GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) inaugurated the first 20 houses at the Kapuso Village in Barangay Mandulog, Iligan City on September 1. The houses form part of GMAKF’s  160-unit housing project for families displaced by typhoon Sendong.

GMAKF EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangco,  Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz, United Nations World Food Program Country Director Stephen Anderson and Mandulog Bgy. Capt. Dianalan Pagsidan attended the inauguration.  Representatives from Hanabishi were also present to turn over their donation of appliance packages to the 20 families who received new homes. 

“We saw the need to go beyond relief assistance and offer a more sustainable means of alleviating the condition of the typhoon victims in the area,” Tiangco said.

The said housing project stands on a 3-hectare property donated by the City Government of Iligan. The area is adjacent to the residential portion of Mandulog, which was swept away by flashfloods at the height of the typhoon.

The location was deemed appropriate by the local government unit as it lessened adaptation concerns among the beneficiaries. It also underwent thorough inspection by the Mines and Geoscience Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure safety and suitability for permanent relocation.

To ensure eligibility, the project beneficiaries were screened by a committee composed of representatives from GMAKF, City Social Welfare and Development, Housing and Resettlement Office, National Housing Authority,  City Mayor 's Office, Cooperative Development  Office, Muslim community,  and  local barangay officials.

GMAKF also built basic community facilities including the 10 newly-constructed Kapuso classrooms at the Mandulog Elementary School.

Similar to the Kapuso School Building classrooms, the Kapuso houses were recognized by officials from the National Housing Authority for its durability and excellent design. The Kapuso Village houses are built with solid concrete walls and light gauge steel, among other quality materials.

The GMAKF engineering team leads the ongoing construction of the Kapuso Village project with the help of skilled workers and housing beneficiaries.