ARMM to construct 5,000 houses for poor residents

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Officials are targeting the completion in the next two years of 5,000 more core shelters for impoverished Muslim communities in five southern provinces.

The housing project is part of the “Apat na Dapat” goal of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment or ARMM-BRIDGE program.

More than a hundred houses had been built under ARMM-BRIDGE program in recent months, according to records obtained from state auditors assigned to offices in ARMM.

The core houses, some already awarded to now reforming members of the Islamic State-inspired Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan, were built by the district engineering offices in ARMM provinces.

Besides Basilan, the autonomous region also covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, both in central Mindanao, and the island provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

In a statement Saturday, the ARMM-BRIDGE office in Cotabato City said it is targeting the construction of 5,000 houses in the autonomous region in the coming months.

Launched about three years ago, the ARMM-BRIDGE program, under the ministerial control of the executive department of the autonomous regional government, is providing impoverished Muslim, Christian and Lumad communities with electricity, shelter, water and food.

The four components of the ARMM-BRIDGE program comprise its “Apat na Dapat” objective.

The ARMM-BRIDGE is being implemented by the office of the region’s chief executive, Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

Thousands in Basilan benefitted from the food distribution activity of ARMM-BRIDGE just three weeks ago as part of a 10-day relief and rehabilitation services initiated by the region’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team.

Among those given food supplies were former members of the Abu Sayyaf who surrendered in batches in the past 24 months.

They are now being ushered into mainstream society by the ARMM government via livelihood support and other social interventions.