The National Housing Authority (NHA) has turned over 50 houses and lots and six (6) lot allocations to Indigenous Peoples of the Bugkalot Tribe in Dupax Del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, on February 17, 2023.

NHA Region II / CAR II Regional Manager Ferdinand C. Sales represented General Manager Joeben Tai in the turnover ceremony, distribution of certifications of eligibility of lot allocations, and signing of the Deed of Donation and Acceptance (DODA).

Joining NHA were Dupax Del Norte Mayor Timothy Joseph E. Cayton, Vice Mayor Victorino V. Prado, Jr., NCIP Provincial Officer Ronie P. Caanawan and Dr. Lasin Osingat of NCIP.

In his message, GM Tai said the Dupax Del Norte IP Housing Project is proof that NHA is relentless in its efforts to meet the housing needs of poor Filipino families.

He added, “I hope that during my term, we will be able to help address the housing needs, not only of the IP families but all the poor homeless Filipino families.”

The Dupax IP housing is a project under the NHA Housing Assistance Program for Indigenous Peoples (HAPIP). The NHA signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Local Government of Dupax Del Norte, the Bugkalot Tribe, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for the construction of housing units.

The houses the NHA built are accustomed to the IPs’ culture, customs and traditions, livelihood, and the symbols they observed. NHA conducts regular consultations with the affected IP Community, NCIP, DENR, and the concerned LGU in finding a suitable location for the IP Housing sites – within their ancestral domain and near their farmlands.

From the original P10 Million funding assistance allocated to every IP Project, the budget was increased to P20 million to cover land development, housing construction, and technical assistance. The P20 Million funding is a grant to Local Government Units in coordination with the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the IP Community.