ABRA – A product of collaboration and shared purpose among SM Development Corporation (SMDC), through its Good Guys, Good Deeds program; the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD); Muncipality of Tayum; and CFC Answering the Cry of the Poor Foundation, Inc. (ANCOP), Indigo Subdivision, Phase 1 was blessed and officially turned over to the local community in Tayum, Abra on August 19.
‘Seamless coordination’
According to ANCOP Senior Operations Manager, the “seamless coordination” behind Indigo Subdivision’s construction “is a testament to the power of collaborative partnerships.”
He added, “This unity, driven by a single mission to aid the victims of the 2022 earthquake and those residing in permanent danger zones, instills a sense of reassurance and confidence in our collective efforts…By working together, we achieve more.”
An estimated 150 – 200 people witnessed the turnover and blessing of 126 free housing units in the Indigo Subdivision, which features various support facilities like an elevated water tank, basketball court cum multi-purpose hall, and a sewerage treatment facility for health and sanitation.
Each unit has a bare finish and features a loft, bringing the total floor area to 30-square meters.
‘Solid, livable’
One of the 10 beneficiaries present, Nenita Brabat, expressed her gratitude and joy for the opportunity to recover from the 7.0 earthquake that destroyed her home in 2022. “Ako ay nagagalak na naging benepisyaryo kami ng Indigo Subdivision; kami ng mga anak ko ay nagagalak. Mas safe na kami ngayon (I am happy to be a beneficiary of the Indigo Village; my children and I are happy. We are safer now),” she said in an interview during the event.
Tompong, who helped monitor the progress of the site since it started construction in 2023, noted that the community was not just decent but beautiful.
“The houses are not only solid and livable but also exquisitely beautiful—nestled in a serene, verdant environment,” he added.
Not a privilege but a right
In her message, SMDC Assistant Vice President for Business Planning and Development Sheila Luz Ching called Indigo Subdivision a “symbol of their promise to be one with the government and our friends in the private sector in bringing safe homes to our countrymen.”
For Tayum Mayor Placido “Glen” Eduarte, the turnover is not only about providing shelter but about giving families everything they need to live well: a permanent address, access to clean water, proper sanitation, and “a place where they can gather as a community.” He added, “With these facilities, they are not just moving into houses—they are moving into a neighborhood designed for daily life.”
Meanwhile, Vice Governor Anne Bersamin stressed that “decent housing is not a privilege but a right.”
Abra Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, SVD, blessed the Indigo Village in Barangay Basbasa, which sits on a 17,000-square meter property.
Also present that day were:
- DHSUD Assistant Secretary Angelito Aguila
- DHSUD-Cordillera Director Marvin Feraren
- CAGFI Chairman George Campos
- Bong Arjonilllo, member of the CFC International Council
- Engr. Rudy M. Gaspillo,CAGFI Special Projects Manager
- Mayor Placido “Glen” Eduarte, Jr. and the municipal council
- Atty. Trina Escalante, LGU project-in-charge
- Armenia Ballesteros, SMDC consultant
