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Bayanihan in the Philippines, following Typhoon Durian

Bayanihan (pronounced buy-uh-nee-hun) is a Filipino tradition wherein neighbors help a relocating family by literally carrying their house to its new location. In society, the word has more generally been adopted as a term to refer to a community spirit that makes seemingly impossible feats possible through the power of unity and cooperation.

In December 2006, Typhoon Durian wreaked havoc in the Philippines, bringing heavy rains and strong winds that destabilized the slopes of Mayon, the country's most active volcano. Mud and boulders cascaded down the mountain, crushing people in their path. Entire villages lay buried beneath thick, black volcanic sludge. Durian hit 13 provinces, killing more than 700 people. As many as 250,000 families were impacted and 66,000 homes destroyed, plus 135,000 homes damaged.

 

Under the leadership of Tom Onquit, the ministry of PeaceLife is raising support to rebuild homes for families in the location of Santa Justina, Buhi, Camarines Sur which has a population of approximately 6,640 people. According to Onquit, these families are the poorest in the area. Many of them have four to five children with young infants, and some have 10 people in the household. With most of the families earning their income from day labor, their source of income was also lost when all crops were destroyed in the devastation.

Prior to the storm, their homes were one-room shacks with a dirt floor and no running water or electricity. After the typhoon, some moved into homes with relatives, while others built make-shift huts/shacks with scrap material: bamboo, Nipa leaves, cardboard, corrugated steel sheets, etc. "It highlighted the fragile and temporary structure of homes that the poor in the country lived in and the need for more dry, safe and secure shelter for families and their children during inclement weather," said Onquit.

As Mountain Movers, PeaceLife's goal is to raise funds to rebuild homes-with a concrete foundation, block walls and a secure roof. The homes will still be one room in size, without electricity or water, but they will be permanent structures that won't be easily damaged or destroyed when a typhoon hits.

Helping people help themselves

Serving as a bridge between needs and resources, PeaceLife has partnered with Holistic Christian Ministry (HCM) Church. Onquit tells us that "basically, with funding given by

generous donors, HCM members can pull together and help build each others' homes. 99% of the church members are poor and all of their homes were impacted by the typhoon. The Filipino term for this volunteer, supportive, community effort is called bayanihan. Through bayanihan, the cost of the homes is cut in half, since all that is needed are building materials. The cost of materials is $2,000 to $3,000 per home." The typical home (pictured above, right) is one room in size with a loft under the roofline where the children will sleep. Onquit adds, "Our goal is to raise funding to help build 40 homes for the poor in this country."

If you'd like to help the ministry of PeaceLife make a difference, please send a donation in the enclosed envelope to MMI (with ‘PeaceLife' referenced in the memo portion of your check). Any amount you give will be used in building a PeaceLife shelter.