BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the National Housing Authority (NHA-CAR) briefed the Committee on Indigenous Peoples’ Concerns (CIPC) on its partnership with local government units (LGUs) and the Indigenous Peoples Housing Assistance (IPHA) programs during its 1st quarter meeting of the CIPC on January 31 at the RDC Hall, Baguio City.
Earlier, the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) approved a resolution requesting the NHA to also consider certificates of ancestral domain claim (CADCs) in its IP housing program. This will give the opportunity for beneficiaries that do not yet have certificates of ancestral domain titles (CADTs) to avail of IPHA program through their respective LGUs. The resolution, originating from the Regional Social Development Committee (RSDC) and CIPC, was acted favorably by NHA. It may be recalled that the landslide victims of Typhoon Pepeng in 2009 in Tadian, Mountain Province and Itogon, Benguet were not able to avail of NHA’s housing program for disaster victims because of the requirements that the resettlement land should be titled. It was announced that the NHA had amended this ruling to grant housing permits to areas with certificates of ancestral domain claim.
“Its impact will be nationwide”, Michelline Inay of NHA-CAR expressed. This initiative of the RDC and NHA means that IPs with ancestral domain claims in all parts of the nation and not just in the Cordillera can avail of NHA’s IPHA. On behalf of the CIPC committee, NCIP Regional Director Roland Calde commended and thanked the NHA and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council for providing the opportunity for indigenous cultural communities and IPs to avail of the government housing program using CADCs.
By Marlo T. Lubguban
