THE world's biggest booksale, Big Bad Wolf (BBW), and poverty-alleviation organization Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation Inc. (GK) partnered to donate 300 houses for earthquake-affected families in Makilala, North Cotabato.
GK executive director Jose Luis Oquiñena said BBW have already gave a fund for the building of 50 transitional houses.
The budget for the remaining 250 houses will be taken out from GK's share of the total BBW sales of the book sale's second run in Davao City.
“We hope to initially organize resources for 300 transitional houses. Initially, meron na tayong (we have) for 50 houses. Hopefully, at the end of this sale, madagdagan yung initial namin na (there will be additional fund for our initial) commitment of 50 [houses] from the sale,” Oquiñena said on the sidelines of the launching of Big Bad Wolf Book Sale’s second run here.
He explained that for transitional houses, they will build concrete floors and walls up to the waist, install roofing and the owners will decide for the material they will use to complete the house.
“It is moving towards permanent housing. The claddings will be up to the families whether [they will use] amakan, nipa, kahoy (wood) o hollow blocks,” he said.
At present, the group is still in the process of identifying the building sites and find location near the farms of the displaced families.
“Last week we started to look for properties. We want the land to be cleared by the MGB (Mines and Geoscience Bureau) that it is safe to build because this will become their permanent relocation site,” Oquiñena said.
He has also appealed to landowners who have spare lands to donate for the site.
“I am appealing for land owners who may have extra 5,000 square meters or 1 hectare. We just need small area of land where we can build 30 or 40 transitional shelters,” he said.
They hope to begin constructing these houses before Christmas.