For the residents of the Don Jose M. Beringuer Sr. Bamboo Village in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon, “resilience” is not just a trendy rhetoric, it’s a yearly necessity.

Part of the Bicol region and directly facing the Pacific Ocean, Sorsogon is among one of the most-often hit areas in the Philippines for typhoons. It is regularly visited by at least 2-3 direct hits from typhoons every year; This year alone, the Bicol region was hit one after the other by Typhoons Quinta and Rolly, which sustained maximum winds of 130 kph and 315 kph respectively.

Millions in damages are sustained per year, and as always, it is those living in less than adequate housing and temporary shelters who remain the most vulnerable to these hazards.

Though an outpouring of donations and relief operations greatly help the region after every destructive typhoon, it becomes more and more obvious that there is an urgent need to re-evaluate the way we see resilience. Filipino resilience must be redefined to not just be the ability to cheerfully pick up the pieces after every damaging typhoon, but more than anything, must mean learning from and being prepared for the next. Typhoons are naturally-occurring, but disasters are preventable – loss of lives and property can be avoided through providing safe, disaster-resilient, and adequate housing to those most at risk.

Since its construction in 2017, the Don Jose M. Beringuer Sr. Bamboo Village in Sorsogon has withstood three major typhoons – Typhoon Tisoy in 2018, which sustained maximum wind speeds of 215 kph, and Typhoons Quinta and Rolly this year. Beneficiaries have reported that the CBFT houses sustained no damage, with the community kept safe during the onslaught of the typhoons.

“Yung Bagyong Tisoy talaga sobrang lakas ng hangin. Pero safe na safe kami dito, walang nasira sa amin.” [“The winds of Typhoon Tisoy were really strong. But we were safe here, there was no damage at all.”]

Now more than ever, we must recognize that resilience is not just about getting back up after every disaster; resilience is actively preparing for and ensuring that future disasters are prevented.

Here at Base Bahay, we believe that sustainable development is not a one-man job; true change can only be achieved through an intersectional collaboration of partners that work together for holistic development.

This month, we sat with Ms. Erlinda Lizardo, Corporate Communications Manager of Cemex Foundation Philippines. As the arm of Cemex Philippines in charge of corporate social responsibility programs, Ms. Lizardo heads the Foundation’s many development programs that operate nationwide.

“The vision of the Foundation is really to help uplift the lives of the Filipino people. Our projects are geared towards helping the Filipinos improve their quality of life, whether it’s in housing, environment, education, or training, skills-improvement.”

Currently, the Foundation is focusing on three main advocacies: Build Education, Build Environment, and Build Sustainability. “These are areas we can share knowledge, in terms of the partnerships that we build, with the communities and other organizations,” Ms. Lizardo says, with regard to their Build programs; “These are things that we are really able to develop technology-wise, and where our expertise lies.”

This is seen particularly in their global programs such as the acclaimed Patrimonio Hoy program spearheaded by Cemex Foundation Mexico. The program utilizes a business model that engages with the base of the pyramid, giving low-income families access to building materials, and enabling them to build their own homes. To date, the program has helped elevate the lives of more than 450,000 families in Mexico. Though the Philippine office has yet to adopt this program, this is something that they hope to implement as well in the country.

Cemex Foundation Philippines has had partnerships and projects with different organizations for housing projects, including Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity in Cebu, as well as with Base Bahay Foundation. This year, Cemex Foundation Philippines has donated bags of cement to 4P for People and Base Bahay Foundation for the construction of the Rejoice Children’s Village project in Batangas.

Looking forward, Cemex Foundation Philippines has a lot more planned for their projects, including establishing more partnerships as well as launching educational programs for public school students, engineers, and architects. Ultimately, the Foundation aims to expand their reach to more local communities in need.

“In the coming years we hope to be able to scale up, to help countless Filipinos, help their lives improve. We’re building a better future for Filipinos.”

This year has seen many changes in Base Bahay as it pivots, focusing on research, innovation, and training. In April, Maricen Jalandoni, formerly the general manager of Base Bahay, moved up as President of Base Bahay and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. While still actively working on programs related to Housing in Base Bahay Foundation, Maricen now also acts as a liaison for the HILTI Foundation projects in Asia as part of the HILTI Foundation’s aim of bringing more of its projects to the region, through Base.

Founded in 1996 in Schaan, Liechtenstein, the HILTI Foundation is committed to the principle of “building a better future” by focusing on three advocacies: Affordable Housing and Technology, Music for Social Change, and Economic Empowerment. In the Philippines, it initiated Affordable Housing and Technology programs through Base Bahay, and is now gearing up to engaging in its other program areas in the Asian region (starting with the Philippines), also through Base Bahay.

Maricen, having been active on the ground with Base Bahay communities, knows that affordable housing is only the beginning and that true sustainable development is a longer road ahead.

“Economic empowerment is our next step to supporting the communities where we have built houses. We’ve helped cover their housing needs, now we would like to help in their need for sustainable livelihood programs,” she says, when asked about the HILTI Foundation’s plans to create thriving communities.

