01 February 2014 - Two months after its launch, the Philippine Consulate General New York and the US Northeast community have raised enough funds for its Build A Shelter Project (BASP) to start construction in some of the worst-hit towns of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last November. Philippine Jesuit Foundation (PJF), a 501(c)3 organization with presence in New York and the Visayas, works with the BASP co-conveners in collecting the funds, while Gawad Kalinga (GK), a non-profit organization known in the Philippines for their charitable housing projects, will be the men-on-the-ground and responsible for implementing construction plans in the affected areas.
The Filipino community, international organizations, non-profit organizations, private corporations and individuals have so far donated a total of US$194,350.00 to BASP. Of that amount, K-Media, a radio network in Queens, gave the biggest contribution of US$100,900, followed by 1004 Foundation of Korea Daily newspaper who gave US$24,431. US$19,725 was raised on the day of the launch last 26 November 2013, from charitable Filipinos and non-Filipinos who heeded the call of the Philippines for help. More donations kept pouring in after news of the BASP was spread to the community.
The first village will be built in Pinasuan, Hernani, Eastern Samar, where 36 houses will be provided to deserving families chosen by Gawad Kalinga through their community selection system. Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr. will witness the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Gawad Kalinga and Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), the implementing arm of PJF in the Philippines. He will also inspect the site of the first village together with the GK representative in Eastern Samar, and confer with GK on a second village in Giporlos or Quinapondan also in Eastern Samar.
More donations are needed, as more villages are envisioned to be built in order to fully restore the livelihood and normalcy to the affected areas. Checks may be made payable to Philippine Jesuit Foundation, with “Yolanda Calamity Fund-Build A Shelter” in the memo line, and mailed to the Philippine Consulate Cultural Section, 556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036. END