Homes for Christmas

By Russtum G. Pelima

MAITUM, Sarangani (December 18, 2007) – For Sabiniano Bejasa and 13 other new homeowners at Mabay Eco-Village, this is the best Christmas they ever have.

"Karon nakab-ot na nako ang akong pangandoy (Now I already have what I've been dreaming of)," Bejasa said at the turnover of 14 housing units in Mabay Monday, one of which he owns.

Bejasa, 49, a father of six, had always wanted to have a decent house being a marginal fisherman since he was a child.

In all those years, the housing beneficiaries were living by the coast of Purok Malipayon often hit by big waves, but can't move somewhere else because fishing at Celebes Sea is their only means of livelihood.

For all those hard times, he always found his way of borrowing money from friends and neighbors in order to find ways to feed the family, including the purchase of a 6.5 horsepower fishing boat.

Thanks to the bounty of the sea. Sabiniano can sell 20 to 30 kilos of fish or squid to the town market.

But the new home brings him incomparable joy, a feeling he now cherishes with his family and other new homeowner-fisher folk who are as lucky as he is, and as patient as he is. Well, these humble people have actually earned their homes by themselves.

"This is because of your patience and sacrifices," Governor Migs Dominguez, who graced the occasion, said.

"You worked for it, and now you own it while inspiring others to follow your footsteps."

Indeed, Sabiniano had most patiently earned the highest points of working at the village since last year. Nelia Quimsing, the town's social welfare and development officer, said the beneficiaries earn one point for every eight hours work in the Eco-Village.

Sabiniano earned 96 points working with others at the village, not in just one single house, but working also for the others.

It was two years ago, at the time of the late Mayor George Yabes, when the Gawad Kalinga started the Eco-Village in partnership with the municipal and provincial governments.

The village was intended for some 340 calamity-prone families.

"One of the seven pillars of the Couples for Christ is to bring good tidings to the poor through the Gawad Kalinga housing project," GK representative Chito de Guzman said.

"This is the start of development in Maitum and I hope our partners will not get tired of giving us assistance," Mayor Elsie Perrett said.

A Nation's Cry of the Poor (ANCOP), a group of Filipino families in Canada, has donated 30 houses for the Mabay Eco Village.

Sabiniano Bejasa' family and the other 13 family beneficiaries ( Delicia Oyon-Oyon, Celeste Cenon, Francisca Roxas, Augusto Vivero, Felicidad Naason, Eliezer Omila, Juanito Alvarado, Thomas Cuaresma, Ludevico Sedillo, Romeo Fuentes, Loreto Dacutan, Carlito Papalid, and Saturnino Recana) are the village's first beneficiaries.

The Eco-Village is the first resettlement area in the province, according to Governor Domingez.
"We are not just building houses here. We are building a community. Thanks for your sacrifices. You have really inspired us in the government." (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE/RGP)