“By supporting economic empowerment activities, we can act as catalysts to bringing them to more financial stability and eventually, to financial independence. They can start to earn and work on their own because now they will have the ability.”

The Music for Social Change program, on the other hand, seeks to empower children and youth through music. Music can be a powerful instrument to effect social change. “Through an extensive music program, the children discover their talents as well as learn discipline, teamwork and improve their social skills. And as they grow with their music, they in turn inspire their families by sharing the values they’ve learned in the program.”

Though the HILTI Foundation hopes to begin introducing these projects to communities built with Base Bahay, this will not stop them from working in other areas as well.

HILTI Foundation believes that all of this is achievable through working with an extensive network of partners with different sets of expertise. Maricen points this out as she emphasizes the need for strong collaborations through a coalition of partners, not just with organizations but also with the communities themselves, that work together to build a holistic program.

“It’s about collaboration and partnership. It is not one institution. It is a combination of institutions. It is a combination of expertise that makes a project work. It involves public and private institutions and the people themselves.”

The scale of projects which both the Hilti Foundation and Base Bahay Foundation plan to take in the next few years seems daunting but they remain unfazed. As they continue to stress, sustainable development is achievable through an intersectional collaboration of partners, all working towards the same goal. And with everyone’s continued support, it becomes possible for us to help our fellow Filipinos build better futures of their own.

“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.”

Following the adaptation of new International Standards on Bamboo Structures by the Bureau of Philippine Standards, Base Bahay Foundation held its first Facebook Live last 09 July 2020 on what these Standards are and what this means for bamboo research and construction in the Philippines.

The discussion tackled the new Philippine National Standard (PNS) 19624, which specifies grading principles and procedures for bamboo culms, and PNS 22157, which specifies testing methods for mechanical properties of bamboo culms. Experts representing different fields of bamboo engineering lent their knowledge as speakers in the event.

As a part of the task force that developed the International Standards on bamboo structures, Prof. David Trujillo of Coventry University first discussed the importance of Standards, as well as its origins. Originally International Standards developed through extensive research by a working group of a team of engineers from across the world on bamboo structures. These Standards were gradually adopted by various countries and adapted to each area’s needs.

In a presentation by Professor Lessandro Garciano of the De La Salle University, he discussed where the Philippines is in bamboo research, and how the new PNS 22157 affects bamboo research. PNS 22157 specifies testing methods for the determination of the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo culms. These include compression strength and stiffness parallel to fibers, tension strength and stiffness parallel to fibers, bending strength and stiffness parallel to fibers, strength parallel to fibers, and tension strength perpendicular to fibers. Even before adopting these as Philippine National Standards, studies done by the De La Salle University and Base Bahay had already been following the ISO 22157.

Among the studies being carried out are the determination of shear strength of Bambusa blumeana, locally known as Kawayan Tinik; and the determination of mechanical properties of various bamboo species, including that of the local specie Dendrocalamus asper. Also, three types of bamboo connections were tested, which can be used in the Cement-Bamboo Frame technology.

Further research is underway, which will assist the development of a local structural code for bamboo, now guided by the PNS 22157 and the proposed ISO 22156.

Finally, to represent the supplier side is Architect Ray Villanueva, co-founder of Kawayan Collective, a social enterprise that promotes bamboo and bamboo products. The Kawayan Collective treatment facility has been using a bamboo grading system. However, now that the Philippines has adopted PNS 19624, which specifies bamboo grading procedures, suppliers such as Kawayan Collective can now use a more complete and standardized grading system. Currently, Kawayan Collective implements stringent quality standards that include visual and machine grading and quarterly orientations and meetings with local bamboo harvesters on bamboo specifications, areas for improvement and coordination, and sustainable practices. Visual grading done by Kawayan Collective determines condition properties (mold and insect infestation, fissures, and longitudinal indentations), geometric properties (wall thickness, diameter, length, and bow), and skin or fiber damage. Following the new PNS 19624, part of the improvements Kawayan Collective will be implementing is to provide customers with a Cut Sheet that details the specifications and mechanical properties of the bamboo they buy.

Base Bahay’s General Manager, Pablo Jorillo, moderated the event. This activity marks the first in a series of FB Live discussions on bamboo structures, innovation, and research.

The recorded video may be accessed on our Facebook page using this link.

Base Bahay Foundation and the Coventry University in the UK has entered into an understanding for collaborative works in bamboo research. This Understanding aims to support more research and fellowship opportunities on alternative building technology for the staff, students, and associates of both parties.

The Understanding, which was signed May 12, aims to discuss the potential of the following possible projects:

1. Research fellowship opportunities provided by Base Bahay to Coventry staff and students;
2. Collaborative Online International Learning projects for both BBFI and Coventry students, undergraduate and post-graduate; and
3. Collaborative research project supervision and short study visits for students of BBFI at Coventry University.

Once finalized, this Understanding may potentially provide both Filipino and UK staff and students with more opportunities for their research, with the ultimate aim of drastically furthering developments in alternative building technologies.

Now more than ever, we are seeing the importance and urgency of promoting alternative sustainable technologies in construction. Join us as we work towards making this happen!

Stay tuned to both our social media sites and this website for more updates.