Led by Minister Atty. Hamid Aminoddin D. Barra, the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development conducted a series of groundbreaking ceremonies on February 1-3, 2022, for the Construction of 200-unit Housing Resettlement Project for four municipalities in Tawi-Tawi.

Fifty units with land development will be constructed in the Tandubas municipality and another 50 with land development in Sapa-Sapa. Meanwhile, additional 50 units will be constructed at the Pababag Island in Bongao, and another 50 units in Simunul.

The Bangsamoro people residing in Tawi-Tawi will benefit from the projects, to be identified at a later date.

The groundbreaking ceremony held on February 1 was for Pababag Island in Bongao, February 2 for Tandubas and Sapa-Sapa, and February 3 for Simunul.

“Though we are a new ministry, we are doing our best to implement our programs,” Minister Barra said during his message at the Simunul Groundbreaking Ceremony.

“In fact, we always say: we do not commit, we do not promise, but we deliver. MHSDelivers. This is our platform of administration.”, Minister Barra added.

The ceremonies were personally attended by Provincial Governor Yshmael “Mang” I. Sali along with other provincial government officials, Bangsamoro Youth Commission Tawi-Tawi Commissioner Pratima H. Sabal-Samsaraji and company.

Local Chief Executives (LCEs) and other local officials per municipality welcomed the MHSD for the respective ceremonies.

“Thank you MHSD. True to your tagline, you don’t promise, but you deliver”, Gov. Sali said.

The provincial and municipal government units committed to aide on the projects’ smooth implementation for their constituents.

Along with Minister Barra, the management committee included Deputy Minister Atty. Jose I. Lorena, Director General Esmael W. Ebrahim, Director for Operations and Management Nomairie M. Madid, Director for Technical Services Abdulhamid C. Alawi, Jr., Legal Officer IV Atty. Nasihah S. Mamarungcas, and other MHSD Division Chiefs and field coordinators.

The housing resettlment projects in Sapa-Sapa and Tandubas are both funded under the General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro (GAAB) 2021, while the projects in Bongao and Simunul are funded under the Special Development Fund (SDF) 2020.