Represented by Minister Hamid Aminoddin D. Barra, the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development of the BARMM, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Alert, represented by Country Director Nikki Philline C. de la Rosa held at the International Alert Office in Diliman, Quezon City, on April 11, 2022.

The signing established a framework of partnership and facilitated collaboration between the parties to develop specific activities and deliverables to be implemented in a spirit of cooperation and common commitment to provide a culturally safe and dignified home for vulnerable households in the BARMM.

Minister Barra said the areas of cooperation specified land dispute resolution responsibilities that include progress monitoring, and reflection events, assessment, and documentation of good practices.

The MHSD will coordinate with other ministries involved in the project’s Housing and Mapping and receive demand-driven capacity enhancement, accompaniment on land management framework, and a step-wise dispute settlement process from International Alert to implement functions of planning, citizen participation, and public safety more effectively.

Meanwhile, the International Alert, an independent international peacebuilding organization, operating programs around the world to address conflict, will provide technical expertise and context-specific knowledge to design a methodical validation process of claims and conflict-resolution process, inclusive and participatory, in settling land disputes in the Most Affected Areas and Least Affected Areas of Marawi City.

The signing was a milestone achieved during the MHSD Week 2022, with the theme “Disenteng Pabahay para sa Lahat, Pangarap Naming Tapat”.

During the signing, Minister Barra was with Director General Esmael W. Ebrahim and Director for Operations and Management Nomaire M. Madid.