The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has led the groundbreaking rites for a housing and resettlement area in Camp Abubakar in Barira, Maguindanao del Norte.

OPAPRU chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and officials of the Maguindanao del Norte provincial government led by Governor Abdulraof Macacua joined the event on Dec. 19, 2024, the peace body said in a Facebook post late Thursday.

“The day that we have all been waiting for has finally come,” Galvez said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

He also underscored the significance of the occasion among the project’s recipients.

The housing and resettlement project, which will benefit decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants and their families, will be implemented under OPAPRU’s “Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan” (PAMANA) Program.

“As we gather here for the groundbreaking ceremony of the housing and resettlement project…we are not merely laying the foundation for homes. We are cementing our commitment to a brighter future for our people,” Macacua said.

The project is a collaborative effort between the OPAPRU, National Housing Authority (NHA), Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE), Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), and the municipal government of Barira.

The initiative is a key component of the Camps Transformation Plan (CTP) which aims to transform six previously government-acknowledged MILF camps into peaceful, productive and resilient communities. (PNA)