Marawi IDPs elated over new, safer homes

The Pamayandeg sa Ranao Residences at Dansalan (PRRD) Phase III and IV in Brgy. Gadongan, the site for 800 permanent shelter units for families formerly living in danger zones of Marawi City.  (Jason Casas/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Families formerly living in danger zones, along the banks of Agus River and ​Lake​ Lanao in Marawi,​ are thankful for the new and safer homes they got from the government.

Rohanisah Asum conveyed her gratitude to the government ​for the permanent shelter that she can call her own family's new home.

"Kami ay nagpapasalamat dahil napili kami na nabigyan ng permanent shelter kasi hirap kaming makitira sa mga relatives namin. Mahirap kasi yung walang bahay. Pero ngayon, may sarili na kaming bahay na masasabi naming amin talaga. Kaya maraming salamat. Pwede na rin kaming magbusiness sa bakuran namin," she said.

[We are grateful for being chosen to have a permanent shelter because it is difficult for us to live with our relatives. It's hard to be homeless. But now, we have a house that we can truly call our own. So thank you very much. We can also do business in our backyard.]

Cayamombao Cabugatan is also grateful for the house her family got from the government.  "Pinasasalamatan namin sila dahil nagkaroon na kami ng sariling bahay [We thank them because we now have our own house]," she said.

For Abdullatif Sandab, he said it gratified him to finally have a permanent home where his family could start anew.

"Nagpapasalamat sa pamunuan ng NHA [National Housing Authority] dahil yung matagal naming inaasam ay nangyari na ngayon. Kaya sa lahat ng mga agency, gobyerno o NGO, na sila ay nagtulong-tulong upang makamit namin ang aming mga pangarap, salamat at masaya po kaming lahat," he said.

[I'm grateful to the leadership of NHA because what we have been hoping for a long time has now happened. So to all the agencies, government or NGO, who helped us achieve our dreams, thank you and we are all happy.]

Asum, Cabugatan and Sandab are among the 157 IDPs recently awarded permanent shelters in Pamayandeg sa Ranao Residences at Dansalan (PRRD) in Brgy. Gadongan. The awarding was realized through the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), the city government of Marawi, and the National Housing Authority as the implementing agency which led the land development and construction of the units in the said area. 

TFBM has been focusing on the building of 2,800 permanent shelters where families living in the 'danger zones' can be relocated.

Through the NHA, Social Housing Finance Corporation,  UN-Habitat and the Government of Japan, and the local government units of Marawi and Lanao del Sur, permanent shelters were built in PRRD Village Phase I and II in Barangay Kilala, PRRD Village Phase II​I​ and IV in Brgy.  Gadongan, Hadiya Village in Dulay West, Darusallam Village in Brgy. Dulay Proper, and Norsalam Village in Brgy. Patani.

This is on top of the permanent shelter project of the Bangsamoro government in Brgys. Mipaga and Patani (Pabahay ng BARMM) and Brgy. Kilala (BARMM Duplex Permanent Shelter)

To date, 1,906 units have been completed and 1,471 have been awarded to rightful beneficiaries. 

"Sa Task Force Bangon Marawi, lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa kanila dahil sila yung naging utak ng lahat. Kumbaga sa computer, sila yung CPU. Sila yung naging utak, sila yung naging daan paano namin narating yung ganito. Sila yung malaking tumulong sa amin bago kami mapadpad sa ganito o bago namin makamit yung ganito. Sila yung nag guide, nag-assist, tumulong, nagbigay lahat [to Task Force Bangon Marawi, we are very grateful to them because they have been the brain of everything. Like in a computer, they are the CPU. They are the brain and it is through them we got to this. They are the ones who helped us before we achieved this. They were the ones who guided, assisted, helped, gave us everything]," said  Nashiba Usman, also a shelter beneficiary and council leader in Gadongan.​ (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)​

Nashiba Usman shows her new and safe home in Pamayandeg sa Ranao Residences at Dansalan (PRRD) in Brgy. Gadongan. (Jason Casas/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)

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157 IDPs move to new permanent homes in Marawi

The government awards a certificate to IDP beneficiaries to officially signal their relocation to the new permanent shelter in Pamayandeg sa Ranao Residences at Dansalan (PRRD) in Brgy. Mipantao Gadongan, Marawi City. (Claire R. Gigje/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)

A total of 157 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in this city were additionally relocated to their new homes, this time permanent ones after their old shelters in the most affected area (MAA) were ravaged by the firefight in 2017.

Situated in a village named Pamayandeg sa Ranao Residences at Dansalan in Brgy. Mipantao Gadongan in Marawi City, the awarding of permanent housing units was realized through the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), the city government of Marawi, and the National Housing Authority as the implementing agency which successfully led the land development and construction of the houses in the afore-mentioned area. 

TFBM Field Office Manager Felix Castro Jr. highlighted that the village would also be equipped with community facilities such as a school, wet and dry market, multi-purpose center, and transport terminal while the water supply is also being processed.

He stated that this is part of their commitment to continuously aid those seriously impacted by the siege.

“Para sa 157, bagong buhay kayo dito at susuportahan namin kayo. Ituloy tuloy natin iyan. Hindi namin kayo pababayaan at lage [namin kayong] tinitingnan,” said Castro. 

[For the 157, you have new lives here and we will support you. This is continuous. We will not set you aside and we will always look at you.]

The TFBM field office manager stressed that there might be challenges along the way but they would always recognize that these are nothing compared to the sufferings each displaced resident has undergone. 

As such, he assured that they would always try their best to find appropriate means to get through any problem for the welfare of the citizens of the city.

“Hindi kayang masolve ng one-time. Ang importante, ang NHA, si mayor at TFBM ay sinosolba namin. We are attending at inaayos natin iyan para maresolba. Lagi nga naming sinasabi sa Task Force Bangon Marawi na sabay-sabay nating ibabangon ang Marawi,” said Castro.

[We cannot solve this at one time. What is important is the NHA, mayor and TFBM are solving it. We are attending and we are taking care of it for it to be resolved. We, in TFBM, would always say that together, we will make Marawi rise again.] (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)

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