Iloilo families say hello to new SM Cares Housing Village

MANILA, Philippines - Whenever it rained, Bobby Pahahay, 44, of Concepcion Iloilo would worry. His family lived in a makeshift house in a place prone to flooding, so he often had no choice but to evacuate his whole family whenever a typhoon struck.

Thankfully, all that is in the past now, as his family was one of 200 chosen home partners of the SM Cares Housing Village in Concepcion, Iloilo, a housing project spearheaded by retail giant SM Supermalls for survivors of super typhoon Yolanda.

“I’m very happy to be given a chance to own this kind of house. Our old house leaked when it rained. The floor would be muddy, and we had to leave when strong winds came because it was not stable. Now we have a cement floor,” Pahahay beamed.

Pahahay and his family survived Yolanda’s wrath two years ago but the tragedy is still fresh in his mind. “It was the worst experience of my life,” he echoed what others have said about the harrowing episode in their lives.

The housing project in Iloilo is the second SM Cares Village to be inaugurated and turned over to their new owners. The first village, inaugurated last year, is located in Bogo, Cebu where 200 families were also recipients of the new houses.

 Two more SM Cares Housing Villages in Ormoc and Tacloban City in Leyte that will benefit 600 families are also set to be inaugurated this year.

“The SM Cares Housing Village is a testament to the solidarity that Filipinos and people all over the world have shown to help survivors. We started this to bring about long-term change in the lives of the people who endured such tragedy and we are honored to be instrumental in this change,” SM Supermalls said in a statement.

SM launched the SM Cares Housing village shortly after the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 to provide permanent and disaster-resilient houses to survivors of the typhoon in the Visayas region. SM sought the help of its business partners, tenants and other stakeholders to raise the P300 million needed to build a total of 1,000 houses.

The houses in the SM Cares Housing Village, which are given for free, are disaster-resilient and have roofs made of concrete slab. Vetiver grass, with leaves that can be used for handicrafts, were used in the village to control soil erosion and for better slope protection. The home partners also took charge of the greening of the village, harvesting grass and plants from idle lots and replanting them in the village

To ensure sustainability of the project, community development programs were also put in place to make the change work for all beneficiaries. For the Iloilo housing project, the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center, headed by Msgr. Meliton Oso, is conducting community organizing, values formation and livelihood development to enable new residents start a new life in their community.

“We also teach them livelihood opportunities so they would adjust well in their new environment. Prior to turnover, all residents went through urban gardening training with the Department of Agriculture,” SM Supermalls added.

The one-hectare property where the housing village in Iloilo stands was donated by the family of Roberto and Gloria Lorca Tirol.

For Pahahay, the move is a positive change for which he will always be thankful. “Our hearts are filled with joy today and we would like to thank everyone who turned our dreams into reality. Thank you,” he said.