Purok Santelmo used to be known as a “den of thieves”
and a hiding place for fugitives. The tiny barangay sits
near the heart of Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, and is home
to more than 300 squatter families and drug traffickers.
On the eve of Iligan City’s fiesta celebration
in September 2002, a fire broke out in the Barangay Saray
slum area and rendered 258 families homeless. The incident
worsened the poverty situation in the city where around
11,000 squatter families reside. Iligan City Mayor Franklin
Quijano knew the government cannot solve the problem alone
because of its meagre resources. He saw the need of forging
partnerships with various sectors of society in the fight
against poverty.
The Iligan Chapter of Couples for Christ (CFC) had
then just launched its Gawad Kalinga project in depressed
areas in the city. Using part of a P30-million fund from
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, CFC was to construct
50 low-cost houses in Iligan City. The project includes
the repair of dwellings, beautification projects, health
care, tutorials, as well as livelihood trainings for the
poor. Taking the cue from CFC, the city created “Missionville”—a
project that provides permanent shelter for the urban poor
using the combined resources of the local government and
various sectors such as the academe, religious groups and
business organizations.
Mayor Quijano admitted he was at first lukewarm to
the Gawad Kalinga project. But he later realized the benefits
of using CFC’s project as a springboard for the government’s
housing efforts. “Filipinos are known for their bayanihan
spirit and this is an example of how to put it to good use,”
Mayor Quijano says.
Donations for the project came pouring in, not only
in monetary terms. Some groups gave construction and building
materials, while others contributed whatever they could
afford — home furnishings such as tables, chairs and
beds, curtains and kitchen utensils. Beneficiaries can also
“pay it forward” by contributing their free
labor in the construction of other houses.
The estimated cost of the Missionville project could
easily run up to P50 million. At prevailing prices, each
housing unit definitely would have cost more. Because a
lot of the raw materials and labor were donated, the total
expenses for each housing unit only reached P40,000.
To date, over a hundred furnished houses with water
connections have been awarded to beneficiaries. Beneficiaries
also get other services such as healthcare, tutorials and
livelihood trainings. The success of Missionville spread
nationally and globally; the city’s efforts were noteworthy
enough to have President Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurate the
project. The United Nations also noted that “Iligan
City is making a novel and significant contribution in poverty
alleviation in the Philippines.”
