“Our vision is really to work towards scaling up: beneficiaries, partnerships, and expansion of research and knowledge base on these sustainable materials.”
– Dr. Pablo Jorillo

This April 2020, Base Bahay saw some internal changes and welcomed Pablo Jorillo as its new General Manager. Doc PJ, as his colleagues call him, spent 15 years as general manager of HILTI Philippines before moving to Base. Seeing an opportunity open in Base Bahay, Doc PJ decided that it was time to try his hand working in the development sector.

At the same time, his predecessor Maricen Jalandoni has moved up to a new role as Hilti Foundation Liaison to Asia, developing projects and partnerships for the Hilti Foundation in the region while she continues to serve as President of Base Bahay Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Four months into his transition from Corporate to Development, Doc PJ cites the Covid-19 quarantine’s limitations as the first obstacle he has to hurdle. Despite this, work at Base continues to push forward at a faster pace following the move; when asked about the vision he has for Base moving forward, Doc PJ readily discusses the growth not just of the Foundation, but of the bamboo construction industry as a whole.

“It’s an exciting time for bamboo construction. Our vision is really to work towards scaling up: beneficiaries, partnerships, and even expansion of research and knowledge. We are looking to scale up not just in the number of houses or the number of beneficiaries, but of expanding social impact, environmental impact, and, of course, research, innovation and technology application of bamboo as a structural material.”

Base aims to achieve two main things: First, to be known as the leader in bamboo construction technology and second, to be a champion of sustainable construction. These objectives can be achieved by creating and enabling a greater network of partners, not just in the social development sector but also in the professional construction and the academe. Ultimately, working with all three would greatly help promote the widespread use of structural bamboo.

Additionally, scaling up is not limited only to the Philippines; Base together with Hilti Foundation envision bringing the technology to other countries and partnering and collaborating with experts from around the world on further research and innovations. Currently, Base has an ongoing project with Habitat for Humanity Nepal in Jhapa and is partnering with research institutions from the UK, Malaysia, Austria and Liechtenstein. Further on, Base aims to pursue more research with research partners from Japan and Switzerland, among others, and bring the technology to fellow developing countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, and India.

As with every project, success can only be achieved through everyone coming together as a team. “We will rally everyone to achieve this noble vision,” Doc PJ points out, “Engineers, Marketing, Admin, Supply chain, and everyone will work as one towards this vision.”