03 July 2014 – The town of Giporlos, Eastern Samar will soon have its own Build A Shelter Project (BASP) village.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the construction of 22 houses in Giporlos was finally signed on May 12 by the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), counterpart of the New York-based Philippine Jesuit Foundation (PJF), and the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation (GK). Both SLB and PJF are partners of BASP, with the PJF serving as recipient of the donations for the BASP. 

The site of the BASP village in Giporlos is a one-hectare land donated by Mr. Alex Go, a native of that town.

This is the second MOA for the BASP. On February 7, another MOA was signed for the construction of 36 houses in the first BASP village in Hernani, Eastern Samar. The construction of houses in Hernani is now on going.

Launched on 26 November 2013 at the Philippine Center in New York by volunteer leaders of the Filipino community in the US Northeast and supported by the Philippine Consulate General in New York, BASP has set as its goal the construction of permanent shelters for the survivors of super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the four towns of Hernani, Giporlos and Quinapondan in Eastern Samar and Tanauan in Leyte.

BASP has already raised US$321,165, enough to fund the construction of three villages in Hernani, Giporlos and Tanauan (22 houses).  It is raising additional funds for the construction of 22 houses in Quinapondan.

To raise more funds, the convenors of the BASP hosted a dinner reception at the official residence of Consul General Mario De Leon on May 30, with Ms. World 2013 Megan Young as the special guest.   Ms. Rachel Grant, a British-Filipina actress, civic volunteer and ambassador of goodwill for GK’s Human Nature products was also present.

A number of guests donated a total of US$20,614 for the BASP.  Two guests also donated US$1,500 each for the Tuloy Foundation, an organization helping street children in the Philippines and is being supported by Ms. Young. END