From afar, you’ll see clusters of colorful homes in a 15.9 hectare property, surrounded by lush greenery and cascading hills. The sight is massive and breathtaking.

The Bayanihan sa Iligan Village from afar: A 15.9-hectare multi-sectoral response to disaster reconstruction and poverty eradication.

But look a little closer, and you’ll see something more — a warm hello between neighbors, the singsong laughter of children, the animated retelling of stories among friends. It’s hard to believe that such a vibrant community can come from something as catastrophic as Sendong.

But it didn’t begin that way.

When Inday Losenada volunteered to be a community organizer, she knew she was in for a challenge. True enough, when they held meetings, nobody would arrive. When they knocked on tents, nobody would answer. They were shouted at, locked out of centers, and one time, someone even chased them away with a machete. But day in and day out, they never gave up.

Community organizer Inday Losenada works with the Sendong survivors to slowly rebuild their homes and their lives.

In 2002, Inday and her neighbors also lost everything when a fire ravaged their homes in Brgy. Saray, Iligan City. Much like the Sendong survivors, many hesitated to leave their comfort zones and start anew. But GK Missionville stands today, proof that it’s possible to rebuild a community from the ashes of a tragedy. “Abi nako sauna, dili na mabalik ang nawala. Pero sobra pa jud ang nahatag sa GK, dili lang balay. Nabutangan sad ug tunong akong kinabuhi karong nakatabang ko sa uban.” (I thought I could never get back what I had lost. But GK gave me so much more. I didn’t just get a house, I discovered that my life has value because it is spent serving others).

Just like Inday, community organizer Aileen Manulat remains committed no matter how difficult things can get. Having lived in GK Rainbow Village since she was 12, Aileen benefited from Gawad Kalinga’s SAGIP program (for the children of GK communities), and she wants the parents in Sta. Elena to understand the opportunities that are available for their children, now that they can grow up in a loving and productive  community.

Having lived in a GK community since she was 12, community organizer Aileen Manulat
has big hopes and dreams for the children of the Bayanihan sa Iligan Village.

Last May 2012, the community organizers watched as the survivors made the bittersweet journey from the tents to their new homes, which were completed with the help of funds from San Miguel Corporation. Sonia Jayme, one of the most difficult to convince, expressed her gratitude by saying “Kung wa mo nagpursigi ug pagkombinse nako, di pa jud siguro ko makabalay ug balik karon.” (If not for your perseverance in convincing me, I wouldn’t have a home right now).

One of Sonia’s daughters never made it home the night Sendong struck. Her husband passed away while they were in the evacuation center. But life goes on, and Sonia is determined to see her youngest daughter April graduate from college.

A closer look at the Bayanihan sa Iligan Village reveals a vibrant community whose faces still reflect the tragedy they survived,
but also the hope and courage to start a new life.

When you look at Sta. Elena, look a little closer and this is what you’ll find — faces that still reflect the tragedy they survived, but faces that also carry the desire to start a new life. Our heroic partners and volunteers sought out these faces to show them that hope is alive. It is because of their courage to care and willingness to be instruments of God’s grace that the Bayanihan sa Iligan Village stands as a vibrant community today.

This, more than the clusters of colorful homes, is the real miracle of Iligan.

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"Committed to Rebuild Lives: Former Victims Build Hope for Sendong Survivors" was featured on Page 13 of THE COURAGE TO CARE: GK Annual Report (January 2011 - June 2012). You can download the full report here.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) is too big a story for one person to tell, and it wouldn’t be complete without the partners who have been with us throughout the years. You too can be part of this mission of ending poverty. To help build more communities like this, click here.