US group builds disaster-resilient eye clinic extension
SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan—A Utah-based nonprofit organization is now building an extension patient room for an eye clinic in barangay Bolasi here.
Rene Doria, president of the IHHELPP (Improving Health, Housing, Education, and Livelihood of the Poor in the Philippines), visited the ongoing construction of an extension patient room for the Guillermo de Venecia Eye Clinic early this month.
The extension room will be donated by Doria’s group who partnered with Charity Vision International.
The materials they are using is much cheaper than regular hollow blocks and is more disaster-resilient, Doria said.
“It’s 10 percent cement, and then compressed earth, which means soil from the ground. Mix it with 10 percent cement once you compressed it it is more stronger than hollow block, it is less expensive to produce because soil is technically-free,” he told reporters during the site visit.
Doria added they are planning to conduct seminars for those interested on how to make the said blocks.
Doria’s wife, Jenneth, the vice president for communications of IHHELPP, said the noble undertaking is their response to the government’s call in building disaster-resilient homes in the Philippines. The Doria couple are natives of Manila. Compressed earth blocks have been used in Africa and Thailand and hoping this could be adapted in the country, she said.
“We will conduct workshops in schools, we will look for funding, so far we have a plant in Camiling, Tarlac. What we need in the Philippine is to develop skills which are relevant for the people. And this is an excellent example that we can actually use,” she added.
“We want to hit the grassroots first and if the government sees it is something that would be helping them, then we are willing for a partnership with them. What we want is to help the barangays,” she further added.
The IHHELPP donated several compressed earth blockmachines to people in Tarlac, Zambales and Cebu who were anticipating to engage in brick-making.