunteers from Sulu and different parts of the country have become partners in rebuilding the community.

This community project is spearheaded by the 1101st Gagandilan Brigade, in partnership with the Provincial Government of Sulu.