Disaster resilience for Nueva Ecija homes

A COMBINATION of microfinancing, the training of local masons and eco-friendly cement will help 30 families construct and renovate disaster-resilient homes in Nueva Ecija.

ASKI Microfinance will extend home-strengthening microloans to the province's qualified clients who must use general-purpose cement products such as Excel ECOPlanet and TectorCeram Skimcoat and TectorPlast Tile Adhesives manufactured and distributed by Holcim Philippines Inc.

The building solution company will also fund the project, which aims to help the selected families build or improve their homes to stand against extreme weather and its effects. It expands the successful 2023 program that helped 37 families in Aurora strengthen their houses against adverse climate change impacts.

The signing ceremony of the partnership between Holcim Philippines and ASKI. PHOTO FROM HOLCIM PH AND ASKI

ASKI Foundation will conduct community awareness campaigns on using the right building materials for the right application, ensuring efficient material consumption and lower construction costs. It will also improve the skills of the towns' builders in using Holcim products for resilient buildings.

Christian business leaders in Nueva Ecija started ASKI in 1986 to support community development by providing microfinancing access to small entrepreneurs and other sectors not served by bigger funding institutions.

With a portfolio of P1.7 billion and 92 branches in Regions 1, 2 and 3, it is serving more than 100,000 clients and insuring more than 800,000 members and their families.

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Jane Manucdoc, executive director of ASKI Microfinance, says that the partnership between the ASKI and Holcim Resilient Housing Program will ensure that homes built in the area «are built to withstand natural disasters, offering long-term safety and stability.»

Sam Manlosa Jr., Holcim Philippines' chief sustainability officer, says their collaboration creates a "… holistic contribution to climate action and complements our ongoing efforts to decarbonize operations."