TALAINGOD, Davao del Norte -- Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. and Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana led the turnover here on Monday of 68 housing units to members of the Ata-Manobo tribe who were displaced by armed conflict.
The P11.25 million Bahay Pangkapayapaan was spearheaded by the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police.
The idea of establishing the 125-unit housing project began after six families belonging to the tribe were rescued from the Haran, a Davao-based facility that is reportedly under the influence of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), in February 2020.
Speaking to the beneficiaries during the turn-over, Lorenzana urged the IPs not to sell their ancestral lands and instead develop their full potential by planting high-value crops such as coffee.
The defense chief pointed out that one of the best ways to address the communist insurgency in the countryside is to build much-needed infrastructure in far-flung, conflict-affected areas.
“If we put roads in these communities, the CTG will go away, as development will start to get in,” Lorenzana said.
Meanwhile, Galvez said that he was very happy to see that the Lumads who were rescued from Haran have finally returned to their communities and now have a home that they can call their own.
