Zamboanga City – Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman led the turnover ceremony yesterday of  five bunkhouses at Barangay Taluksangay for the families whose houses were burned at the height of the clash between government troops and the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari Faction in September.

Together with Sec. Soliman were Habitat for Humanity Managing Head Charlito Ayco, Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar,  and 2nd District Congresswoman Lilia Nuno.

Representatives of International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also joined the turnover.

The five bunkhouses with 54 rooms are part of the 21 to be constructed in the area through the partneship of the Department with Habitat. As of today, eight bunkhouses have been completed.

Witnessing the turnover were the beneficiaries  who transferred there on the same day.

 Starter kits and food packs were also provided to them upon their relocation.

 In her message during the program, Sec. Soliman thanked the partners for their support to the national government in assisting the victims.

She also emphasized that the bunkhouses are only temporary as  President Benigno S. Aquino III has committed to provide better communities after the reconstruction and development of the affected areas.

“Hindi bahay ang mahirap gawin, ang kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin ay ang pagkakaisa natin kahit iba-iba ang ating kultura.  Tayo ay isang komunidad, isang Zamboanga City at isang bansa (It is not difficult to construct houses, what we need to focus on is our unity amid our different cultures. We are one community, one Zamboanga City, one nation),”  Sec. Soliman remarked.

For her part, Mayor Salazar reiterated  President Aquino’s plans for the affected areas.

Ayco, on the other hand, assured their organization’s support to DSWD in providing decent homes to the families.  While DSWD provides the chunk of the budget, Habitat will cover 20% of the costs as their counterpart. They also supervise the actual construction of the houses

Habitat has an existing agreement with DSWD for the construction of the bunkhouses.  Taluksangay Barangay Chair Abdurahman Nuno vowed to ensure cleanliness and peace and order in the area.

“We will take care of these houses,” he swore.

To date, there are still 4,691 families who are in evacuation centers and temporary shelters around the city. ###