The National Housing Authority (NHA) awarded 10 housing units to former rebels (FRs) from the Manobo Dulangan Tribe in Former Rebels Village Housing Project, Sitio Le Mangga, Barangay Midtungok, Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat on April 21, 2022.
NHA Region XII, in partnership with the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat through its Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict; the Municipal Government of Sen. Ninoy Aquino; the 7th Infantry (Tapat) Batallion; the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division; the 549th Engineer Construction Battalion; and the 54th Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army (PA) led the awarding of the certificates and turned over the housing units to 10 qualified FRs during a simple ceremony.
According to Engr. Cabiles, the NHA is the lead agency tasked to ensure the provision of housing assistance to FRs. The latter opted to re-embrace the government and pledge allegiance to the Philippine government.
The NHA’s housing program for FRs is among the support programs afforded by the Duterte administration to help improve the lives of FRs and their families. Under NHA Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2019-041 as amended by MC No. 2020-06, FRs may acquire a ready-to-occupy housing unit, cash assistance amounting to P450,000 for constructing houses, or P100,000 funding support for the repair and renovations of their respective homes.
In individual checks, the 10 FR awardees availed of the P450,000 cash assistance for constructing their houses, which were released to them on July 15, 2021. The beneficiaries helped build their homes on a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT)-covered land.
Engr. Cabiles said the turnover of the 10 houses in the FR Village is the Authority’s contribution to implementing the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and Basic Services (E-CLIP) under Executive Order 70 s. 2018 or “Institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of a National Peace Framework.”
Present during the event were NHA Region XII Manager Engr. Zenaida M. Cabilies, Sen. Ninoy Aquino Mayor Randy L. Ecija; Col. Michael A. Santos, MNSA (INF) PA, 603rd Brigade Commander; LTC Federick Chicote, Commanding Officer, 7th Infantry (Tapat) Battalion; LTC Elvin Rayo, Exec. Officer of 549th Engr Construction Battalion; and Mr. Reynaldo Bernal who represented Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for SOCCSKSARGEN Region and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Sec. Isidro Lapeña.