“We are so happy and grateful to be given such beautiful homes. We never dreamed of having something like this, something we could never afford to build,” expressed Jordan Canalon, son of a “shahid” or martyr and one of the beneficiaries of the housing project in Basilan implemented by the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), the housing arm of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The construction of 50 housing units under the resettlement housing project of MHSD in Brgy. Libug, Sumisip, Basilan, was completed in just five months and was awarded to the beneficiaries on December 18, 2024.

The project was funded under the General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro (GAAB) 2024 and was jointly implemented by MHSD and the contractor, Dawing Construction, for the beneficiaries who were orphaned by the mujahideen in the said barangay.

The awarding ceremony was conducted by the Ministry under the supervision of its Provincial Office in Basilan, led by Provincial Director Ibrahim M. Haruddain, and was actively attended by key MHSD officials, including Minister Hamid Aminoddin D. Barra, Deputy Minister Aldin H. Asiri, Bangsamoro Director General Esmael W. Ebrahim, Director Salem C. Demuna of the Operations and Management Service, Director Suharto S. Wahab of the Technical and Regulatory Service, and other key officials from various divisions and sections of MHSD.

In his awarding message, Minister Barra reminded the community of the four lessons for maintaining peace and prosperity in a community from Prophet Muhammad when he migrated to Madinah. He said that peace should be spread, those in need should be fed, good kinship and neighborly relations should be maintained, and prayers should be offered at night while others are asleep.

Meanwhile, Director General Ebrahim confirmed that the project was the fastest completed and it was still one of the priority programs of the BARMM government to provide appropriate assistance to every Bangsamoro family in need.

PD Haruddain said that the area was once feared because it was a battleground and no one thought that it would be built with houses and become a happy community. Now, it is one of the Darussalam villages.

Before the program ended, Deputy Minister Asiri mentioned that the awarding ceremony was a historic event, where the community’s joy was evident in their faces, a result of their sacrifices and cooperation.

Aside from the awarding of houses, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) also distributed cash assistance to those affected by La Niña and the Tabang Program gave rice to the beneficiaries through Provincial Director Hanie A. Junuban and Provincial Coordinator Muais J. Alauddin, respectively.

MHSD officials also gave cash prizes and jackets to the most hardworking and active people in the community who helped expedite the completion of the housing units under the supervision of PD Haruddain and his fellow staff at the MHSD-Basilan.