COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Government turned over 100 housing units in Bagua 1 village, Cotabato City, to identified beneficiaries on Monday, December 22, 2025, as part of the Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (Kapyanan) program. Beneficiaries include families of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.
The handover forms part of a 150-unit project under Kapyanan, a flagship initiative of the Office of the Chief Minister that is designed to provide shelters and sustainable livelihood opportunities for indigent families across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Kapyanan sits within BARMM’s broader push to stabilize communities in areas heavily affected by decades of armed conflict and displacement in Mindanao, where secure tenure and basic services remain central to post-conflict recovery and the implementation of peace agreements between the Philippine government and former rebel groups.
Abdullah Cusain, assistant senior minister and concurrent Kapyanan project manager, said on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, that each unit is move‑in ready and outfitted with essential utilities. He added that construction of the remaining houses is ongoing.
“We are expecting that in a few months, the final completion of the remaining units will be fully completed,” Cusain said in a statement.
Implementation and partners
Officials said the project in Bagua 1 was implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and the City Government of Cotabato, aligning civil works and local coordination for the site.
The MPW led the development of physical infrastructure, including site preparation and utilities installation, while the city government coordinated beneficiary validation and local permits, reflecting the co-governance framework between BARMM and local government units under the Philippines’ Local Government Code.
Regional officials also framed the housing project as part of BARMM’s transition mandate under the expanded autonomy granted by the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which tasks the Bangsamoro Government with improving basic services and advancing the normalization process in former conflict-affected communities.
What the new homes include
Officials said each unit is delivered with:
- Three bedrooms
- A comfort room
- Kitchen and dining area
- Solar-powered lighting
- A water system
The use of solar-powered lighting is meant to lessen electricity costs for low-income families and improve reliability in areas where power interruptions remain frequent, while the integrated water system aims to reduce households’ dependence on unsafe or distant water sources. Local officials said the package is intended to give beneficiaries a dignified, durable starting point for rebuilding their lives rather than a temporary shelter.
Program context
Kapyanan is among the Office of the Chief Minister’s flagship social assistance programs in BARMM. The region’s executive office oversees initiatives that expand basic services and infrastructure to communities across the autonomous region, with housing and livelihood support among the stated priorities under the current regional development and peace roadmaps.
The program complements national housing and socialized settlement efforts overseen by agencies such as the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, but is tailored to post-conflict communities and families affected by the transition of MILF combatants into civilian life under the normalization track of the peace process. Housing support is viewed by BARMM as a visible dividend of the peace agreement and a test of the regional government’s capacity to deliver on its autonomy.
Cusain said 50 additional units from the same project are under construction and are expected to be completed in the coming months, which would bring the Bagua 1 site to its full 150-unit target once all phases are finished.