MANILA, Philippines - From afar, it looked like child’s play – individuals garbed in bright red shirts swung their arms in harmony down a line, their backs marked Prudence Foundation. On closer look, though, it turns out cement blocks weighing five kilos each were being moved down the line so they could go into houses that were being constructed for locals.
Nearby, another group was busy bagging sand and moving the bags down the line as well.
The men and women are predominantly volunteers of Prudential Corporation Asia who were recently in Bantayan Island, Cebu to help rebuild the homes of 68 locals.
It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors: Volunteers and beneficiaries pass along hollow blocks for use in the construction of houses.
Having previously built 64 houses that are now occupied by their beneficiaries, the volunteers were back in Bantayan Island to finish 68 more to meet their commitment of providing 132 houses to folks displaced by Super Typhoon Yolanda more than two years ago.
Prudential Corporation Asia carries out the charitable work through its social arm, Prudence Foundation, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the local government unit of Santa Fe in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
With US$2-million dollars donated for the rehabilitation program, Prudence Foundation is not only constructing the houses but has also distributed 183 fishing boats and 140 cycles for its livelihood component.
Long road
Getting to Bantayan Island, a paradise of its own with its long stretch of white beach and clear blue waters, is a long journey that took volunteers a combined three-hour bus and two-hour ferry boat ride to reach from Cebu City proper.
This does not count the travel time of 83 volunteers who were coming from their own parts of the world but went about their rebuilding mission cheerfully, after a brief rest the night before.
After all, rebuilding was their primary purpose and the stay on the paradise-like island was just a bonus.
Marc Fancy, executive director of Prudence Foundation, said the volunteers were there to work on rebuilding houses for beneficiaries for five days. While the time seemed short, they make up for it by having many helping hands on deck.
Carpenter-foreman Ronel Marpa shared the observation, saying that the volunteers could easily shave two months off their work so the beneficiaries can also move in sooner.
Sweat equity
Bayanihan was in full view as beneficiaries joined volunteers in the rebuilding effort. The womenfolk were there to help pass along the cement blocks, while the menfolk waited for them to finish so they could start the masonry work.
Under Habitat for Humanity guidelines, identified beneficiaries are required to put in 400 working hours to assist in the project.
Teresa Manrique of Habitat for Humanity said this is to instill a sense of ownership and belonging among the beneficiaries, and inculcate in them a spirit of cooperation and unity.
“It’s about neighbors helping neighbors,” she said.
Aside from helping donors and beneficiaries build houses, they build communities, integrating a livelihood component and values formation to help communities be self-reliant and law-abiding.
Habitat for Humanity added that they were also constructing 327 houses in two sites in Sta. Fe. The sites were donated by the local government and the March for Christ, a Christian group. The other housing donors include DMCI, JP Morgan, and SAP-Germany.
No major obstacle
Fancy feels they were lucky to have chosen to help Bantayan Island and not to encounter any major obstacle compared to other rehabilitation areas.
Since Bantayan is a small island, their relocation areas are only 15 minutes away from where the beneficiaries originally lived.
The group chose Bantayan after it was mentioned during a talk with Habitat for Humanity right after the typhoon struck. “We were looking at the fringes – at places where there was little help or none at all. Then Bantayan was mentioned. The place was not getting much help,” Fancy said.
Describing Bantayan’s recovery from Yolanda’s wrath “amazing”, he also says it is now is a “better place”.
“There’s better infrastructure, better planning and they are preparing for tourism,” he added.
Building friendships
The activity held in June was the fourth time in two years under the Regional PruVolunteer Program. Having been to the island quite a few times, Fancy has made friends with many of them.
“Every volunteer who has been here will have carried Bantayan for the rest of their lives. They have Facebook communities. It’s lovely,“ he said of friendships forged as a result of the program.
While most volunteers would only be able to visit Bantayan once for the project, images of the island are etched in their hearts forever.
“The nice thing about this project is we can come back to the same site, see the same people, build relationships,” he said.