Manila, March 27 -- Environment officials in Agusan del Norte will donate 16,494 board feet of confiscated lumber to support a housing project for former communist rebels, authorities announced Thursday.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Nasipit said the materials, seized during 2023 anti-illegal logging operations, would help construct homes in Sitio Talaganahaw, Barangay Talo-ao, Buenavista town.

The project aims to provide 123 housing units through a partnership between provincial and municipal governments.

"This donation supports our former rebels' transition to peaceful lives," a CENRO-Nasipit spokesperson said.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has...