PANAY Bukidnon indigenous peoples (IPs) with miniature versions of their houses in Calinog town, Iloilo province. (NIA-6)
ILOILO CITY – Thirty-two families of Panay Bukidnon indigenous peoples (IPs) affected by the mega dam project in Calinog town, Iloilo province are moving into their new homes.
The National Irrigation (NIA) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) turned over houses to beneficiaries in a ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
They were displaced by the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP-II), the flagship project of NIA where three separate dams and reservoirs were built.
Under the Land Acquisition and Resettlement Action Plan (LARAP), each of the qualified IP families received a 35-square meter house on a 150-square meter lot.
The NHA funded the construction of the houses as part of the Housing Assistance Program for Indigenous Peoples (HAPIP).
Regional Managers Jonel B. Borres of NIA-6 and Rizalino G. Cabahug of NHA-6 urged IPs to take care of their new homes.
Cabahug added these homes were specifically built based on customs and traditions of the Panay Bukidnon.
The turnover ceremony coincided with National Indigenous People’s Month.