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The
devastation brought about by typhoon Reming in late 2006
had been largely unforeseen by many. What was originally a
tropical storm prior to hitting Bicol soon turned into a
supertyphoon, bringing with it winds reaching speeds of up
to 265 kph and rainwater half a meter deep. This deadly
combination not only tore down houses, but mixed with
black sand and large rocks from the Mayon Volcano, also
buried several villages. When the storm cleared, some
800,000 people were affected and over 200,000 hectares of
land were damaged.
All hope
is not lost, however. As Habitat for Humanity Philippines
(HFHP) works together with volunteers from all walks of
life, those affected by typhoon Reming would not need to
live in desolate conditions for extended periods of time.
For three
days in September, HFHP, together with Compassion
International and 700 volunteers from
Manila
and Bicol, embarked on the Bicol Express, a caravan that
traveled through Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Norte and
Camarines Sur before reaching the project site in Daraga,
Albay. Serving not only as an allusion to the region’s
signature dish, Bicol Express is a metaphor for the kind
of work that the volunteers had signed up for one rainy
September weekend—a weekend of effectively and efficiently
building homes and an experience that ultimately finds its
reward in bringing hope to those who need it.
As the
Bicol Express caravan bus neared the project site, a big
group of children and their parents excitedly stood on the
muddy road, cheered and waved colorful flags to welcome
the volunteers. This sight alone gave the volunteers an
indication of what was yet to come.
“The group
was touched. It was raining hard and the kids were wet and
waiting for us,” Edison recounts in his blog.
“I
realized then and there that all the hard work for the day
will all be worth it,” says Vikki.
Edison and
Vikki were among the 700 volunteers for the project, which
included students, teachers, businessmen, employees and
foreign friends, all choosing to spend their weekend
building homes for the families that were displaced by
typhoon Reming. If the grand welcome for the volunteers
was any indication of the hope for the families that the
volunteers brought by their mere arrival, then the houses
that would be built during that weekend proved to give
more than just that.
Passion to
help
Constantine Carluen, a 26-year-old Filipino-Australian,
recently relocated to the Philippines as part of his work
for the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance
Program. He found out about the event from a local
newspaper. “I didn’t know much about the situation, but I
knew about Habitat for Humanity’s work and what they do
for people, so I signed up,” shares
Constantine.
“At the beginning of the trip, I was actually worried that
it would turn out to be just another volunteer activity,
but the company was fun and the home partners were really
supportive of the volunteers.”
Constantine
recalls the fulfillment he felt while working with the
beneficiaries of the houses they were building. “Building
houses with HFHP is a worthwhile experience and a
difference worth making,”
Constantine enthuses.
Meanwhile,
Angelica Jalasco, a senior Political Economy student at
the University of Asia and the Pacific, says she joined
the Bicol Express caravan because she always wanted to do
volunteer work. “I want to do hands-on activities rather
than be a donor. I want to be really involved by being
there on-site,” she shares. Angelica had previously
participated in an HFHP build in Taguig City while still a
high-school student, and the experience has made her
volunteer once again.
The house
that she was assigned to in Bicol was a hundred meters
away from the mounds of sand that volunteers had to
transport, but that didn’t deter her from accomplishing
the tasks at hand. “It was a challenge to keep your
balance and not fall flat on the mud while carrying a sack
of sand,” Angelica recalls. Still, she enjoyed the
experience so much that she has already committed to going
back to the project site to build more houses.
Spending
time with family
Coy
Romano, a 27-year-old medical student who volunteered
together with her parents and sister Thesa, succinctly
captures the experience. “It [Bicol Express] was one way
for my family and I to help our kababayan in dire need. I
never expected it to make a great impact in our lives,
what more the beneficiaries of HFHP? I treasure this
unique experience together with my family.”
Being
Bicolanos themselves, the Romano family never had second
thoughts in joining the caravan. Even if they are based in
Manila, the Romanos still have close ties in Bicol and
empathize with the victims of Reming as their own family
home in Tabaco, Albay, was also not spared by the
supertyphoon. Upon reading about Bicol Express in a
newspaper, Coy’s dad, Jun Romano, encouraged his family to
join.
Mrs.
Romano, or Tita Zeny as she is lovingly called by the
volunteers, shared during the caravan bus ride, “We
decided to bring the children because we wanted to expose
them to volunteer work.” At the end of the build, she
reflected, “the Bicol Express experience was one of the
greatest things we did as a family, and, surely, we will
not forget it for the rest of our lives.”
Build to
change
The
experiences of Edison, Vikki, Constantine, Angelica and
the Romano family are just some of the stories of
volunteers that make up the story of HFHP. Established in
the country since 1988, HFHP is a nonprofit Christian
ministry working to help build responsible and
self-reliant communities by enabling Filipino families in
need to acquire affordable, decent and durable homes.
Together
with its partners, Habitat has helped provide tens of
thousands of families with decent homes in over 100
communities across the country. This year alone, HFHP aims
to help build a total of 5,000 dwelling units and nurture
a sense of community among its home partner-families.
HFHP also
responds to the problems brought about by natural
disasters, providing permanent shelters for families that
have been displaced by such. Through efforts such as the
Bicol Express, Habitat seeks to provide an effective and
long-term response to the housing and related development
needs of the victims of calamities. It serves as a
catalyst of change, offering beneficiary families a new
ray of hope and an inspiration to get back on their feet
and continue life. With these, Habitat hopes to bring
positive and lasting changes in the communities it builds.
Through
Bicol Express, HFHP and Compassion International have
moved the displaced families from high-risk areas near
rivers to a more secure place. They are provided with
duplex houses that are made up of light-alloy, precut
steel frames with fiber-cement boards that serve as walls.
This is one of the innovative technologies introduced by
HFHP that guarantee the quality and durability of Habitat
houses.
The
results of the Bicol Express caravan are nothing short of
astounding. For that one rainy Saturday, the volunteers
were able to assemble steel frames and create wall
foundations for the duplex houses, backfill houses,
prepare the houses’ slab flooring and lay down almost
2,000 concrete blocks for house construction. All these
were accomplished despite the incessant rains. Beyond
serving as physical structures for the beneficiary
families’ new homes, however, these accomplishments drive
home partners to move on in their lives amid all possible
adversities. These structures are also witnesses to the
fulfillment that the experience brought to the volunteers,
who, by merely seeing the smiles of the home partners they
have worked with, know that their sacrifices are all worth
it.
Every
Bicol Express participant will most likely agree with what
Edison wrote in his blog: “By the end of the day, our
shoes and pants were covered in mud. Our bodies were
covered in sand and sweat.... And you know what? It was
the best time of my entire life…well, not the entire life,
but it’s high up there.” |
