November 10, 2005 – Manila, Philippines

The blessings of every Jimmy Carter Work Project are great – not just for the partner families and the volunteers who work alongside them during the weeklong project, but for families throughout the community, state or country who benefit long-term from a stronger and more productive Habitat for Humanity.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Philippines. Before they hosted the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999, HFH Philippines was building just a few hundred houses per year. This year, they will complete 3,500 houses, making them the second largest Habitat builder in the world next to the United States. In addition to this growth, their repayment rates are improving dramatically, and they have impressive local fund-raising efforts – all of which make for a fantastic model of sustainability.

I was able to witness their successes, innovations and enthusiasm with my own eyes this week in Manila. On the first day we visited the BASECO shipyard area of central Manila. Having just seen Indonesia’s tsunami-affected area in Banda Aceh, BASECO reminded me that disasters exist in every city due to substandard housing and atrocious living conditions.

BASECO is a community of more than 47,000 families occupying 52 hectares of land that was reclaimed from the Manila Bay. When the land was reclaimed, the families created an informal settlement, or squatter camp, building shacks upon swamp land surrounded by garbage. There were no sanitary facilities, and the shacks would often flood with polluted waters of Manila Bay. In January 2004, tragedy struck their already tragedy-filled community when a six-hour fire tore through the area, taking lives and burning shacks and belongings. The little they had was gone in an instant.

But darkness turned to light, thanks to Habitat for Humanity Philippines, the local Manila government, and the support of ING Bank, when we began to work with the communities to turn shacks into homes and squatter settlements into neighborhoods. And on this day I was privileged to dedicate 46 new homes and help raise the metal frames of another row of brand new houses.

The chairperson of the Greater Metro Manila Habitat for Humanity spoke eloquently during the dedication ceremony as she encouraged the family partners to declare “Now, I have a solid roof over my head. Now, I need not worry when there is rain. Now, I will not fear that people will take my belongings. Now, I have a home.” And they have this dignity, security and safety for only 40,000 pesos, or less than $US 1,000.

The houses are small and sturdy. I was invited inside to spend some time with one of the partner families, Sammy and Irma Eustaquio, and was struck by how much care they had taken to make it their own. They had even taken advantage of the high roof area to build a small loft to add two tiny bedrooms upstairs. Now their children will have a dramatically different life, despite being intimidated by this oversized foreigner in their home.

I was excited by this project for many reasons. First, it was a joy to be there among these families and to see the beautiful children who now have brighter futures. But on a larger scale, it was exciting to see this unique and very successful partnership between Habitat for Humanity, the local government and the private sector. Everyone benefits with a world free of poverty. It was wonderful to see an example of everyone working together to meet that goal.

Later that day, the excitement was echoed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when we met with her at the Presidential Palace. The fact that the Habitat leaders in the Philippines were able to arrange such a meeting is evidence enough of the influence Habitat has in the country. It was an honor for me to represent this great global ministry in a meeting with a head of state. In a tour of the White House many years ago, I had heard about the careful orchestration of seating assignments for visitors with our own president. And here I was in a country across the globe being assigned a seat next to the country's leader to talk about a topic very close to my heart: the mission of Habitat for Humanity.

I learned through our brief meeting with the president that she too is a strong proponent of providing safe and affordable housing in her country and is a supporter of Habitat for Humanity’s efforts. When I told her that the Philippines was the second largest builder next to the United States, she responded by saying “that’s great. But we want to be number one.” And I believe her!

She was especially interested in the medium-rise houses Habitat is building as she stressed the need for houses within the city. In a city as large and overcrowded as Manila, finding land to build new homes can be difficult. Sometimes, you have to build up!

Habitat for Humanity in the Philippines has built seven three-story medium-rise buildings, each with 12 units, financed by a European Union grant and others. The houses are cost-efficient, volunteer friendly and a good use of very limited space. I think they provide a model for better urban planning and community support services, given the scarcity of land close to employment opportunities in the city.

After a long day, I did wonder how the top-floor families would feel about their walk up three flights of stairs. But when I visited two of the third-floor houses, I knew the walk up would be worth it each and every day. The homes were simple, decent and beautifully maintained. And once again I saw Philippine ingenuity at work with the lofts they built to take advantage of the higher ceilings.

I was also excited to meet briefly with staff from the Center for Community Transformation, a Christian nonprofit organization in the Philippines that provides microfinance, training and education to help people build their futures through savings and hard work. Their philosophy is very similar to that of Habitat’s – demonstrating the love and teachings of Jesus Christ through their work with people in need. HFH Philippines is partnering with this organization to contribute to the holistic approach of breaking the cycle of poverty. I am proud that Habitat for Humanity is a part of it.

My time in Manila was brief, but very full. Many thoughts are racing through my mind of how we can replicate some of these successes in other parts of the world. But I leave with one firm thought: the Habitat leadership in the Philippines is exceptional. I believe this is due in very large part to the passion and leadership of Fernando Zobel de Ayala, HFH Philippines board trustee and chairman of the Habitat for Humanity International Board’s Asia Pacific Committee. Through the work of all the staff, board, volunteers and partners, HFH Philippines will very likely meet their goal of building 10,000 houses a year by 2010.

I am thankful to all of those who have made Habitat for Humanity Philippines what it is today – starting with those who helped with the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999. Thank you for being hope bringers and for having the audacity to believe in a world free of poverty housing and to working to make that world a reality.