The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Friday rolled out more housing projects for the indigenous peoples in Mindanao.
DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario led the signing of a memorandum of agreement and groundbreaking ceremonies for five housing projects for members of the Higaonon tribes in Regions 10 and 13.
He said the housing construction and land development are within their mandate of providing Filipino families, especially the underserved, such as the tribes folk, with access to decent, sustainable, resilient, and more affordable housing communities nationwide under the government’s BALAI housing program to be funded using developers’ incentivized compliance to balanced housing.
Under the scheme, 250 housing units would be established in Barangay Kibanban, Balingasag town and Barangay Minalwang, Claveria in Misamis Oriental, and in Barangay Kamagong in Nasipit and Barangay Bokbokan in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, and Barangay Sinakungan in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
“These projects are in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive of prioritizing IPs in the provision of safe, resilient and affordable housing communities,” Del Rosario said.
He said the undertakings are part of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s initiatives to insulate IP villages in the far-flung communities from communist influence to discourage them from joining the terrorist groups.
“Also, these projects will ensure the safety of our IPs, keep them away from harm both natural and man-made,” he added.
