Building New Houses in Bohol

On October 15, 2013″”just 3 weeks before Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region””the island of Bohol in the Philippines was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed hundreds of people and destroyed over 14,000 buildings on Bohol and Cebu islands.

The Bohol People’s Art Development Center Inc (BPADC), a long-time PWRDF partner, responded immediately to the disaster, mobilizing its volunteers and resources to provide relief to those affected.  BPADC works closely within the communities, and was able to provide psychosocial support quickly after the quake.

PWRDF is working with the Center to help 100 households build new homes by providing $33,000 to supply construction materials and technical support to 25 households in each of four different communities, who will work together to share skilled and unskilled labour to build the houses.

This sharing of skills and labour will help each of the families to build a new home on their property, and they will “be encouraged to take special care of the labour needs of those who are differently able or don’t have enough people to do the labour in their household,” said Naba Gurung, PWRDF’s Humanitarian Response Coordinator.