Indigenous families belonging to the Dumagat tribe in the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija will soon have their own houses, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) announced on Tuesday.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario spearheaded the twin groundbreaking ceremonies on Monday – for 245 families in Barangay Matawe, Dingalan, Aurora and 95 others in Barangay Malinao, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija.

Del Rosario said the DHSUD is staying true to its mandate and heeding President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to prioritize indigenous peoples (IP) in the provision of safe, resilient, and affordable housing in communities.

“Nung inilapit ng mayor ang proyektong ito, agad kong sinabi na approved without thinking. Hindi na ito kailangang pag-isipan pa. Dapat ibigay ang tulong sa mga nangangailangan (When the mayor proposed the project, I immediately approved it without thinking. Help should be given to those in need),” del Rosario said in a statement Tuesday, referring to Dingalan Mayor Shierwin Taay who requested for the housing project to releocate IPs living near or within danger zones.

Del Rosario recalled seeing how the Dumagat tribes survive.

“I was about 12 or 13 years old when my father would bring me along, hunting and spending days with the Dumagats so I experienced first-hand the hardships of the Dumagats in the mountains,” the former Army general said.

The subdivision-like housing projects will be equipped with a drainage system, power, and water facilities, and road networks.

A permanent evacuation center and multi-purpose covered court in Gabaldon’s Barangay Ligaya will also be erected, citing President Duterte’s order to build such structures in disaster-risk areas.

Del Rosario said the evacuation center could withstand calamities and can protect the evacuees. (PNA)