KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- The National Housing Authority has allocated P1.32 billion  for construction of permanent housing units intended for families affected by the 2019 earthquakes in Cotabato Province, an official of the agency said. 

Engr. Zenaida Cabiles, NHA 12 regional manager, said these housing projects will benefit 4,563 families in need of houses after being impacted by the quakes.  

"Construction is ongoing for 1,700 housing units for the same number of families in Kidapawan City. The project costs P492,069,094, As of today, about half of the housing units have been completed," Engr. Cabiles said during her guesting at the Performing and Informing Program of the Philippine Information Agency 12 and the Information Coordinating Network 12 Wednesday. 

Cabiles added that a 2,000-unit housing project in Makilala  amounting to P579-M "is already in the procurement stage."

"These houses are patterned from the design of housing projects in Marawi City. These houses are resilient to all forms of calamity," she said. 

Also in the pipeline are projects that will provide houses to  517 families in Tulunan, 151 families in Arakan, 125 families in Magpet, and 70 families in M'lang. 

Cotabato Province and nearby areas were hit by a series of strong shallow earthquakes in October 2019. 

These quakes occurred at 7:37 p.m. on October 16 at magnitude 6.3, at 9:04 a.m. and 10:42 a.m.  on October 29 at magnitudes 6.6 and 6.1, respectively, and at 9:11 a.m. on October 31 at magnitude 6.5. 

Most damage were reported from Kidapawan City, Makilala, and Tulunan in Cotabato Province and. Magsaysay in Davao del Sur.  (PIA XII)