Making condo loving easier

CEBU, Philippines - Living in a condo can be tough if you do not have a househelp. This means you have to do all the cleaning and your laundry. Good thing that Aboitizland, the developer of Persimmon, has thought of a way to help their vecinos, the people who live in the Persimmon, to make condo living easier.

"Aboitizland tapped the resources of Barangay Mabolo through the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina or KALIPI to provide a manpower pool to our vecinos at The Persimmon," said CSR Asst. Manager Corazon Baybay.

Baybay added that providing trainings for different organizations in the barangay is the brainchild of Aboitizland Chief Operating Officer Andoni Aboitiz. "The trainings we sponsored are aimed at improving the skills of the community. But we also want to help the residents near our properties gain employment. We want the community to grow, being our neighbors," she explained, "thus the conception of the manpower pool program in Barangay Mabolo through the KALIPI."

Among the services provided by the manpower pool of KALIPI Mabolo are laundry and housekeeping. A total of 30 members have been trained, and 10 have already started accepting work from vecinos of The Persimmon. Standard rates for housekeeping and laundry services have been put in place by Aboitizland.

"It's an added service to our vecinos. They do not have to look far to get services," added Baybay.

Mabolo Gender and Development focal person Emma Colina acts as the point person when it comes to trainings, as well as the manpower pool. The property managers at The Persimmon would contact Colina whenever a vecino is in need of housekeeping services.

Susana Ceniza, a housewife, shared that being a member of the manpower pool has helped her provide for her family. "Even though we do cleaning and laundry, we report for work professionally. We were given IDs and uniforms," added Susana, who already does regular work for an American vecino at The Persimmon.

Flora Alvarado, another KALIPI member who was a housewife before the program started, is happy that with her pay, she is now able to buy medicine for her diabetes. "I really enjoy my job. It does not take up the whole day and I am still able to take care of my home, too. Problema lang kung makatunong og foreigner kay ma nosebleed gyud og English," she said laughing.

The program has attracted other women in Barangay Mabolo to join the KALIPI. "Our membership has increased after the program started. Before we only had 30 members. Now we have a hundred plus," said KALIPI Mabolo president Felikula Danita Tavernero.

And Aboitizland has started to help other communities too, with the success of its program in Barangay Mabolo. "Aboitizland plans to replicate this program in the communities where our other properties are located. We have already started giving trainings to the community where Ajoya is located," shared Baybay.