The new housing units at Barangay Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte turned-over by Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and Minister of Human Settlements and Development Aminoddin Barra on October 21. (Benyamen Cabuntalan/BIO)
SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — In its efforts to transform the lives of the less fortunate Bangsamoro people, the regional government awarded 50 free decent housing units to families in Barangay Darapanan of this town on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Built just adjacent to Camp Darapanan, a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the housing units were complete with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen-living room area.
“We cannot achieve this government without the sacrifices and bloodshed of our martyr brothers,” BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said in vernacular, remembering the MILF mujahideens who fought hard leading to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government.
“Now you can see these houses – which if compared to the past, we were already doing well in any house as long as we don’t get wet in the rain – but now Alhamdulillah, you can see these beautiful houses that will be given to you,” CM Ebrahim said in Maguindanaon.
“These houses will be given to you for free, you won’t have to pay for them,” he told the beneficiaries.
The chief minister also shared that in helping the Bangsamoro people, the regional government prioritizes the four sectors of social services, education, infrastructure, and health.
Ebrahim and Minister Aminoddin Barra of the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), led Saturday’s awarding ceremony. Also in attendance were MHSD Deputy Minister Aldin Asiri, Directors General Esmael Ebrahim, and Maguindanao Provincial Director Noroden Abdullah.
According to Barra, the 50 units in Darapanan, amounting to P30.2-million, were among the 1,000 housing units the MHSD will build across the BARMM. Of the 1,000 units, 250 are for the provinces of Maguindanao, 200 for Basilan, 200 for Sulu, 100 for Tawi-Tawi, 100 for Cotabato City, and 150 for the Special Geographic Area. All are targeted to be turned-over to beneficiaries before the year ends.
“Maraming maraming salamat sa pamunuan ng BARMM […] masyado akong naging emosyonal sa totoo lang kasi diko rin inaasahan na kasama ako dahil sa dami-dami ng nangangarap, Alhamdulillah napasama ako,” said beneficiary Moctar Sumangcop, 62, who is an MILF combatant.
[Thank you so much to the BARMM leadership. To be honest I became very emotional because I did not expect to be included among the many who dreamed to be beneficiaries. Thanks to Allah, I got included.]
A father of five, Sumangcop still serves a member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) to show his support to the Government of the Day and to protect his community. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
