Last night I visited the offices of Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines at the corner of Agno and Cordillera streets near Banaue in Quezon City. I was invited by Mr. Alfred Li, the CEO of Tzu Chi. The place was like a Buddhist temple. Kailangan mag-alis ng sapatos bago pumasok. Outside, at the garden area, is displayed the model 3-bedroom house that the foundation is constructing for the Yolanda survivors. Its only 27 sqm but it has a living room/kitchen/dining area at the center, a bed room for the parents on the right side, and 2 bedrooms for the children on the left side. May maliit na toilet and bath na rin at laundry area. The house is made of steel frame and polypropylene plastic from the US. The polypropylene plastic is similar to the material used for the carrying cases of fighting cocks. Very light yet sturdy, and heat resistant. Tzu Chi tested the house during typhoon Glenda and it passed. They are putting up 2,000 houses in a 50-hectare property in Ormoc City. The house is thoughtfully made. It has sliding windows with screen, sliding doors for the room, and it even has a vent above the kitchen area that you can open or close with a knob. And Tzu Chi founder Master Cheng Yen even thought of putting laundry lines outside, right under the awning of the roof of the house. And the best thing is the house can be completed in merely 5 hours with 20 people working on it. Its prefab and every part has a number so its like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It was already dark when I arrived at Tzu Chi. So I couldnt take pictures anymore. But one of these days Ill be back there. Actually, Tzu Chi is inviting Oplan Hatid and other Yolanda volunteers to a photo exhibit that they will formally open on Nov. 17 and will stay open for a month. You might want to drop by.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 01:45:17 +0000
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