Habitat to address housing backlog

THE Habitat for Humanity Philippines recently launched in Cebu its “WeBuild” campaign, which seeks to strengthen their program of providing decent homes to Filipino families.

The campaign aims to address the country’s housing backlog by reducing the number of families living in “unsustainable conditions” from more than five million to 800,000 by 2020.

Habitat seeks to mobilize a million volunteers to reach their target.

The campaign also aims to strengthen Habitat’s partnerships with donors, government corporations, organizations and communities to make sure people will be given decent and secure homes.

“We want to build not just a fourwalled structure but communities of transformed individuals who will be empowered to share that same love they’ve experienced to even more people,” said Charlie Ayco, managing director of Habitat Philippines.

As of September 2016, Habitat has built 3,176 houses out of 4,536 units targeted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the 17 municipalities of Bohol Province.

They also built 2,546 houses out of 3,971 targeted units across the areas hit by super typhoon Yolanda and served 8,300 families through water and sanitation projects in Bohol and Palawan, among others.

The launching of the “WeBuild” campaign in Cebu was held last Nov. 28 at the Marriott Hotel.

The activity also highlighted the families whose lives were transformed because of Habitat’s assistance.

The launching was headed by Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Habitat for Humanity International’s board secretary and Habitat Philippine’s capital campaign cabinet chairman.

“Everyone understand and shares the belief that decent shelter is a basic need for any family. We all share the dream of greater inclusion in the growth of our economy and be productive members of our larger community,” he said.

Also present during the event were Capital Campaign Cabinet Member Edward Gaisano Ayco and Habitat Philippines Chief Marketing Officer Yvonne Lih.