A TOTAL of 200 families will start their new lives with the newly built two-bedroom core shelters in three municipalities of Maguindanao province.
This, as the Ministry of Public Works in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MPW-Barmm) and Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (Kapyanan) turned over on Thursday, October 6, 2022, a total of 200 permanent housing units worth P80.7 million to qualified beneficiaries in a ceremony held in Darapanan village, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
Barmm Assistant Senior Minister Abdullah Cuasain, who is also the Kapyanan program manager, said 50 of the 200 housing units were built in Kibleg village, Upi; 50 in Pinanatao village, Parang; and 100 units in Darapan, Sultan Kudarat.
Cusain said the project sought to address the need for better and safer homes for families who were displaced due to conflict, the former combatants and the poorest among the poor.
Cusain reminded the beneficiaries to take care of their homes, which have been made available to them by the Barmm government, specifically the Office of the Chief Minister.
“We would like to see these housing units as model communities, ma-address ang basic needs nila and more than that, we want these communities to really engender peace, understanding between and among themselves,” Cusain said.
He also cited that Barmm government is pushing to have a peaceful, decent home as well as a unified community.
Meanwhile, one of the housing recipients, Noraisa Pendaraya-Ebrahim, 37, thanked the Barmm government and the people who worked to make the project successful.
“Mahirap pong magpatayo ng ganitong bahay dahil sa kamahalan ng mga materyales kaya lubos kaming nagpapasalamat dahil marami-rami na pong mga mahihirap na walang permanenteng bahay na ngayon ay may masasabi ng tahanan,” Ebrahim said.
(It is difficult to build a house like this because of the high cost of materials, so we are very grateful because there are many poor people who do not have a permanent house who can now call themselves a home.) (SunStar Zamboanga)