Berjaya Philippines rebuilds lives with ‘Homes of Hope’

MANILA, Philippines - For many urban poor Filipinos, owning a decent home seems to be a farfetched dream. But this aspiration is starting to become a reality, as family beneficiaries will soon troop to Barangay Kaypian in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, where better lives await them in their own newly built homes in Gawad Kalinga (GK) Dreamland.

But more than achieving its mission of providing decent homes, Berjaya Philippines, through its main company Berjaya Group Malaysia, has created a greater, more meaningful impact on the lives of the GK Dreamland residents.

Seeded by the company’s social philanthropy initiatives, which began during the Typhoon Sendong calamity that shook Cagayan de Oro in 2011, the Berjaya Group, through its founder Tan Sri Dato Seri Vincent Tan, fulfilled its commitment to Gawad Kalinga to help provide decent shelter to the homeless via a P100 million pledge to fund GK’s various projects.

The donation, the first installment of a three-part donation of the same amount in two years, with a total of P300 million in three years, is the biggest to be made by any multinational company in the Philippines. For the GK Dreamland project, P11 million was spent to furnish the relocated Makati informal settlers with 100 housing units, which will be turned over in three months’ time.

This financial commitment will continue in the ensuing years, as Gawad Kalinga identifies more sites in various towns and cities in the Philippines where GK communities will be established.

In order to make the transformation in the quality of life for the GK Dreamland residents a holistic one, the city government of Makati has put a satellite Social Welfare Development Office in the site to keep track of the residents’ progress in their new settlement.

 â€œWhat makes GK projects really different is the way the foundation ensures the residents’ quality of living in their new communities,” said Leo Laca, HR senior manager of Philippine Gaming Management Corp. (PGMC), one of Berjaya Philippines’ subsidiaries. “Aside from skills and job training, the residents also receive various supportive service programs that rebuild and promote self-sustainability.”

Apart from the fund, the housing endeavor is made possible by the selfless service of Berjaya Philippines’ volunteers. Putting their talent and time to good use, officials and employees came from the following subsidiaries, namely PGMC, Berjaya Auto Philippines (the official distributor of Mazda in the Philippines), Berjaya Makati Hotel, Papa John’s Pizza, LoadCentral and Friendster. They not only supervised the construction of the houses but also gamely took the challenge in the construction of these houses. These tasks included mixing cement, carrying hollow blocks and putting roofs on the units.

“Taking part in this project made me realize a lot of things,” said Gie Sibulo, Creative Department staff of PGMC, who has been an active Berjaya volunteer since 2011. “It made me more appreciative of what I have now, and how through my own personal efforts I can help create a difference in other people’s lives.”

Age and experience were never a hindrance for 59-year-old Au Nobleza, director of Purchasing and Office Management and a first-time participant in the GK initiative. “Nobody is never too old to help others. It’s really fulfilling experience for me,” she said.

Berjaya has accelerated the rebuilding of lives and homes, hastening the delivery of a solution that hopes to address the problem of homelessness on a national scale. To date, Berjaya and GK’s combined efforts have turned over 200 houses to Typhoon Sendong survivors in CDO and expects to finish 600 more houses this year in various locations in the country.

Through the Berjaya Group, Berjaya Philippines has also been actively integrating other charitable works, among which are scholarship grants for disadvantaged Filipino youth. Recently, 30 Filipino students were awarded full scholarships to Kuala Lumpur’s Berjaya University of Culinary Hospitality, an institution specializing in culinary arts, hospitality and tourism education. Prior to this, 10 students on full Berjaya scholarship graduated last August.