SANTA ROSA City Mayor Arlene Arcillas (third from left) is joined by Toyota Motors Philippines vice chair Alfred Ty and Gawad Kalinga executive director Jose Luis Oquiñena (fourth and fifth from left) in lowering the time capsule that signifies the start of the construction of the Toyota-City Government of Santa Rosa-GK Village. Witnessing the event are (from left) TMP president Michonobu Sugata, Gawad Kalinga Southern Luzon area coordinator Jose Emilio Oquiñena, Santa Rosa City vice mayor Arnel DC. Gomez and Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation Dr. David Go. Photo by Charles E. Buban
Mariflor Abalajon still remembers the day when she and her husband decided 11 years ago to settle on this piece of grassland located in Barangay Pulong Sta. Cruz in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The place is literally in the middle of nowhere considering all one could see are towering grasses, with the South Luzon Expressway a few hundred meters to the east and the perimeter fencing of the industrial complexes that line the Tagaytay-Santa Rosa national road.
“We have no choice as we have no land, no stable source of income, and almost no hope. With few pieces of plywood and plastic sheets, we are able to build a makeshift shelter. I remember, we were joined by a handful of families who also share our predicament and who decided to make this area our home,” said the 33-year-old mother of six children.
As one of the “old timers,” Abalajon saw how her neighbors grew in size. From a handful of families in 2001, the area is now home to around 300 families now referred to as informal settlers.
Major development
This time, Abalajon is witnessing another major development in her community as she learned that Toyota Motor Philippines, through a partnership with Gawad Kalinga and the local government of Santa Rosa, is establishing the Toyota-City Government of Santa Rosa-GK Village, a community composed of 158 homes.
Abalajon’s family, together with her neighbors as well as those living in other informal settlements within the city, were interviewed and evaluated by representatives of the Gawad Kalinga to determine eligibility to be among the recipient of the 158 housing units to be offered.
“We are hopeful that we get included (in the list) as getting a house that we could call our own would be a great start, one less problem to worry about,” she said.
P110,000 per unit
The Toyota-City Government of Santa Rosa-GK Village will rise on an 8,820-sq m lot that was provided for by the city government.
Construction will start in a few weeks and is targeted to be completed in 2013.
From the P20 million that TMP has donated—its biggest so far for this type of project—the company is set to spend at least P110,000 for each unit.
“This project bring us to greater cooperation to be of better service to our countrymen. Rest assured that TMP will always be a responsible partner in nation building,” said Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation president Dr. David Go.
Giving back to society
He said that TMP’s recent project only reflects the company chair’s (Dr. George S.K. Ty) philosophy who said, “We derive our resources from society. So, we should accordingly give back to society.”
The Toyota-City Government of Santa Rosa-GK Village project launch comes as TMP celebrates its 23rd year in the industry as well as its achievement for capturing for the 10th consecutive time, the Triple Crown, a rare feat for attaining the No. 1 position in passenger car sales, commercial vehicle sales, and overall sales.
TMP is the first company to achieve this feat in the local automotive industry.
Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines president and TMP VP for Corporate Affairs Rommel Gutierrez informed that in 2011, the company sold 54,593 vehicles, accounting for a market leading 38.55-percent share.
Poverty alleviation
Through the Toyota-City of Santa Rosa-GK Village, TMP aims to contribute to poverty alleviation and nation-building through its advocacy in community development.
In the Philippines alone, GK estimates that at least 4.5 million Filipinos are homeless, 75 percent of which are informal settlers in main urban centers, while the rest who live in urban areas live in danger zones and disaster-prone areas, making them vulnerable to landslides and flooding.
“This is not the first time GK built a project in Santa Rosa, Laguna as the Toyota-City Government of Santa Rosa-GK Village is the organization’s second in the city and its 16th in the province of Laguna. However, this is definitely one of the biggest projects,” said GK Southern Luzon area coordinator Jose Emilio Oquinena.
Innovative
Oquinena explained that GK’s way is an innovative approach and is potentially an effective, sustainable and replicable model that would help address the problem of urban housing in the Philippines.
For its part, GK ensures that the land to be acquired is legal—in this case, it is the Santa Rosa local government that secured the 8,820-sq m property in Barangay Pulong Sta. Cruz—as well as enjoins GK recipient to provide “sweat equity” or the amount of time that a household’s representative must spend in the construction of the unit.
“This provides a sense of ownership for the would-be owner as well as a way for these individuals to build relationships with neighbors, a modern form of bayanihan spirit of being a hero to one another,” explained Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation Inc.’s Jose Luis Oquinena.
Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas was elated that TMP and GK partnered with the city government in pushing for this “humanitarian mission.”
“This particular housing project is a result of how the public and the private sector work together as a team in reaching a common goal for our community,” the mayor said.