5 Homes. Mga Bahay Kubo. Help rebuild lives by helping rebuild homes. Makilala, Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines

On Halloween (Oct 31, 2019) a devastating and deadly 6.5 magnitude earthquake with over 150 aftershocks destroyed homes and brought devastation and despair to thousands throughout Cotabato Province in Mindanao. They have experienced further earthquakes just recently in areas no more than 50 miles away whose tremors keep terrorizing them. The town at the very epicenter of the Oct 31st earthquake has received little to no help in rebuilding as the area affected if very extensive and includes larger population centers, including Kidapawan City, the Provincial Capital.

This project aims to build 15 homes for families of Buenavida, Makilala, North Cotabato Province, Mindanao Island. So far enough funding has been secured to build 7 homes, we are hereby aiming to secure funding for 5 more and are continuing efforts to raise within our community in Northern Virginia and our acquaintances for the other 3. The homes will be built during Jan.-Feb. 2020. Each home (Bahay Kubo, or Nipa Hut) is to be built by a carpenter assisted by the receiving families, similar to how Habitat for Humanity does in the US. These modest Bahay Kubos (approx. 16’ x 20’) cost US $800 each, and are to be built using strong wooden posts sunk in concrete with bamboo floors, but, unlike traditional Nipa Huts, their construction will include lawanit plywood walls, and corrugated metal roofs.

If you would like to sponsor a home (or part thereof -all donations help) be assured receiving families will be in their new homes by mid to late February and will forever be grateful for your generosity. Families are being selected through criteria involving family size, losses suffered, income earners in household, etc., withassistance of charity workers assisting other communities affected by the quakes in nearby areas. If you need further information please contact Zenaida Phillips 703-507-1962, my wife, who is working on this with an experienced friend of hers (Thelma Billy 703-887-8150) who rebuilt homes via a similar project she started after a Typhoon in a Visayan Island of the Philippines. Both Zeny and Thelma, reside in the US but were raised in the Philippines, the latter not far from the area affected. Neither has family affected, and both are well known for their activities helping others.

For those who live near DC/Northern Virginia or Maryland counties bordering Washington, DC., a Filipino Dinner/Dance with live band playing 60–90s top hits, will be held Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 (6:00pm to 12 midnight) at Providence Hall, St Leo the Great Catholic Church, 3702 Old Lee Hwy, Fairfax.

Tickets: $30.00 per person.