ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - “We are happy President Pnoy delivered what he promised in his SONA (State of the Nation Address).”
This was the statement of the 42 families who were among the victims of the last year’s bloody siege as they formally received their housing units as part of the initial resettlement of the thousands of displaced persons (IDPs).
The IDPs showed their keys of their respective housing units as a symbol of their happiness to be back at Martha Home Owners Association at Barangay Sta. Catalina and the first group to receive the permanent shelter.
The housing units, loftable duplex type, were turned over by the National Housing Authority (NHA) city government, who in turn formally distributed them among the 42 displaced families in the area.
Jocelyn Dime, 44, with two children, said although the units given to them were not yet fully furnished with interior fixtures, they were relieved and felt at home after almost a year of staying in the evacuation sites.
“We are really thankful that the pronouncements of President Aquino during the SONA have been translated as they fast tracked the implementation for our resettlement. We hope the rest will follow soon,” said Terre Maru, 33, a mother of two and an overseas Filipino worker.
Sta. Catalina village Chair Jimmy Villaflores was happy to see his constituents returning to their places of origin and securely sheltered in their new homes.
“I really have this mixed emotion seeing them finally resettled and how sweet it will be if all those affected will follow suit. As if it was like only yesterday when I saw them fleeing in fear amid gunbattle,” Villaflores said.
He said the return of the displaced families will also start the healing of his devastated village.
Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco Salazar led the turnover of the initial new housing units for the affected families.
“As the president promised we were not delayed because we are ahead of time,” Salazar told the settlers.
She said the government under the Z3R (Zamboanga Roadmap to Recovery and Rehabilitation) have been working its time to ensure in building back a better Zamboanga.
The turnover the of the 42 housing units were just part of the more than 7,000 shelters the government aims to implement within 18 months in the four devastated villages following the September 9 siege staged by the rebels of the Moro National Liberation Front under Nur Misuari.
The 23-day siege left more than 200 people killed, displaced over 120,000 civilians and razed more than 10,000 houses.