Tattoo and GK: Building a community of hope for the people of Ormoc

MANILA, Philippines -Thirty-eight year old Lhaly Laviste had been living a peaceful life with her husband and three children in Brgy. Tambulilid, Ormoc, Leyte since 1996 when Typhoon Yolanda came and destroyed her home together with the houses of her neighbors.

With hardly any source of livelihood, the future seemed bleak for Lhaly and the people of Tambulilid until Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Globe Telecom came and gave them a promise of something wonderful — a 32-square-meter loft house of their own, strong enough to withstand the onslaught of another super typhoon.

“Para nako, magpasalamat ko kay gikan sa Yolanda naay gihatag sa Ginoo na mutabang ka namo, kanang Globe (For me, I am thankful because from Typhoon Yolanda, God gave us someone to help us, and that is Globe),” said Lhaly in the vernacular.

She added:  “Pintor ang akong bana pero naglisod kami kay walay trabaho.  Para mutabang, sige lang mi labada para may suporta na pang bugas.  P300 kada labada kada simana.  Ingon ang Globe, hatagan kami ug balay ug panginabuhi (My husband is a painter but we’re having a difficult time because he doesn’t have any work now.  To help, I wash clothes to buy rice.  P300 per wash every week.  Globe said that they will give us a house and livelihood).”

Brgy. Tambulilid became a GK Village after the Rotary Club of Ormoc donated the land as a relocation site for survivors of the 1991 killer flood which took the lives of about 8,000 people in the province.  With their homes again destroyed this time by Typhoon Yolanda, the area was adopted by Globe to become a Tattoo-Rotary GK Village upon recommendation of GK.

“We’ve been involved with GK for about 10 years already.  Because of our partnership and trust in GK, we allowed them to select the place where we would provide assistance.  We very much believe in their ability to choose the proper sites where we can make the most impact.  So far, they have not been wrong,” said Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu.

Tattoo, the broadband brand of Globe, donated P15 million to GK to build 100 houses at P125,000 per house with the remaining P2.5 million earmarked for livelihood assistance.  An additional P1.2 million was also collected by Globe from an internal fund-raising activity to be used in building 10 more houses.

“We are encouraging volunteerism and community participation so that they will take more care of these homes after they move in.  This undertaking is part of Globe Telecom’s commitment to provide wonderful opportunities to underserved Filipino communities so that they can participate and contribute to the country’s progress.  This is also a good opportunity for both our employees and our customers to share their time, talent and treasure for nation-building,” added Cu.

 Globe employees led by the company’s senior leadership team and brand ambassadors such as model Giorgina Wilson, style maven Liz Uy, and DJ Mars Miranda went to the Tattoo-Rotary GK Village inauguration recently and took time to join the volunteers in house construction.

“This Tattoo Village is setting the standard in Ormoc because the houses are already comparable to a middle class structure.  The footprint is about 21 sqm. but you can add a 10-12 sqm. loft.  It is enough for a family of five,” said Jose Luis Oquinena, GK executive director.

Aside from the affected families already residing in the area, the Tattoo-Rotary GK Village will also accommodate underprivileged Ormoc residents who do not have the capacity to rebuild their homes as well as those living near the danger zones.

Livelihood opportunities will also be provided to the community since most of the residents no longer have any source of income.

“We taught them how to make hollow blocks which will go a long way because we are supplying other builders.  Then we will hone their skills in carpentry.  That is just one source.  We are also looking for places where we can plant citronella, lemon grass, and if possible, sunflower to supply the needs of other enterprises that we support,” Oquinena said.

Tattoo has also allocated P7.5 million for the building of homes and distribution of shelter repair kits in Daanbantayan, Cebu and Guiuan, Eastern Samar in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an international housing organization.