Molo fire survivors train in carpentry, masonry for new homes

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Beneficiaries of the Iloilo City government’s housing project in Barangays West Habog-Habog and San Juan in Molo District are undergoing carpentry and masonry training as part of the city’s effort to reduce labor costs and accelerate the construction of permanent homes.

Iloilo City Local Housing Office (ICLHO) head Peter Millare said the beneficiaries have begun training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to equip them with the skills needed to build their own houses.

Millare said labor accounts for a significant portion of housing construction costs, prompting most projects to be contracted through public bidding.

“Construction labor is one of the biggest expenses in housing projects. Our concern is that since we have limited funds and we want to build as many houses as possible, it is better if we can save on labor costs,” he said.

Millare highlighted the ICLHO’s adoption of the concept of sweat equity, a participatory housing approach in which future homeowners contribute labor to building their own homes without compensation.

He said the approach not only reduces construction costs, but also gives beneficiaries a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility for their homes.

“The good thing is they will know the proper cement mixture and the right way to build their own homes. Because they are directly involved in the construction, they will be able to tell if a unit is substandard,” he said.

He noted that Gawad Kalinga has long practiced the sweat equity concept.

Millare said the ICLHO considers it essential for beneficiaries to complete skills training before participating in construction work.

“We cannot simply allow them to work on the construction of their houses without training. That is why they first undergo TESDA training in masonry and carpentry,” Millare said.

The training is being conducted in batches, with the first group of carpentry trainees having completed the program.

Additional beneficiaries will undergo training while the city government prepares funding and construction materials for the housing project.

The housing project is intended for families displaced by a fire that struck Barangays West Habog-Habog and San Juan in Molo District on Jan. 28, 2023.

The fire, which the Bureau of Fire Protection traced to an electrical cause, gutted houses across the two barangays, with disaster response officials later tallying 297 affected families totaling 927 individuals and an estimated PHP 4.75 million in damages.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas described it as the worst fire to hit the city in recent history, comparable only to a 1996 blaze in the City Proper district, prompting the local government to develop a permanent housing site on land adjacent to the affected communities.

Millare said the initial site development plan can accommodate about 170 housing lots.

He said the city government is exploring ways to maximize the available land to increase the project’s capacity to about 200 beneficiary families.

The housing initiative forms part of Iloilo City’s continuing post-disaster recovery efforts to provide permanent, disaster-resilient homes for families displaced by the fire. (Tesda 6 Photo)