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Pope Francis School Building Construction: Uncovering Its Bottlenecks and Gains

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  The construction of the two-storey, six-classroom building at Scandinavian Elementary School in Barangay 100 San Roque, Tacloban City is one of the strategic rehabilitation assistance of Alberta School Board to children of Typhoon Yolanda survivors in partnership with Pope Francis for Resilient and Co-Empowered Sustainable Communities (FRANCESCO). The building has robust and structurally-sound features purposely designed to accommodate around 300 additional school children especially those who will be coming from Pope Francis Village. It could also serve as an evacuation building in times of emergencies and disasters. Proposed architectural design of Pope Francis School Building Project Unlike most traditional contractor-led construction practice, the Pope Francis School Building Project puts premium on integrated and people-driven approach to construction management. Here, partner communities and other relevant stakeholders are assuming a more active role in various a...
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Relocated Yolanda Survivors Denounce Poorly-Implemented Resettlement Programs in Tacloban North

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At first sight, I was impressed by the brick-laden land mark, well-paved roads, and seemingly sturdy rowhouses. I'm sure others will have the same first impression upon entering this public relocation project in Barangay Cabalawan. As we got closer to the interiors of the permanent housing project which was supposed to be an asylum for no less than a thousand typhoon Yolanda survivors, I blew off from what I've seen as a total contrast.   The entrance to Ridge View Park, a relocation project  of National Housing Authority and the City Gove The project involves the provision of 2,000 rowhouse units to typhoon Yolanda-affected families.  Exterior paint cannot conceal the substandard and poorly-built structures often misconstrued by outsiders as a humane disaster rehabilitation assistance. Who is apt to believe that a housing unit costs Php293,000 when right in front of you are rowhouses which lack reinforcement and wall forms  not properly aligned with g...
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Banking on Bayanihan Savings Groups, It's like bringing ants to sugar!

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Seeing this heterogeneous cluster of savers eagerly handing-over a Php20.00 individual savings contribution to their cluster leaders is a testament that poor disaster survivors have inherent capacity to mobilize their own resources, if driven by a certain purpose. Savings member brings their individual passbook which serves  as a proof of their weekly savings contribution.  This group is one of the seven (7) savings clusters of Magallanes Survivors Homeowner’s Association (MSHOA) that was organized by Urban Poor Associates (UPA) in early February of 2014. The cluster meets every Sunday for their weekly meeting and savings mobilization activity. For this savings cluster, the minimum individual savings contribution is Php20.00 The Bayanihan Savings Program is both an organizing tool and a strategy of UPA in preparing Typhoon Yolanda survivors in transitional shelters and in areas currently covered by No-Build Zone to  become self-sustaining while wai...
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