Beneficiaries of the housing project in Brgy. Upper Bato Bato, Akbar, Basilan expressed their gratitude with joy and hope during the awarding ceremony conducted by the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), the housing arm of the BARMM, in partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU) on December 18, 2024.

“Thank you that we have the BARMM government, a government that truly serves. This place is a place of the Mujahideen; we are so happy and grateful to have been given the most beautiful homes we never expected or even dreamed of,” said Haruddain Hafiz, one of the beneficiaries who received a housing unit for his family.

He is one of the 50 recipients of free housing units from MHSD through the housing development projects in Brgy. Lower and Upper Bato-Bato in the municipality of Akbar, funded under the Special Development Fund (SDF) 2022.

In his awarding message, Minister Hamid Aminoddin D. Barra reminded the community of the four pieces of advice from Prophet Muhammad when he migrated to Madinah: spreading peace, feeding those in need, maintaining good kinship and neighborly relations, and praying at night while others are asleep.

“You will be a community of peace, that’s why it’s called Darussalam village; you must maintain this peace not only here on earth but also in the afterlife,” the Minister advised.

Meanwhile, Hon. Mayor Alih A. Sali said that the successful project demonstrates unity and cooperation in the area, evident in the happy smiles of the beneficiaries. He emphasized that the beneficiaries having homes symbolizes hope and a brighter future.

Director General Esmael W. Ebrahim expressed his happiness in knowing that the houses meet the set specifications and he hopes that it will become a model housing project.

“This is a sign that BARMM service is alive and well. In the coming days, there will be series of awarding and turnover ceremonies to be conducted by the MHSD,” the director general added.

In their messages, Hon. Brgy. Chairperson Radia A. Sali and Lt. Col. Mark Serapion L. Lagud, Jr. of the Philippine Army congratulated MHSD for its dedication to ensuring the development and stability of the communities.

“We also congratulate the LGU for being aggressive in finding ways to have these projects; let us take care of these houses that we have received because they are a product of the peace process between the MILF and the Philippine government,” added Lt. Col. Lagud.

The awarding program concluded with a message from Deputy Minister Aldin H. Asiri, expressing his immense joy in seeing the beneficiaries’ happiness. He said he was even happier to be part of community development throughout the Bangsamoro region.