A ‘dignified’ housing alternative

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Buenaventura “Nonoy” Jarabelo lives along the coastal area of Cadiz City. He makes his living by assisting fishermen arrange and repair their fishing nets.

Nonoy said he survived two tragedies in his life. First, he is a survivor of the 1985 Escalante Massacre, which claimed 20 lives. He was part of the organized youth group who participated during that welga ng bayan. Nonoy was lucky enough to have survived with only a scar of an armalite bullet on his back.

Second, he survived the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The Jabelo family was fortunate enough to have evacuated to a nearby public school the night before the super typhoon passed through the northern part of Negros. At the height of the storm, 2 aryuma trees shattered his house along the coastline.

“Kung wala kami nag bakwet, siguro apil mi og kalata kuyog sa among balay,” said Nonoy, a widower and a father of 4. (If we stayed in the house and did not evacuate, we would have been crushed to death along with our house.)

An ordinary bahay kubo (nipa hut) was already a treasure for a simple family like the Jarabelos in the province.The damages brought by Typhoon Yolanda put the family into hopelessness.

“Nangamuyo na lang ko na masanagan, kay wala jud ko mahimo,” he said. (I prayed for an enlightenment. I have nothing.)

One of their neighbors offered a pigpen for Nonoy and his family to use as a temporary shelter. Nonoy took it as a blessing. He and his 3 kids found comfort in the space they had been given.

A house made to help

Heartanonymous.org, the outreach arm of the Recoletos in the Philippines and Taiwan, found Nonoy and his family in the pig pen during their relief campaign in the area. They gave the Jarabelo family a simple shelter.

HEARThaus is a part of the organization’s rehabilitation campaign to help the earthquake and typhoon victims. It is a prefabricated house, made of steel framing and with wood paneling. It was designed for and distributed to those who cannot afford to rebuild their new homes.

The size of the house is 10.5×16 feet and occupies 15.6 square meters. It’s enough for a family of 5 to live in. It is a lego-type shelter that can be readily installed in a calamity area.

Heartanonymous.org program coordinator Mely Flores described the house as “a dignified permanent shelter especially for those affected by natural calamities.” The house also promotes disaster resiliency as it is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes.

Heartily given

Nonoy and his family’s HEARThaus was installed in the relocation site of their barangay. His neighbors and friends helped install his house. He described the experience as an “answered prayer.”

“Naa na jud mapuy-an ang ako pamilya. Dili na mi magpuyo sa tangkal. Damo nga salamat sa nagbulig na makabangon,” he added. (We now have a house to live. We will not be living in a pig pen. Thank you for helping us rebuild our lives!)

Each house costs PHP 60,000 but it is given free to the beneficiaries with the help of various institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and individual partners.

“This act of generosity is driven by the continued support of our donors – individuals, organizations, or groups…We are building and sharing one house at a time,” Flores added.

Heartanonymous.org commited to build 30 HEARThauses in the areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda. The organization partners with local parishes and organizations in identifying beneficiaries of the HEARThaus. It has also helped rebuild HEARTchapels in light of the natural calamities of 2013. – Rappler.com

Br. Tagoy Jakosalem is a visual artist and cultural worker. He is currently doing ministry at the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.