Cemex launches sustainable rehab program for Yolanda survivors

Cemex Philippines has inked partnerships with local government units (LGUs) and nonprofit organizations from Bogo, Daanbantayan, Medellin, and San Remigio—all located in the northern part of Cebu—to carry out its sustainable and synergized rehabilitation program for the survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda” dubbed Build Unity.

The initiative is under Cemex Philippines Foundation’s umbrella Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program called Build the Nation Together. Build Unity focuses on various reconstruction initiatives to help families of ‘Yolanda’ victims and survivors to restore their lives to normalcy.

Build Unity is also unique and impactful in that it is comprised of financial donations from Cemex business units worldwide. Similarly, Cemex engaged and mobilized its employee volunteers to deliver relief goods in Leyte, Samar, and Northern Cebu in November last year.

“With our Build Unity program, we do not only aim to build infrastructure but we also aim to help the survivors to rebuild their lives again,” says Chito Maniago, Cemex Foundation executive director. “We named this program Build Unity because with our partners and many concerned individuals, we can rebuild the nation together.”

Rebuilding lives

Cemex Foundation has pledged to build 44 houses each in Bogo and Daanbantayan, in the form of four Unity Villages in partnership with the respective LGUs and Gawad Kalinga.

Cemex Foundation will also repair the damaged classrooms and library of Kawit National High School in Medellin. Come May, Cemex will once again support the Department of Education (DepEd) in its annual cleanup drive or Brigada Eskwela in Bogo, Medellin, San Remigio, and Daanbatanyan.

To ensure more efficient and accessible healthcare services, Cemex Foundation has partnered with pioneering local nonprofit 3V1G (3 Villages 1 Goal) to provide a “bancambulansya” or boat ambulance that will ply the nearby coasts of Carnaza, Malapascua, Gibitngil, and Batbatan, among others. Cemex will also build a community health center in the area.

To jumpstart the communities’ sustainability, Cemex and 3V1G will also put up a skills and livelihood community center in San Remigio where the second installment of Cemex’s Experto Ako! program on masonry training and vocational courses will be held.

Cemex Foundation recently completed its first batch of Experto Ako! masonry training scholars in Metro Manila. With the problem of damaged houses comes the opportunity to rebuild—hence, demand for more masons is anticipated particularly in the Visayas.

In the area of environmental management and protection, Cemex Foundation and 3V1G will install underwater sculptures in San Remigio to act as breathing reefs, thereby encouraging ecological balance. Driftwood sculptures will also be installed on the shoreline to showcase culturally relevant images that can help promote eco-tourism in the area.