'Hope Stories of Haiyan' Main Page >>>

Handumanan GK Village: Making New Memories
by Niquie Angelo

One year after Haiyan, we are inspired by the kind of generosity shown by our partners – one that goes beyond borders to make happier memories and give hope in the face of disaster.

It’s been more than a year since Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, but people have not forgotten the massive devastation it brought – the houses it crushed, the livelihood it swept away, and the lives it cut short. This calamity has been considered to be one of the world’s worst, comparing it to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, USA last 2012  and the tsunami in Sendai, Japan last 2011. But in every calamity, people rise back up, and we as Filipinos are especially known for our ability to stand back up after a fall, heads high and smiling.

30 families from Cabugao Oeste, Capiz find hope in time for Christmas.
View the video and read Trafigura's report on the project HERE.

Just in time for Christmas, 30 families from Brgy. Cabugao Oeste, Panay, Capiz stood tall on the stage as they each received keys for their new homes from The Trafigura Foundation during their turnover ceremony. Vincent Faber, their Executive Director, travelled all the way from Geneva, Switzerland to represent the Swiss foundation, while Tony Meloto, Gawad Kalinga’s founder, represented GK as this special event transpired in the morning of December 17, 2014.

Trafigura Executive Director Vincent Faber is there all the way from Switzerland to personally turnover the homes
with GK Father and Founder Tony Meloto

“The Philippines is a country not meant to be poor. I wanted to find solutions and believed that poverty is man-made and can be unmade by man. I dream of a country where no Filipino is a victim or a prey.” - Tony Meloto

With various programs running in over 35 countries, The Trafigura Foundation  reached out to Gawad Kalinga to be part of the rebuilding program for Haiyan survivors by providing them with more typhoon-resilient homes. What makes this village more special is the name the locals gave it – Handumanan, an Ilonggo term for “memory of the past” or “legacy”. The foundation wanted the village name to mean something for the beneficiaries and Handumanan GK Village was a unanimous choice. 

The families celebrate the turnover of Handumanan GK Village with volunteers, partners,
and the local government

A festive and joyful mood prevails in this new GK community where hope is clearly present

The good thing about us human beings is we don’t only stop with the bitter memories of the past. We have learned to make new ones, carrying with us a new set of hope each time. Yes, there will be scars to remind us of the pain and struggles we’ve had to go through, but with these new homes, the people of Cabugao Oeste will also be reminded of a better life awaiting them.

Read more 'Hope Stories of Haiyan' >>>