AAA CEMEXME v 13 for press.pmd - Cemex Philippines

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20 CEMEX+ME 1st Half of 2004 /MANILA, PHILIPPINES He then asks the helpers to mix the cement such that it will dry easily if not plastered quickly enough. But, since there would be too much cement to use up and too much wall space for just one mason to plaster, helpers are required to follow the mason’s example and plaster another portion of the wall, with the foreman (Mang Rolly “Lahat ng trabaho [sa site] ay nakasalalay sa balikat ng isang foreman… Kung ano man ang mangyari sa trabaho, ang foreman ang lalapitan ng project engineer, `yan ang sisisihin. himself) standing watch to supervise and correct what is being done. After watching Mang Rolly at work with his men, it became easy to see how he quickly climbed the construction ladder. Instead of being an imposing figure on the site, like a general who would metaphorically whip his men into shape, Mang Rolly was a patient teacher and guide, someone who understood his men’s concerns and adjusted to their learning pace. “Madali raw akong magdala ng tao kaysa ibang foreman,” Mang Rolly shares the opinion that others have expressed of him. “Hindi ako masyadong strict (at) magaling akong magturo ng tao… Hindi ko kasi sinisigawsigawan ang tao ‘pag hindi marunong (People say that I lead Building Building homes homes for for Mang Rolly’s job isn’t just about building homes to earn a decent income and feed his family of eight— he also does it to help others like himself restore their dignity by getting decent, affordable homes of their own. Like Mang Rolly, Glenda Velez and Abner Galora were practically homeless—they had built makeshift homes near the train tracks in Cupang and Tramo, but a series of fires in 1997 and 1998 razed their “houses” to the ground. They were literally living on the edge—being “along da people better than other foremen… I’m not too strict and I teach people well… I don’t shout at people when they don’t know what to do).” Other foremen, he shares, are sometimes antagonized by their men because of their work attitude and manner of relating with their people. But he believes in being patient with his workers, especially if they are going through personal problems that may affect their work behavior. He went on to explain some of his other responsibilities as a construction foreman—such as taking a regular inventory of all materials and supplies on the site, supervising the work of the construction team, and handling the workers’ payroll—and we teased him about being “the boss”. The modest bisaya smiled and riles”, as a popular TV show once put it—so the Muntinlupa Development Foundation (MDF) decided that they, along with 425 families who lived by the railroad, should be relocated to a safer place. They chose a site in United Bayanihan Village, in San Pedro, Laguna, as the relocation site. With funding from the Japan for Poverty Reduction Fund, and through the partnership of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the MDF, and Habitat, construction for the 427 families of the Cupang-Tramo Neighborhood Association and the Maralitang Nagkakaisa sa Tramo (MANATRA) began in December 2002.
answered: “Lahat ng trabaho (sa site) ay nakasalalay sa balikat ng isang foreman… Kung ano man ang mangyari sa trabaho, ang foreman ang lalapitan ng project engineer, `yan ang sisisihin. Ako’y nahihiya na tawaging ‘boss’, pero napipilitan akong gampanan ang trabaho ko dahil ‘yung project engineer dito (Engineer Toto Bañares)… the the poor poor As part of their agreement with Habitat, homepartners are required to deliver 400 hours of “sweat equity” (volunteer labor) for their homes. So Aling Glenda, Mang Abner, and their neighbors began the process by clearing the land that MDF had bought for them. In February 2003, site development began, and Habitat’s engineers and construction team consulted with the homepartners’ association on major decisions affecting their community’s design and layout. Everyone was happy about how the community was being built, and the home-partners were eagerly giving their share of sweat equity. As Aling mabait naman sa ‘min…(Every job on the site rests on the foreman’s shoulders… If something wrong goes on, it’s the foreman who gets blamed by the project engineer. I don’t like being called ‘boss’ by the people here, but I’m compelled to do my job because our project engineer’s good to us.)” Glenda put it, “Natutuwa (ang mga tao dito) kasi magiging kanila (ang mga bahay)… Pakiramdam nila na sila ang gumagawa ng bahay nila.” Mang Abner adds: “Excited (ang mga tao) na makatira nang kumportable… ‘Yung hindi ka kakabahan. (The people here are glad because the houses will soon be theirs… They feel as if they were building their homes themselves… People are excited to live comfortably… For them to live without anxiety.)” According to him, the rainy season often brings flood waters of up to chest-deep, so the Habitat for Humanity International There are three things that people need to live respectably – food, clothing, and shelter. In today’s world, decent housing remains a dream among the poor. In 1976 American Millard Fuller and his wife Linda set up the Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) housing ministry to give low-income families a sturdy roof above their heads. What began with a small group of concerned individuals has now become a worldwide grass roots movement. Habitat for Humanity has 2,100 active affiliates in 92 countries, and has built more than 150,000 houses around the world, helping more than 750,000 people in more than 3,000 communities. neighborhood is particularly excited to have somewhere safe and dry to come home to when the rains hit them this year. The new community— what will be called Dreamland Heights—should be completed by June of this year. By August, all 427 families will finally move into their new homes, and build more secure lives for their families.
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