Under the scheme, 250 housing units will initially be established in Barangay Kibanban in Balingasag town and Barangay Minalwang in Claveria—both in Misamis Oriental province, and in Barangay Kamagong in Nasipit and Barangay Bokbokan in Las Nieves in Agusan del Norte province; and Barangay Sinakungan in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur province.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is rolling out more shelter projects for indigenous peoples (IP).
Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario recently launched five housing projects intended for members of the Higaonon tribe in Region 10 and Region 13. He earlier vowed to develop at least five more IP shelter projects across Mindanao.
On Friday, Del Rosario’s head executive assistant, Leouel Santos, and Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Daryll Villanueva went to Butuan City to lead a coordinating meeting to facilitate the projects intended for the IP groups.
“These projects are in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive of prioritizing IPs in the provision of safe, resilient and sustainable housing communities,” Del Rosario stressed.
Cultural sensitivities
Under the scheme, 250 housing units will initially be established in Barangay Kibanban in Balingasag town and Barangay Minalwang in Claveria—both in Misamis Oriental province, and in Barangay Kamagong in Nasipit and Barangay Bokbokan in Las Nieves in Agusan del Norte province; and Barangay Sinakungan in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur province.
The IP housing construction and land development—to be done with utmost consideration to the cultural sensitivities of the tribe folk, are in line with the department’s mandate of providing Filipino families, especially the underserved that includes IPs, access to decent, sustainable and resilient housing communities nationwide.
The housing units, funded using developers’ incentivized compliance to balanced housing, will be given by the government as a grant.
Aside from the housing units, the construction of tribal halls in each location, as well as a multipurpose covered court in Barangay Samay, Balingasag, will likewise be included in the projects.
To ensure safety
According to Del Rosario, such undertakings are likewise part of the government efforts to keep the IPs safe from harm’s way.
“Also, these projects will ensure the safety of our IPs, keep them away from harm both natural and man-made,” Del Rosario added.
The latest IP housing projects will be implemented jointly by the DHSUD and the local government units concerned, supported by various stakeholders including the Philippine Army, the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples and nongovernmental organizations.
Earlier, Del Rosario broke ground for a couple of housing projects intended for members of the Dumagat tribe in the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija.
Two hundred and forty-five Dumagat families in Barangay Matawe, Dingalan town, Aurora, and 95 others in Barangay Malinao, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, are slated to benefit from the soon-to-rise IP resettlement complexes. —CONTRIBUTED