THERE used to be a time when the Baseco Bagong Buhay Village in Port Area, Manila, was an unsafe place to linger or hang around in, as it was a brutal area of poverty and crime. 

Recently, Habitat for Humanity has been helping erase that impression by providing Filipino families living in the area—“home partners”—with decent dwellings, wherein they can raise their children and establish roots—something that they have dreamed of for many years.

This is being made possible by a program wherein home partners contribute equity plus a manageable payback scheme like P20 a day to secure the title of the land, including the houses that they help build together with volunteers. Once settled, the home partners find a stable means of livelihood, reassured that they have a house they can call home. After securing 1,000 houses through the successful Habitat program, home-partner families now have an answer to their next basic concern: their health and well-being.

In areas like Baseco, one of the many challenges faced by families is the question of health. The head of families need to be in shape and be active in order to make ends meet. The mothers have to be healthy, too, as they are the ones who have to look after their children since they cannot afford to hire help. Children’s wellness is always a crucial consideration for peace of mind but when illness strikes, most of these families cannot afford medicines because they have to put food on the table as their priority, as well as pay their rent and utilities.

Pascual Laboratories sees this as a timely opportunity to fill in the health gap by developing a “Health for Humanity” program. “It’s Kalusugan HabangBuhay,” says Mia Pascual, director for design sources and communication of Pascuallab. “My father and his parents, Isosceles and Leonora, who founded Pascuallab, have always espoused the importance of good health in living a full and happy life. We are more than happy to provide affordable, tried-and-tested vitamin supplements and health solutions that answer the needs of Filipino families. Our collaboration with Habitat gives us a direct hand at making health accessible to thousands of Habitat home-partner families.”

Former Miss Universe and cochairman of the Friends of Habitat Margie Moran-Floirendo, actresses Lucy Torres and Rhian Ramos, as well as the families of Baseco Bagong Buhay Village, joined the Pascual family on November 16 for a healthy aerobics warm-up conducted by Winnie Lim. A bone-density test was also provided for the families, which was organized by Anlene through Pascuallab, and gave the women an analysis of their bone health.

According to Floirendo, “Habitat for Humanity is a continuous project and with the help of Pascuallab, they will maintain health care at Baseco. Our advocacy is to change people’s lives and provide housing. We are also planning to put up a botica in the community,” she said.

The health packages that were given to Baseco consist of Ascof Lagundi tablets and syrup (herbal-based medicine for cough and asthma), Glucolyte Oral Maintenance Salts (for dehydration), Betadine Skin Cleanser, Betadine Wound Solution, Grexan (ibuprofen and paracetamol), Celermin syrup (multivitamins for children fortified with chlorella growth factor), Poten-Cee syrup (ascorbic acid) for infants, Poten-Cee tablets for children and adults, and Pharex B-Complex (an energy-booster that helps combat the symptoms and causes of stress, depression and cardiovascular disease).

“Passion for health is our theme this year but after doing this mission for Habitat, we will be back next year with more medical and dental plans for them,” Pascual said.

According to Nona Encinales, one of the housewives at Baseco, “Pascuallab is definitely a Godsend. We also need medicines for tuberculosis and parasitism, as well as vaccinations here at Baseco.”

For details on how to participate in Pascuallab’s “Kalusugan HabangBuhay” for Habitat, call 897-3069.

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