In a significant move towards reintegration, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Oriental has commenced surveying a 13-hectare plot in Barangay Bongalonan, Basay town, designated for a housing project for former rebels. This initiative, captured in an undated photo, marks a pivotal step in providing homes for those who have laid down their arms.
Manuel Galon, the provincial agrarian reform officer, announced that the survey is currently underway on land previously used by the CDCP Mining Corporation. The survey aims to allocate space for 100 residences and a communal garden, specifically designed for the project’s beneficiaries.
The housing project is set to benefit 93 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who have recently surrendered to the government. Each of these individuals will be granted a 200-square-meter plot for their new homes. Additionally, seven more houses are planned for other former rebels, subject to further validation.
Beneficiaries will also receive individual land titles or Certificates of Land Ownership Award, securing their ownership. The project, which was launched under the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) during the late Governor Roel Degamo’s term, has been allocated an initial funding of PHP60 million.
DAR-Negros Oriental is gearing up for the groundbreaking ceremony of this pioneering housing project for former rebels, scheduled for November 26.