Smart allocates livelihood funds for GK settlers

Aside from spending share of its profit to build houses for the homeless in Cebu in partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK), telecommunication giant Smart Communications has also allocated funds to provide livelihood for over 100 families.

Supported by its mother company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), the PLDT-Smart Amazing Gawad Kalinga project was created in 1.8-hectare land in barangay Budla-an, Cebu City.

"Aside from funding the houses, PLDT and Smart have also committed to establish livelihood programs for the informal settlers. A greenhouse for the proposed vegetable garden has already been completed," said GK Budla-an project director Ondo Lim.

Initially, Lim said produce from the vegetable farm will be for the consumption of the beneficiaries. Hence, the early harvest of tomatoes and string beans will be sold at a low cost to the residents.

"We foresee the vegetable garden to become an additional source of income when we can plant large-scale, and they can be sold commercially," Lim added.

Recently, PLDT-Smart Amazing GK Village project, turned over the completed 50 houses to the beneficiaries, the remaining 50 more houses will be turned over soon, once completed.

The vegetable garden is the second livelihood opportunity introduced to residents of the PLDT-Smart Amazing GK Village in barangay, Budla-an.

In October 2006, five residents were chosen to attend the Bags for Life workshop conducted by designer and weaver Lulu Ocampo, The five learned how to weave baskets and bags from rolled newspaper sheets and have since passed on the skill to other interested residents.

"GK is not just about shelter, but also building better life," Lim said adding that the livelihood opportunities introduced by PLDT and Smart, would improve health and better education, among other benefits.

Employee-volunteers from PLDT and Smart and members of Smart partner schools under the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), like the University of Cebu and Don Bosco Technology Center helped build the houses.

"We hope that through our modest contribution, we are able to build not just homes, but also a better future for our less fortunate brothers and sisters, said Napoleon L. Nazareno, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of PLDT and Smart.

Including the village in Cebu, PLDT and Smart have adopted seven GK villages in the country. Other locations include Baseco Compound, Tondo, Manila; Barangay Banglos, General Nakar, Quezon; Camp Abubakar, Barira, Maguindanao; Barangay Manduriao, Iloilo City, Iloilo; Fort Magsaysay, Laur, Neuva Ecija; and St. Bernard Southern Leyte.