Mason queen of Sta. Fe

A homemaker in Sta. Fe,  Bantayan survived typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and got back on her feet  learning   new skills as a mason.

Libertine Grace Derder used to eke out a living by making charcoal.

The 42-year-old from barangay Balidbid joined  14 other masons last week in presenting their finished products – toilet bowls, comfort rooms and septic tanks during the  launch of the Baratong Kasilyas Showcase  (Affordable Toilets)  in  Bantayan.

Derder underwent  a skills test and masonry  training for three months with the help of Oxfam, an international non-government organization (NGO).

The training is part of Oxfam’s post intervention for typhoon Yolanda survivors in Bantayan island focused  on health and sanitation. The  NGO obserrved that most households lacked toilets and comfort rooms in homes.

Do   women make good masons?

“Yes, if you put in  hard work and dedication then you can learn,” she told Cebu Daily News.

She explained how to make a concrete toilet bowl.

Form the toilet mold with cement and river sand. Two hours after, put final touches  with sandpaper and a grinder. Then you can paint it any color you want,  you want, Derder said.

In one day, Derder can make at least five toilet bowls which are  priced at P300.

She can also do carpentry work to build a toilet shed in five days using  local materials like  nipa, plywood, earthblocks and woven bamboo panels (amakan).

“It depends on the customer what design they  want,,” Derder said.

The price of the simple toilet shed depends on the  materials used. One made of nipa or plywood would cost  P11,900.  Using amakan would cost P13,250.

It the shed uses  plywood and concrete, it would cost a little more at  P15, 450. An earthblock shed would cost P16,250.

The work includes the  concrete ring, concrete slab flooring, toilet bowl and labor fees.

Making a septic tank would cost P7,100 to cover digging and building a two-chamber tank.

What her  husband earns as a  laborer isn’t enough to feed and support  their four children, she said.

With her new skills as a mason, Derder said she’s in a better position to help her family.

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