THE Australian Embassy on Thursday turned over permanent houses to 45 families displaced in Zamboanga due to siege in 2013.
Leading the ceremony, Australian embassy deputy head of Mission Mat Kimberley expressed his country’s commitment to continue to support the displaced families in Zamboanga by its recovery project and other assistance.
“Australia is committed to support the continuing recovery of this city under the Zamboanga Recovery Project,” said Kimberley, in Zamboanga to grace the turnover ceremony.
“I am honored to meet some of the families supported by the project and to be among the first to visit their new permanent homes,” he added.
The Australian Government provided A$3million (P102 million) for the implementation of the Zamboanga Recovery Project, which aims to support families who have been internally displaced when the rebels attack the province on Sept. 9, 2013.
The turnover of 45 homes in Barangay Tulungatung follows the turnover on Feb. 13, 2016 of 35 homes to families in Barangay San Roque under the ZRP, where another 15 families received support from Australia to build permanent houses on their own land.
Australia’s assistance will provide beneficiaries with permanent shelter; psychosocial and protection services; support to host communities; and health and disease surveillance.
The project will also provide 1000 family-beneficiaries with livelihood funding and skills training support.
“Australia’s support, delivered by CFSI and CRS, will provide permanent houses to 400 family-beneficiaries in Zamboanga, prioritizing vulnerable internally displaced people who are forced to share space with home owners or renters,” Kimberley said.
Antonette Gerolaga, the Vice President of the Home Owners Association in Tulungatung and a shelter unit beneficiary, expressed her thanks to the Australian government, the Community and Family Services International, Catholic Relief Services as well as the Local Government Unit of Zamboanga City and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zamboanga.
“We are very happy because our families now have a permanent home after three years of transferring from different evacuation centers and transitory sites,” she said.
A day-care centre with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facility, and playground that can accommodate 30 children per class session, has also been put up in the resettlement site as part of the support to the host community.
The project is implemented by the Community and Family Services International, Catholic Relief Services, World Health Organization and Zamboanga City Government.