From plain housewife to community leader

MANILA, Philippines -  Over the years, the Philippines has been scoring good ratings internationally for its implementation of gender-sensitive policies. However, more than 10 million Filipino women today still live in poverty in informal settlements, which makes them more vulnerable to danger and abuse, according to a study of United Nations Development Program.

For some women, acquiring shelter security is an initial step towards their empowerment.

It was a sunny afternoon and the residents of St. Hannibal Homeowner’s Association (HOA) Phase II in Pasay City welcomed foreign guests from Sweden on a field exposure activity.

Community president Noemi Hennon says that receiving guests from different sectors has been a regular activity in their community, a model socialized housing project which implements a strict estate management policy.

The community association was under Social Housing Finance Corp.’s (SHFC) Community Mortgage Program (CMP) since 2006, a financing scheme which assists groups of legally-organized informal settler families to acquire security of land tenure and implement site development, housing construction and repair projects. 

Hennon had no thought of becoming a community leader, believing that being a plain housewife was all she’ll ever be. “Before, I’d hardly interact with my neighbors because I felt shy. I would usually stay inside our shanty, reading pocket books while taking care of my children,” Hennon says in Filipino.

But everything changed when their community association acquired their own formal settlements. She was elected HOA board member then chosen to become the president. Hennon admits that she doubted her capabilities. “I’m just a high school graduate. I am just a plain housewife. How can I handle the position efficiently?”

But with the help of various NGOs like the St. Hannibal Empowerment Center, Hennon started to come out of her shell. She attended every leadership development training offered to her. She interacted with people and improved her skills through learning exchange activities.

“You should always believe that you can do more than what you can think of. There will be a lot of people who will help you along the way and will bring out the best in you,” Hennon stresses.

The residents set rules and regulations in their community.

“The reason why we implemented an estate management plan was because we are aiming for a better quality of life now that we are living in our own homes and community. We want to correct all the (wrong) habits that we used to do when we were informally residing along the waterways,” she says.

Aside from an estate management plan, various programs to enhance the capacities of the members are being implemented. She advocates women empowerment among housewives in the community by giving them leadership training as well as exposing them to activities that bring out their talents in singing, dancing and performing.

With the acquisition of her own home, a lot of things have changed in Hennon’s life. Her third child Nanette has nothing but praises for her mother.

“She was a very good leader. She knows how to take care of us (her family) along with the whole community. She inspires me to join organizations where I can share my leadership skills as well,” Nanette says.

In a coastal community in Roxas City, Capiz dominated by fishermen, Riza Dullano, the community treasurer of Ramon Dinglasan HOA, ensures that their community association’s funds are tightly kept and all accounted for. Since their HOA became a member beneficiary of CMP in 1994, Dullano took charge of the finances. Through her own perseverance, she learned the basics of preparing a financial statement.

During their weekly meetings, Dullano presents their financial statement flashed on the blank page of an old calendar. Dullano goes through each figure up to the last centavo. Then she presents to the members official receipts and transaction records contained in a long folder. There is no room for doubt or suspicion.

Since the association became a partner-community in the “Post Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements Project” of SHFC and UN Habitat in the latter part of 2014, financial status updating has been included in the organization’s regular routine, to ensure proper disbursement and audit of the community’s funds.

Dullano, being the treasurer, is on top of the disbursement and management of the community fund worth P4.635 million. But in order to fulfill this task, she needed to improve her financial skills and learn new things, including opening a bank account.

She underwent financial literacy training through BDO. The training covered the basic processes in opening and owning a bank account, the deposit and savings scheme, among others. The committees were also provided with finance and audit forms and were taught how to use them.

Dullano vividly remembers her first bank transaction – the withdrawal of P367,633.74 that the community needed to purchase materials for the first phase of house construction.

“I asked our purchase committee to accompany me to the bank. When I received the cash, I was shivering. My feet went cold. I hurriedly placed the money inside my bag because I thought that scammers can take it away from me,” Dullano recounts.

Dullano has trained the other community members in handling finances and in preparing a financial report. She always tells them that they should account for all the money, up to the last centavo. 

Empowerment can lead to more beautiful things and bigger opportunities. This is what Cornelia Layosa, believes. Layosa is the president of Champaca 3 HOA in Marikina City which has been under CMP since 2002.

Through CMP, 212 informal settler families have fulfilled their dream of acquiring their own land, which then led to building their own homes.

“If you already have your own house, then you will be more inspired to dream of bigger things and to exert more effort to achieve them,” Layosa says.

Layosa considers the process of acquiring shelter as one of the biggest challenges in her life.

Through her initiative, Layosa tapped the local government of Marikina to provide funds for the construction of road right of way and site development to their community in 2008. Last year, the congressional district of Marikina donated a multi-purpose hall and the construction of the covered court is ongoing.

“You just need to make a step in order to achieve your goals. The government is always there to help,” Layosa says.

The multi-purpose hall will be used as a livelihood training center. Other community members have been sent to various livelihood trainings of their choice.

Mariciris Costales now earns P300-P500 per day rendering manicure and pedicure services. Her earnings will be used for her family’s daily needs while a portion of it is saved to pay for her monthly amortization to SHFC.

“Ate Connie inspired me to pursue whatever I want to do. Since we already have our own home, it’s easier for us to follow our passion because having a home is no longer a problem,” Costales says.

Layosa believes that empowerment also means empowering others in order to achieve community success.

“I think that this is my purpose – to help. It is in helping and maintaining a good relationship with your neighbors that respect and fulfillment can be achieved,” Layosa stresses. 

Layosa received an award as one of the most outstanding women in Brgy. Fortune in Marikina. Their community won the “Model Community Award.”

The stories of Hennon, Dullano, and Layosa add to the long list of Filipino women who redefine themselves from plain housewife to someone who can make a mark in society.