Habitat brings new hope for the homeless

When their shanty in Antipolo City was washed away by a raging flash flood two years, ago, 38-year-old Medina Obong thought it was the end of everything for her and her family.

"I thought we would all die," Medina said. "I knew that if we survived the flood, we would end up living on the streets. With my husband’s meager income as a carpenter, we would not be able to build a new house."

Little did she know that her depraved shanty near a creek in Cogeo Village in Barangay Bagong Nayon, Antipolo City would be replaced by a brand-new house of their own in Pinugay, Rizal.

The Obong family is one of the homeless families that will benefit from the World Leaders Build (WLB) program of the Habitat for Humanity International this month.

And more, no less than President Arroyo laid the foundation of her new house as part of the government’s housing program.

"I have long dreamt of owning a decent house – a home that my children could inherit from us. I never thought that my dream house will come in this special package," said the mother of four.

The WLB program is simultaneously being celebrated in over 50 countries worldwide from Aug. 6 to 11 and was launched by former President Corazon Aquino, US President Jimmy Carter and former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung in South Korea on Aug. 5.

According to Mrs. Aquino, the country’s housing problem cannot be solved by the government alone.

"The government cannot address all our concerns and it is important for the private sector to lend a helping hand. Habitat cannot do it alone. Everyone of us must do our part," Mrs. Aquino said during the inauguration rites in Pinugay on Friday.

Mrs. Aquino got involved with the Habitat for Humanity program in 1999 when Carter, who leads the program, visited the Philippines to drumbeat the program.

She has also gone to many Habitat for Humanity sites here and abroad.

"I have always believed in the dignity of every human being and Habitat’s experience in over 70 countries has shown that a home is often the first step out of the poverty cycle," she added.

Mrs. Aquino believes that to ease poverty, every Filipino must make helping a habit.

"The strongest communities are those where neighbors assist each other in reaching goals and the strongest nations were those with active and radiant communities... Let’s make helping a habit," she said.

Some of the country’s top corporations and individual volunteers have heeded Mrs. Aquino’s appeal.

Fernando Zobel de Ayala, chairman of Ayala Land Inc. and head of WLB’s national steering committee, said it was a "fulfilling experience" for donors to be a part of the Habitat program.

"I am very involved in Habitat because I see how directly it can affect the lives of the underprivileged in our country. They have an impact on all those involved. I enjoy this experience and I am happy to help them," said Zobel, who shouldered the construction of 10 houses in Pinugay.

Zobel himself and other chief executive officers of big corporations personally helped in constructing the houses.

"In Habitat, we are not only building homes. We are building the future of our homeless brothers," Zobel said.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines managing director Jose Ma. Mendoza said the WLB program was intended to "generate interest among world leaders" about the undertakings of Habitat.

"President Carter has been a very good endorser of Habitat and we need more world leaders to be able to take the cudgels for the homeless and the poor. We need more world leaders to take up this case," Mendoza said.

Habitat was established in the Philippines in 1998 with the aim of building simple but decent homes for economically disadvantaged Filipinos with the assistance of volunteers and corporate donations.

Mendoza said that since 1998, Habitat has already put up close to 5,000 houses in almost 40 sites. Half of them were established from 1999 or after Carter endorsed Habitat in the country.

Under the WLB program, some 300 houses have been constructed in 26 Habitat sites nationwide. These sites come from the 40 areas where Habitat has an existing program.

President Arroyo has earmarked P12 million for WLB from her Presidential Social Fund. Business organizations, on the other hand, have donated P19 million.

Mendoza maintained that family-beneficiaries are required to render 400 hours of "sweat equity" while their mortgages run from 10 to 15 years for as low P660 a month.

"We require them to put in ‘sweat equity’ to make them participate in the construction of their own house. It’s a good experience to have part in building a home, especially if it’s your own," he said.