THE National Housing Authority (NHA) is set to turn over 433 houses on stilts to families displaced by the Zamboanga siege four years ago.

The houses, which were constructed through the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R), are located in Phase III of the Vale Vista Subdivision in the village of Kasanyangan.

The turnover of houses is scheduled to be held on Thursday, September 7.

The ceremony will be spearheaded by NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr., Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairperson Eduardo del Rosario and Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

Salazar said the turnover of the newly-completed houses on stilts, forms part of the activities commemorating the fourth year of the siege.

The 21-day siege broke out on September 9, 2013 when hundreds of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members loyal to MNLF Chieftain Nur Misuari infiltrated five coastal barangays of the city.

The siege has displaced more than 100,000 people and destroyed millions of pesos worth of properties.

Some of those internally displaced persons are still housed in transitory sites.

Salazar said the 433 houses to be turned over on Thursday will be the second and last batch of housing units to be occupied in Vale Vista III which is constructed with a total of 866 units. (SunStar Philippines)