Quick Facts
Individuals served in FY20: 911,210
- Through new construction –555
- Through repairs –185
- Through incremental building –45
- Through market development –910,425
Volunteers engaged in FY20: 1,684
Other facts:
- Population: Over 108.1 million
- Life expectancy: 71 years
- Unemployment rate: 3.4%
- Population living below poverty line: 16.6%
Source: World Factbook
Habitat for Humanity in the Philippines
Since Habitat for Humanity Philippines started operations in 1988, it has served more than 140,000 families with decent housing. With significant scaling up of its activities, Habitat Philippines is able to help an average of over 25,000 families annually since 2013. Habitat and its partners also provide families with improved access to clean water, sustainable energy, healthcare, education and livelihood. Working in a country that lies along the Pacific Typhoon Belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire, Habitat frequently responds to devastating natural disasters that hit the Philippines annually.
Housing needs in the Philippines
The lack of adequate housing can be seen as a glaring facet of inequality in the Philippines. The massive housing backlog is expected to reach 6.57 million units by 2022; left unaddressed, the deficit could balloon to 22 million units by 2040, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development. In the Metro Manila region, over 4 million Filipinos live in poor housing conditions, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and disasters. The Philippines experiences frequent seismic activity and about 20 tropical cyclones a year. Since 1988, Habitat Philippines and its multi-sectoral partners have worked with over 150,000 families to build homes, improve access to basic social services as well as disaster resilience and empower communities. Habitat has also partnered with over 400,000 families to improve their housing through financial services.
How Habitat addresses the need in the Philippines
Habitat Philippines is a key partner to government agencies, private corporations and other non-profit organizations in providing shelter solutions. Habitat takes on a holistic approach in the communities it creates. It takes the lead in providing livelihood training, strengthening the skills of the youth through the Habitat Young Leaders Build campaign and Leadership Academy training, and advocacy efforts centering on security of tenure issues and empowering communities to assert their right to adequate shelter.
Partnering with families to build homes
Habitat Philippines partners with low-income informal settler families to build safe, affordable homes through its regular housing programs. As part of the flagship Negros Occidental Impact 2025 project, disaster-resilient homes in Negros Occidental province will be built by leveraging on public-private-people partnerships. The project features the use of the Cement Bamboo Frame Technology of Base Bahay Foundation with the support of the Hilti Foundation. Urban renewal or in-city resettlement program is another initiative that Habitat undertakes in partnership with local government units to address informal settlement issues.
Strengthening communities to RISE
Under the Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable, Empowered or RISE Communities Program, Habitat homeowners are empowered to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance. To complement the housing program, Habitat organizes the homeowners’ association and conducts training in capacity-building and skills development, solid waste management, community enterprise and livelihood, and financial literacy programs to support thriving and sustainably developed communities.
Boosting disaster preparedness, resilience, and recovery
With shelter as its core competency, Habitat helps rebuild homes and lives of disaster-affected families in the hardest hit communities. Our efforts range from distributing hygiene and sanitation kits and shelter repair kits to permanent housing solutions and construction and repair of community infrastructure. Habitat also helps improve the communities’ disaster preparedness by conducting community-based disaster risk reduction management training.
Improving health and well-being through proper hygiene
Habitat promotes proper sanitation and hygiene as an effective measure to maintain a safe and healthy environment for communities to thrive. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Habitat has distributed hygiene kits in 13 Habitat communities, installed handwashing facilities, provided public address systems, and implemented capacity-building programs to help thousands of families rise above the crisis.
