French-style, disaster-proof village to rise in Daanbantayan

Over a hundred families in barangay Paypay in Daanbantayan town will soon be going home to houses that are rated to withstand intensity 8 earthquakes and 275 kph winds.

The construction of a disaster-proof community was formally kicked off  Friday at the 1.3-hectare resettlement site donated by Elaine Corro, sister of Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro.

To be called the “French village,” the $2 million project involves the construction of at least 128 houses in one year. It will be  funded by private sponsors from France and is made possible through the partnership between the Philippine Red Cross and the Habitat for Humanity.

The money will come from the France-Philippines United Action (FPUA), French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), French Red Cross and other private French companies and sponsors.

The Red Cross, together with the municipal government of Daanbantayan will be facilitating the screening of beneficiaries.

This is already the second batch of houses for the town, following the first resettlement site which is in a 5,400 square-meter province-owned land in barangay Agujo.

According to Charlie Ayco,  Habitat for Humanity’s chief executive officer, the one in Agujo will be completed this December with 75 houses.

“We realized that we would have bigger impact if we pool our resources together through FPUA and choose a focus area and we chose Daanbantayan,” said FCCI President Cyril Rocke.

“We want to create a culture of disaster preparedness in the communities. A community that helps themselves, relies on themselves and with cooperation. A community that doesn’t rely on doleouts and are able to help themselves,” added Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon.

The houses are specially designed by social architect Edric Florentino. Each house can accommodate a family of four.

Gordon said the housing project will be under a usufruct scheme wherein the beneficiaries can’t sell or rent out the property in the next 25 years.
Just last week, Lafarge and the Global Business Power Corporation also launched “Kapit-Balay” cement, a special variant developed specifically to address the need for a low-cost, high-quality cement which can be used by NGOs, government agencies and LGUs in their post-disaster rebuilding programs.

The special cement makes use of fly ash, a by-product of coal-fired power plants, as an additive to “allow good workability, smoother finish, enhanced durability, and better strength.”

It is mostly the private sector that has done some work in rebuilding northern Cebu because the national government’s rehabilitation master plan has yet to be completed sven months after Yolanda.