A total of 93 former rebels in Negros Oriental have made it to the final list of beneficiaries of a government housing project in Basay town, the Department of Agrarian Reform here bared on Wednesday.
Manuel Galon, DAR Provincial Agriculture Reform Program officer, told the media in an interview that these FRs have been documented, and endorsed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, following a stringent validation process.
The former New People’s Army rebels are from different towns and cities of Negros Oriental, and had surrendered to the law enforcement authorities on different occasions.
Galon said the FRs are beneficiaries of the housing project undertaken through the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in a 13-hectare government land in barangay Bongalonan in Basay.
The project includes the construction of 100 housing units, each comprising 200 square meters; common areas for sports facilities and spiritual activities; spaces for livelihood training; and a communal farm, he said.
Individual Certificates of Land Ownership Awards will be given to the FRs for the houses while the other portions and communal farm will be issued as a collective title, he added.
The DAR submitted the subdivision plan to the Department of Environment & Natural Resources early this month for final approval.
Once approved, the DAR will start preparing the land titles which will be distributed tentatively in September during the project groundbreaking with Agrarian Reform Sec. Conrado Estrella III, Galon said.
The project has an initial funding of P60 million from the provincial government but Galon said more funds are needed for its full implementation. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
