MARAWI CITY — The Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD) signed on Feb. 15 Memoranda of Agreement with the municipal local government units of Balindong, Lumbayanague, and Tamparan for the construction of 50-unit resettlement housing projects to each area funded under the General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro (GAAB) 2024.
The 150 housing units in the said three municipalities are among the 450 houses that will be constructed in different areas of Lanao del Sur this year, including in the municipalities of Butig and Kapatagan (under the Special Development Fund), and in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Camp Busra and Camp Bilal.
Each single-story residential housing unit has a construction budget of P796,950. Spanning an area of 6×8 sqm, it encompasses three bedrooms, a comfort room, a living area, a porch, and an outdoor kitchen. The house’s design meticulously accounts for various hazards to ensure the safety and comfort of its occupants.
In total, MHSD has allocated 1,250 housing units for the province since 2021. In his message, Minister Atty. Hamid Aminoddin Barra emphasized the importance of ensuring the successful implementation of these housing projects not just for the beneficiaries but for all the stakeholders involved.
“This is an accountability to the Bangsamoro Government, to the Bangsamoro people, and to the mujahideens who sacrificed their lives. This is also an accountability to the Filipino people because the block grant is part of the tax of the people of the Philippines,” Barra said.
In response, Balindong Mayor Amer-Reggie Bagul, Lumbayanague Mayor Jamal Asum, and Tamparan Mayor Mohammad Juhar Disomimba expressed their utmost commitment to the efficient implementation of the housing projects, in adherence to the principle of moral governance.
Through housing projects like this, the Bangsamoro Government envisions helping more indigent, vulnerable, internally displaced, and former combatant beneficiaries to sustain the gains of the peace process. (Norjana Malawi/BIO)
