Building houses, rebuilding lives

While the rest of America is girding for a war on Iraq, some 65 officials and employees of the US Embassy in Manila and their dependents, including members of various American agencies, moved "to build houses and rebuild lives" together with volunteer partners at a Habitat for Humanity project yesterday in Polo, Karuhatan, Valenzuela.

Aside from volunteer labor service, the group, which calls itself the US Embassy Club (USEC), headed by Randy Boyer, also donated P120,000 to help fund a house at the Polo Transmitting Community Development Cooperative Inc. Project site.

The group was led by US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, with his wife, Marie. The US envoy said he was impressed by the spirit of Habitat.

"I am very impressed about the Habitat program particularly the ‘sweat equity.’ This is not just a simple giveaway. The recipients give out a few thousand pesos back for the house and lot, the funds of which in turn are used to extend a continuing benefit to others who need a roof on their heads," said Ricciardone.

The ambassador quickly provided comic relief as they labored under the hot sun by breaking a shovel on his first try at mixing mortar. "I was just too strong for the shovel," he quipped.

Ricciardone said the event was nostalgic, remembering the days he did some carpentry work as a young man in his native Boston while working his way to college. "I love doing carpentry and I am having great fun," he said adding it was his first opportunity to build a house in the country.

Also with the group was former Ambassador to the Philippines Frank Wisner, now vice chairman of the American International Group (AIG). Wisner, who worked up a good sweat carrying mortar and cinder blocks, said "Habitat can make a great difference in the lives of the homeless. It gives hope to the needy and also changes forever even the lives of the volunteers like us."

The USEC volunteers included Tom Kral, embassy cultural attache and Philippine-born Theodore Maline, Megan and Jed Maline’s (of the World Health Organization in Manila and USAID, respectively) first born being the youngest at two and a half months.

"It is our aim to be able to contribute our share in eradicating poverty housing and homelessness in the Philippines which has a housing backlog of about 2.4 million units," Boyer said speaking for USEC. The Habitat is building 27 of 86 housing units at the Polo housing project.

Valenzuela Rep. Magtanggol "Magi" Gunigundo has extended P1.4 million of his countrywide development fund (CDF) for site development particularly the roads and drainage systems in the 3,869 square-meter Polo housing project.

Homepartners Rody and Tessy Austria, whose house was built by Ricciardone and Wisner,said they were very happy they now have a home they can call their own after living in a decrepit house for some 20 years.

Greater Metro Manila Habitat for Humanity President architect Carlos Ilustre delivered a strong message for the public reminding them that the real war is not in Iraq.

"Dito sa ating bayan ang tunay na giyera where our real enemies are reeling poverty and homelessness. At Habitat, we can show that people in all walks of life can come together to build in partnership with the homeless and the poor," Ilustre said.