Another Berjaya- GK Village to rise in CDO

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines  – It has been more than three years since tropical storm Sendong hit the country yet a number of dis- placed families in the city still live in make- shift homes.

While they survived the wrath of the storm, they continue to face risks from staying in flood-prone areas.

“Their living conditions are hard. Whenever it rains, they move to evacuation centers,” said Ben Gado, provincial project director of humanitarian group Gawad Kalinga (GK).

Fortunately, the displaced families do not have to wait long before they are freed from their unsafe living conditions.

GK and Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya Group of Companies have begun carrying out a project that will build 100 homes in Barangay Bugo, one of the areas affected by Sendong.

The houses will be built within a 4.4- hectare lot donated by Mitos Ortigas. Gado said 80 percent of the houses would be turned over to storm survivors while the rest would be given to other beneficiaries identified by GK.

The construction of the houses commenced recently and is expected to be completed in April 2015.

Berjaya founder Tan Sri Dato Seri Vin- cent Tan personally flew into the city from Malaysia to lead the groundbreaking of the Berjaya-GK Village in Barangay Bugo. Also witnessing the event were Berjaya Philip- pines country head Paul Soo, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and GK executive director Luis Oquiñena.

Tan shared that he was in London watching television news when Sendong pummeled the Philippines in December 2011. The storm left more than 1,200 per- sons dead and damaged more than 50,000 houses nationwide.

“I was moved by the footage of the victims. As a good corporate citizen, we can- not stay silent,” he said. “We will help Gawad Kalinga build more houses for a long long time.”

Berjaya, which has majority control in outfits like Papa John’s Pizza, LoadCentral, Friendster Philippines, Berjaya Hotel, and Mazda distributor Berjaya Auto Philip- pines, has vowed to donate P300 million to GK housing initiatives in three years.

Tan personally turned over a P100-mil- lion check to GK founder and chairman Tony Meloto during the GK Bayanihan Expo in 2012. The donation was used to bankroll the construction of 200 houses.

Berjaya and GK has so far built 820 homes in Cagayan de Oro, Compostela Valley, Basilan, Cavite, Davao City, Agusan del Norte, Masbate, Southern Leyte, Lanao del Norte, Bukidon, Sultan Kudarat, Su- rigao del Norte, Bulacan and Bohol.

Oquiñena said GK would also be find- ing ways to provide their beneficiaries access to sustainable livelihood.

For local residents, the houses are more than just structures or dwelling places that can protect them from floods.

“We used to be informal settlers and experienced discrimination. Now, we have our own homes,” said Alejandro Desinga, president of the Kapitbayan GK village.

“The houses give them confidence and dignity,” Gado said.