Habitat, Globe Telecom to build homes for teachers

MANILA, Philippines - Non-profit housing organization Habitat for Humanity Philippines and Globe Telecom are again teaming up to build new homes for some of the country’s unsung heroes.

Recently chosen by Globe Telecom as one of the four beneficiaries of its widely anticipated charity fun run, the Globe Run for Home 2011, on March 27, Habitat for Humanity announced that funds raised from the event will be used to provide decent shelters for public school teachers.

This marks the third year in a row that Habitat for Humanity will serve as a beneficiary of the Globe Run for Home, which will take place this year at the Bonifacio Global City with a variety of running routes at 3 kilometers, 5 kms, 10 kms, 15 kms and 21 kms.

The other beneficiaries are Gawad Kalinga, Haribon Foundation, and Virlanie Foundation.

“Public school teachers in the Philippines are heroes, serving as the backbone of our education system,” said Ricky Jacinto, managing director and chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity.

“We are thus excited about the opportunity to have Globe as a partner – and the marathon as a platform – for reaching out to these educators, a number of whom are mired in poverty and sorely in need of decent homes,” he added.

For his part, Ernest Cu, chief executive officer of Globe Telecom, said, “We are thrilled to be able to help fund Habitat for Humanity’s project of building homes for school teachers. By choosing the housing ministry as one of our beneficiaries, Globe hopes to continue to demonstrate its commitment to education and community involvement, both of which represent the core of our corporate citizenship efforts.”

Both Habitat for Humanity and Globe Telecom share the vision of transforming lives through the building of responsible and sustainable communities.

Both also aim to leverage the much-awaited running event – which posted over 8,000 registered runners last year, and which expects to accommodate as many as 10,000 this year – as an opportunity to draw not just a number of the country’s best athletes, but also a throng of new champions and advocates – of providing shelter to those who need it.

To date, Habitat for Humanity Philippines, home to one of the largest Habitat for Humanity International programs in the Asia-Pacific region, has built over 32,700 homes and 720 classrooms, served over 170 communities, and completed 40 community centers since it was established in 1988.

Teachers who will qualify for this program will be required to invest hours of “sweat equity” into the construction of homes; pay affordable monthly repayments to contribute to Habitat’s effort of building houses for others in need, and attend seminars on values formation and other community-building activities.

This way, Habitat for Humanity is able to promote dignity in home ownership and foster positive relationships among members of a community, all while creating sustainable value for engaged partners like Globe Telecom.

To push forward this shared vision, Habitat for Humanity and Globe are posing a challenge to the members of the rapidly growing runners’ community in the Philippines: how far will they go to build homes for heroes?

“A marathon is no longer just a mainstream physical activity,” Cu said. “It’s a social event with a unique ability to bring people together. So why not bring people together for a good cause?”