Poor communities across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are expected to benefit from the continuing housing program implemented under the Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (KAPYANAN) project.

Abdulnasser Usman, KAPYANAN deputy project manager, said the undertaking is one of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim’s flagship programs for the region.

“The decent housing projects include solar-powered lighting facilities and water connection,” Usman told reporters here in an interview Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, construction of 50 housing units started in Barangay Damalasak, Pagalungan, Maguindanao.

On Tuesday, the KAPYANAN team led the groundbreaking ceremony for 50 units of permanent core shelters intended for indigent residents of Barangay Guinibon, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao.

Usman said each housing project costs PHP23 million, complete with solar-powered lights and community water facilities.

Since the pandemic restrictions that started in March last year, Usman said several groundbreaking ceremonies for KAPYANAN projects for the other BARMM provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi had been delayed.

“Due to the emergence of the virus, the implementation of the housing projects were momentarily halted,” he said, adding that the projects would soon resume.

He added that some challenges included construction bidding and donation of land property which caused further delays in the actual fulfillment of the projects.

Usman said that the approved target areas for housing projects in 2019 totaled 2,630 with Maguindanao having 1,130 core shelters, 1,000 for Lanao del Sur, and 500 for Tawi-Tawi.

“Besides, for the year 2020, a total of 5,000 approved core shelters were to be built equally for all five provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi,” he said.

Each KAPYANAN housing unit has a floor area of 36 square meters with two bedrooms, living, dining, and kitchen areas.

The housing projects are expected for completion this year. (PNA)