Tribal village gets housing project from Bulacan parish

A remote tribal community in Bulacan province gathered early this month for the inauguration of a church-based housing project for the Dumagat people.

About 33 families benefited from the low-cost housing project of the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes Parish in Sitio Basyo, Brgy. Kabayunan in Doña Remedios Trinidad town.

Fr. Nap Baltazar, the parish priest, said the project was a work of collaboration “as we aim to create a more unified and harmonious community for the Dumagats”.

“We want to give them a more stable shelter and reliable livelihood so they can nurture their ancestral domain, culture, and way of life without the need to go to the cities to survive and make a living,” he said.

The housing is among the projects that the humble parish wants to build for the tribal community.

“If we succeed, around 800 indigenous families will benefit from both the tribal village and the soon-to-be put up tribal farm,” said Fr. Baltazar, who also heads the Malolos diocese’s indigenous peoples apostolate.

With the help of several volunteers, the parish also provided packs of rice, blankets, clothes, medicines and other basic necessities to the beneficiaries.

The event was also part of the parish’s activities for this Year of the Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples.

“We thank you for coming to Basyo. These are all of great help to us, especially to the children,” Dante Dela Rosa, Basyo, the village’s chieftain, said.

He also said that the primary concerns of their tribe are healthcare, livelihood, and education.