MANILA — More families displaced by the siege in Marawi City will soon have their own homes after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Angat Buhay Village in the city.
Situated in Barangay Sagonsonan, the Angat Buhay Village is the construction venue of 60 transitional houses that are intended to accommodate families affected during the Marawi siege last year.
Complete with electricity, water, and facilities for livelihood and learning, the village is expected to reach completion by June this year.
Vice President Leni Robredo led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Angat Buhay Village. Robredo’s office partnered with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and the City Government of Marawi for the implementation of the housing project.
It will be funded by Piso Para sa Laban ni Leni – a PHP7.4 million donation from Robredo’s supporters which was originally dedicated to fund an electoral protest pending before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
Robredo also spearheaded the turnover of livelihood resources to the families living in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur, another Angat Buhay area.
“We turned over sewing machines and other materials for women dressmakers who evacuated there, like Rose Acampong, who leads this group…It is heartbreaking to hear about how the siege has affected our fellow Filipinos, but it makes us even more determined to help our brothers and sisters rise above its aftermath,” Robredo said.
Aside from the Angat Buhay Village, the OVP and its partners have previously donated resources amounting to PHP11.53 million to the victim families in Marawi. These included relief assistance, livelihood provisions, community kitchens, water filters, medicines, and hygiene kits, and school supplies.
Angat Buhay is Robredo’s flagship program aimed at alleviating poverty in the country. (Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA)