Building Homes, Rebuilding Lives

(This was written by Gaps Sabuero, 2nd Year DevCom Student, submitted as a Final Requirement for DC 6 Media and Society)

It was another day for the relocatees as they went through their day-to-day lives in their temporary bunk houses. Relief has now prevailed their eyes as they are now settled in the Xavier Ecoville at Baranggay. Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro.

It was not so long ago when they were living in, now, their displaced homes. Fathers worked to earn a living; mothers tended their family's needs; children went to school. They were living a life they were accustomed to. Little did they know that overnight, they would witness the flood taking everything away from them.

Upon the height of the tragedy, most of the families watched over their properties drowning in the muddy waters – on their roofs counting every piece of furniture, appliances, books and every investment they made with their livelihood drifting away. Some were lucky to rush to safety during the advent of the flood. But, all of them stayed in different evacuation centers for weeks with no sense of their lives' direction.

It was during the end of February 2012 that a total of 249 households were already transferred to the Ecoville. DSWD's comprehensive list helped the Xavier Ecoville identify the families who lived in no-build zones and had their homes washed out. Families as such were drafted to live in the Ecoville.

As the construction of more temporary bunk houses continues, “We are expecting 251 more households to be settled in the following weeks,” mentioned Iris Montellano, Ecoville Camp Manager. The transfer of families will finish by June. And, in 8 months, a chapel, community center and about 500 permanent houses for the relocatees are expected to stand on the 5.3 hectare Ecoville.

While waiting for the Ecoville's completion, relocatees are undergoing livelihood training. Outside bunk houses, some households are already planting vegetables for selling and consumption. As of March, a cooperative is already taking its advent as the relocatees and livelihood facilitators are raising membership and funds to meet the requirements for the coop's legislation. A small stall containing food and other products serves as the consumer cooperative's store and base.

“Those who are skilled in cooking and crafts are encouraged to display their products in the stall,” said Christine Torvillo, Xavier Ecoville Livelihood Facilitator. This endeavor, as soon as it fulfills the legal requirements, will soon become the Xavier Ecoville Beneficiary Multipurpose Cooperative, a cooperative for the Ecoville inhabitants.

Elle Lour, a former baker and cooperative member, wishes to raise capital for starting a bakery. “Kung naa na koy gamit nga insakto, magsugod na ko ug balik sa panginabuhi para makapondar ko sa akong pamilya,” says Elle. He is one of the many who wish to continue to strive despite the flood disrupting their lives.

Also one of such is Vicente Ruiz, a security guard at Xavier University. A week after the flood, having ensured his family's condition and replacing his uniform that got lost in the flood, Vicente went back to work – guarding the school gate as the relief operations were going on. Charita, his wife, directly tended to the family. During the course of their transfers from Xavier University covered court to Manresa then to Ecoville, his children, Rose Cherry, a development communication student in the university and her brothers continued going to school.

Vicente, Elle and all relocatees living in the Ecoville are moving on and having a new start in their new found community. This takes them a leap further from the tragic past and a step closer to a better future.

“We call it community building in the real sense of the words because these families coming from different places and different walks of life are being brought together,” says Montellano. “Physically, we are bringing them together to their new homes but in thought they are also brought to new lives,” she added.

Xavier Ecoville, carrying the principles of environmentalism, with the cumulative efforts of Xavier University, Habitat for Humanity Philippines, LGUs and other stakeholders are building this new community of renewed people.

Definitely, the effort is not only building homes but also rebuilding lives.

A child runs to plant vegetables in a garden outside his family's bunk house in Xavier Ecoville. Photo by Gaps Sabuero.