Photo courtesy of NHA Region 12.
ARAKAN, Cotabato Province (PIA) – The National Housing Authority (NHA) handed 75 of 151 housing units in Barangay Libertad to the Manobo-Tinananon indigenous peoples (IPs) in Arakan, Cotabato on September 30.
Beneficiaries of each housing with 100 sq.m. of lot area are the IPs affected by the series of earthquakes in Cotabato in October 2019.
Nenita Tohonanon, president of the Homeowners Association, expressed how grateful they are after years of waiting for their dream home.
“Naa diay ang NHA nga andam muhatag sa among panginahanglan. Mao niingon ko sa akong mga kauban, dili lagi ta mawalaan ug paglaom tungod kay naay andam mutabang ka nato,” she stated.
(We were unaware that NHA was prepared to meet our needs. That’s why I assured my fellow IPs that we should not lose hope, as some are ready to assist us.)
She also recounted their experiences of temporarily living in makeshift tents and the immediate assistance they received from the local government unit.
In a message during the turnover ceremony, Engr. Zenaida Cabiles, the regional manager of NHA 12, emphasized that the NHA remains steadfast in fulfilling its mandate, even in the face of challenges such as unsuccessful bidding, difficulties in procuring supplies and materials, alterations in the structure’s design, and weather conditions.
“Ang ultimate goal sa NHA, ang among mandato nga makahatag ug disente, dekalidad nga housing para sa mga beneficiaries,” Cabiles said.
(The ultimate goal of the NHA, our mandate, is to provide decent, quality housing for the beneficiaries.)
She then urged the beneficiaries to take necessary care and improve the houses given to them, telling them not to sell any housing units from the government.
“Alagaan ninyo ang inyong balay, dili ninyo ibaligya (take care of your house, don’t sell it),” she stated.
Cabiles said that they hope to complete this November the 76 remaining units of the housing project located in Barangay Ganatan, particularly in Sitios Lomunday and Mambino with 33 and 43 housing units, respectively.
Aside from Arakan, the NHA in Region 12 also partially completed housing projects in other areas of Cotabato. In Tulunan, 52 out of 517 housing units were completed; in M’lang, 70 units; and in Kidapawan City, 1,130 units. (PIA Cotabato Province)
