Zambo evacuees move to concrete duplex units

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The ending of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month when fasting for Muslims is an act of soul cleansing, self-sacrifice and renewal of faith, meant more for the Alfad family.

“Our happiness is priceless. My heart seems to explode with joy. Allah is good. He blesses those who persevere,” Saadia Alfad, 38, said after her family moved to their new home at the Islamic Village in Zamboanga City on Thursday, the eve of Ramadan.

For more than a year, the Alfads and 390 other families had stayed at the Don Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, widely known as the city’s Grandstand, after being displaced when fighting broke out between government forces and members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in September 2013.

From a makeshift shack at the Grandstand, the Alfads were transferred to a newly built concrete house in Barangay Santa Barbara. They were among 62 families who were recently awarded duplex units in the village.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar gave the keys to the housing units to the beneficiaries, as well as bags of rice and P10,000 cash each “for light and water connection.”

Twenty-five more units will be completed for the year ends, said Reynaldo Bolay-og, supervising engineer of the relocation project under the National Housing Authority.

“We have a high ceiling. We can build a loft there,” Alfad said as she tried to contain the excitement of her daughters, Alnahar and Alsaida, and son, Alkaheer. They were cleaning their new home while Alfad’s husband, Alwijar, was looking after their “ukay-ukay” (used clothing) stall at the Santa Cruz market.

“I lost my mother due to heatstroke at the Grandstand, but the trials and miseries taught my children to be strong and appreciate whatever comes our way,” Alfad said.

Certificate of ownership

Another beneficiary, Abdulnajir Hussein, a policeman, was clutching his certificate of ownership and a bundle of keys as he checked on a duplex unit in Block 3 Lot 4. “I have received awards and recognition in the past, but this is the best certificate that I received in my entire life,” he said.

Hussein lost his home, then newly renovated, to bombs and conflagration during the 2013 MNLF siege, forcing his family to stay with relatives and friends.

“I have a big family and we will try to do with what we have now. We survived war and displacement for almost two years, There’s no reason why we cannot do well with this new home,” he said.