The three agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, October 8, for the proposed Building Better Moro Homes: Integrated Housing and Community Development Initiative with Support for Camp Transformation in BARMM.
The agreement was signed by MinDA Chairperson Leo Tereso A. Magno, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, and PCHC President and CEO Tan Chee Siong, together with PCHC Chief Operating Officer Ma. Victoria Arlette Feliciano. Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento served as a witness.
DHSUD Senior Undersecretary Eduardo P. Robles Jr. and MinDA Deputy Executive Director Assistant Secretary Romeo M. Montenegro also attended the signing. Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto and Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo Jr. conveyed their support for the initiative through messages.
Under the MOU, PCHC will undertake a feasibility study to assess the proposed housing project's technical, financial, legal, institutional, and operational requirements. MinDA and DHSUD will assist in coordinating with relevant government agencies and communities, as well as arranging site inspections and technical discussions.
Meanwhile, OPAPRU will provide guidance on conflict-sensitive approaches, facilitate engagement with peace stakeholders, and help coordinate the validation of prospective beneficiaries in conflict-affected communities.
Magno said the initiative aims to help address BARMM's estimated housing shortage of 300,000 units, which continues to affect families across the region.
"Every initiative we pursue must be measured against one question: Does it bring us to a Mindanao where communities are secure, families are dignified, and opportunities are shared?" Magno said. BuyMaps
Sarmiento, who also chairs the Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Implementing Panel, welcomed the agreement and stressed the need to accelerate the implementation of peace commitments following the successful conduct of the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections last month under the political track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
"We cannot simply ask people who have spent much of their lives in conflict wondering what comes next," Sarmiento emphasized.
He underscored the importance of developing housing programs that respond to the circumstances of displaced families, particularly women and Indigenous Peoples living in conflict-affected areas of BARMM.
"At the end of the day, we are not simply building houses. We are building lives. We are restoring hope. We are giving families a fresh start. And most importantly, we are showing the Bangsamoro people that the promise of peace is a promise we intend to keep," Sarmiento said.
He reaffirmed OPAPRU's commitment to working with its partners in BARMM to improve the socioeconomic well-being of communities and ensure that peace initiatives translate into meaningful benefits for residents.
📷 OPAPRU