The National Housing Authority (NHA) recently awarded 100 new homes to indigenous families from the Subanen Tribe. This milestone ceremony, held at the Lison Valley Tribal Village in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, marks a significant step towards improving the lives of the Subanen people.
The Lison Valley Tribal Village is a unique project borne from collaboration between the NHA, under the leadership of General Manager Joeben A. Tai, and the Local Government of Pagadian. It comprises 100 individual houses, each with a comfortable 20-square-meter floor area and a spacious 80-square-meter lot, including an individual septic tank.
More importantly, the village goes beyond just providing shelter. It was thoughtfully designed to respect the Subanen way of life. The housing project is located within the tribe’s ancestral domain, the village allows the families to preserve their cherished beliefs, cultures, and traditions in their new homes.
This initiative is part of the NHA’s Housing Assistance Program for Indigenous Peoples (HAPIP). Through HAPIP, the NHA works hand-in-hand with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and local government units (LGUs) to empower indigenous communities. This program aligns with Republic Act 8731, or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, which guarantees the rights and well-being of indigenous Filipinos.
The Subanen project follows similar successes. In May 2024, the NHA Region XI provided 75 housing units to the Dibabawon Tribe in Davao del Norte, and in March 2024, 51 families of the Mandaya Tribe received homes in Davao Oriental under the same program.
These ongoing efforts demonstrate the NHA’s commitment to providing secure and culturally-sensitive housing solutions for indigenous communities across the Philippines. (ANTONIO)
