Our Stories - Habitat

People We've Helped

ELMER & MYLENE LUMBAD
BayaniJuan sa Southville 7 resident since February 2010

“I will never be able to buy you a house, even if I work all my life. This is maybe our only chance to have a decent home for our kids,” said Elmer to his wife before they were relocated from Estero de Paco to BayaniJuan sa Southville 7. Elmer and Mylene have been living along the estero almost all their lives, until typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) finally forced them out of their makeshift dwelling.

On their new home:

Six months after their transfer, Elmer has yet to find a permanent job in Calauan. Currently, he volunteers as a block leader and head marshall in their village. Every night, he leads his team of other volunteers, going around the village to make sure that their homes are secured. The community looks up to him as “kuya” (big brother), whom they can run to anytime. He used to work as a hardware salesman in Manila, but had to give up his stable job to gain a home for his family in Calauan.

His nine-year old son Hans, is adjusting to his new environment fairly well, but longs for the convenience that the city life offers. “I still miss Manila. I miss going to the malls, Jollibee or McDonald’s,” said Hans, their eldest, a grade 4 scholar.

Elmer and Mylene hope to have a small hardware store someday.

DANILO AND MARIE GRACE CAREL
BayaniJuan sa Southville 7 resident since February 2010

Carel family used to live in Estero de Paco, along the Pasig River tributary. Their makeshift home in Paco was washed out by typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009.

On her new home:

For the first time, Carel family is able to enjoy the comfort of their decent, simple brand new home. “We are happy and grateful that we have been given a chance to own this house. We feel secured that our house is durable. We were not affected by typhoon Basyang recently, unlike the other houses here in Dayap,” said Marie Grace.

Danilo works as a construction worker in Calauan. Though he is looking for a more stable source of livelihood, he is able to at least provide food on the table and some furniture for their new home, little by little. The couple has seven children, five of whom live with their mother in Manila to continue their studies. They are still hoping though, that once more opportunities come in their new community, their family will be able to reunite again.

TERESITA AND JEFFREY LEGASPI
BayaniJuan sa Southville 7 resident since February 2010

“We moved to BayaniJuan in February 2010. We are proud of our new home. It is clean, unlike where we lived before in Estero de Paco which was full of garbage.

On her new home:

Now, we have a pocket garden where we grow vegetables which we can harvest later on for our food,” said Teresa. She expressed her fondness of her new home, saying that her family has more room now and can breathe fresh air.

“The only downside is that my child don’t get to see his father everyday. My husband is in Paranaque, selling ready-to-wear clothes. He has to live with a friend because it is expensive to commute to Calauan daily. But he goes home every Saturdays. We need to sacrifice as we want to send Jeffrey, our only son to a medical specialist. He has a congenital heart problem. He is not allowed to get tired,” added Teresa.

Everyday, Teresa brings Jeffrey to a nearby school for 10-15 minutes. Jeffrey is on wheelchair. “I want to finish school. I want to draw. Someday, I will help my parents,” said Jeffrey.



		EVELYN DEFENSOR Baseco resident since 1997 Evelyn is a homemaker and mother of two. Her husband, Wealano, 33, works as a truck dispatcher. Before owning a Habitat house, they lived in a larger house, but one built on stilts on top of foul-smelling, garbage-strewn mud. The toilet was a hole in the floor; the high tide carried the waste away.
On her new home: "Mas malinis ngayon, hindi tulad ng dating tirahan namin: mabaho, amoy putik." (It's cleaner now, not like our former house: the surroundings smelled, smelled of mud.)

		VIOLY CATINDOY Baseco resident since 1996 Violy used to carry vegetables at a public market. HerhHusband, Theng Ontiong, 29, works as a security guard in Quezon City. Their old home was in a squatter's area in Intramuros (the walled city), which was demolished. They also used to live in a bigger house, but it had no toilet. "We just wrapped it up and threw it out the window."
On paying the mortgage: "Kahit hindi kaya, kakayanin." (Even if we can't pay, we will find a way.") "Mas segurado dito; hindi na kami madedemolish" (It's better here; our house will no longer be demolished.)

		BAYAN GIAMAT Baseco 20 year old Bayan is the nephew and ward of Acmad Giamat, 45. The elder Giamat is a storekeeper at BASECO and a twenty-five year resident. Bayan has lived in BASECO for six years and works the night-shift at a food chain outlet in Manila.
On their former house: "Mas malaki nga, pero tulay ang dadaanan mo. Pag nahulog ka, sira ang porma mo." (It was bigger, but you had to take a series of rickety bridges to get there. If you fell, you had to change clothes again.) On sweat equity: "Masarap. Makikita mo ang resulta ng pinagpaguran mo." It's great; you see the result of your work.)