Lupang Pangako:
30 Families From the Payatas Dumpsite Move Into Their New Homes
by Niquie Angelo
Guests, partners, and Kapitbahayans (GK residents) pose in front of the Community Development Center donated by
the Ministry for Economic Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ).
New Payatas Village Inaugurated
QUEZON CITY – Last September 13, the Del Rosario-Cox GK Village in Lupang Pangako, Brgy. Payatas was turned over to 30 families who have been displaced by extreme poverty. To everyone involved, this event did not just mark a completion of a Gawad Kalinga housing project – but also a fulfillment of a promise to our fellow Filipinos who have worked hard and patiently waited to have a structure be called their home.
>> Find out how you too can build a community with GK
Present during the turnover were the different stakeholders who contributed to building this beautiful community: the local government units of the barangay and city, Mrs. Sandra Rovero Cox (land donor), Atty. Dwight Ramos of the IPM Holdings Inc. (contractor of the landfill), Luis Oquinena of Gawad Kalinga (Executive Director), His Excellency Thomas Ossowski (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany), Hon. Albert Del Rosario (Secretary of Foreign Affairs), Gawad Kalinga Ateneo, volunteers, and the Kapitbahayans (GK residents) themselves. Father Ben Nebres, S.J., conducted the morning mass and led the group in blessing the houses and the markers after the program.
|
|
|
|
Mrs. Sandra Rovero Cox was one of the partners
who shared a few words during the program. |
The Kapitbahayans say "Thank You" to everyone. |
A message from one of the residents, Nanay Emily Martinico, who used to live in the danger zones of Payatas: “Noong pinalipat kami mula doon sa dati naming tinitirahan, ayaw na ayaw naming lumipat dahil akala naming na ‘yung titirahan naming ay hindi sapat. At nang makalipat kami, masayang-masaya kami dahil nagkaroon kami ng maganda at maayos na tirahan.”
 |
 |
|
Fr. Ben leading the blessing of the new homes
|
Ate Sara Delabajan (KB President) happily receiving the key for the community. |
ADMU and GK, Partners in Building Communities
The GK Del Rosario-Cox Village is only one of the three villages GK Ateneo has built and adopted with the help of its friends and partners. In 2003, the GK Blue Eagle Village was established and through the years have become one of Gawad Kalinga’s model communities with 180 homes and a successful silk-screen social enterprise called Trese run by its Kapitbahayans.
The second village, the AAA (Ateneo Alumni Association) – GK Village, was established four years after and currently holds 52 families from the Lower Molave area. These communities are not just built but are also sustained with different long term programs addressing the needs of the residents such as health and education. Truly, this university continues to stay true to their mission in molding their students, teachers and staff to be the best they can be as they serve others.
Products of Trese displayed in a showroom.
Brief Background on Payatas
The Payatas dumpsite serves as the main terminal for collected solid waste around Quezon City (Trasporte, 2013). Most of the people living in the area survive through scavenging recyclables and other materials that could possibly be reused or exchanged for money in the surrounding junk shops.
>> Read a more detailed background of the area HERE.
|
|
|
|
"Scavengers" going through the bags of garbage
looking for recyclables. |
Even children are brought to the dumpsite to scavenge. |
(Photo source: www.conexor.com)
In the year 2000, more than 300 lives were taken away as a pile of garbage collapsed on the makeshift homes located right beside the dumpsite. Known as the Payatas Tragedy, this raised questions about the proper management of dumpsites such as this and the potential environmental and health hazards they pose as the amount of garbage continues to increase. Eventually, stricter policies were implemented, such as establishing danger zones, leading to the relocation of its residents to staging areas.
>> Read more about the Payatas Tragedy, click HERE
To this day, the threat of having another Payatas Tragedy still lurks within the minds of the people of Lupang Pangako. But thanks to the local government and other private individuals and organizations, a safe community such as the Del Rosario Cox GK Village now shelters families who will no longer have to worry about being in danger.
Gawad Kalinga is not a charity, rather, it's an organization that aims to end poverty by building empowered and productive communities. This would not be possible without the partners who have journeyed with us in changing the lives of others. Like the various stakeholders who made this village possible, you too can be a hero to the poorest of the poor and partner with us in making sure that no one is left behind. Find out how you can help #endpoverty today. Walang Iwanan!