SM Cares Village-Concepcion turn over
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| HAPPY HOMES. SM Cares Village house units reflect the positive outlook of the people of Concepcion. |
CONCEPCION is one of the towns in northern Iloilo greatly devastated by super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013. About two years after the said unforgettable calamity, Concepcion is still experiencing flood. This time, it is not due to the heavy rains brought by the typhoon, but because of the overflowing blessings poured by people who showed care.
Truly, when it rains, it pours as just last Oct. 3, another blessing made a landfall in Concepcion when SM Foundation, Inc. officially inaugurated its SM Cares Village located in a lot donated by the Tirol family in Bacjawan Sur.
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| The village is in the festive mood during the turn over ceremony. |
A total of 200 house units were turned over to the survivors of typhoon “Yolanda” in Concepcion. Each house unit costs about 300,000 and measures 23 square meter with toilet and bath and provision for second floor.
Composed of colourful disaster resilient houses that reflect the happy and hopeful outlook of the people, the community is complete with cemented roads, proper drainage system, water supply and electricity, making it liveable and accessible.
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| SM officials and local leader lead the ribbon cutting ceremony. |
Concepcion Mayor Millard Villanueva expressed his gratitude for SM Foundation for choosing town to be one of the locations of the SM Cares Villages.
He said that despite the bad effects of “Yolanda”, it gave the people of Concepcion one important lesson - unity.
Villanueva added that Concepcion became lucky after “Yolanda” as it serves an instrument for them to realize that that there are indeed people who care, like the people behind the materialization of SM Cares Village.
“This project sustained our dignity. SM Cares transforms our hopelessness into hopefulness,” he noted.
Gov. Arthur Defensor, Sr. who graced the event commended SM Foundation for coming up with the said housing project. He said that those who love and care the poor will be truly blessed and will achieve true happiness.
Defensor also committed to fund the concretion of the access road from the main highway going to the village.
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| One of the project partners of SM Cares Village-Concepcion receives his house key. |
On his part, Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC) director Rev. Msgr. Meliton Oso aims integral human development for the people in the village.
JASAC which is in-charged for the soft components of the project which include shelter, water sanitation and hygiene, and livelihood.
While they are doing their job in helping them uplift the people’s living condition, Oso said that their project partners must dream for themselves and use their capacities to translate that dream into a reality.
“A house is built of hands, but only hearts can make a home,” he noted. Thus, he challenged the beneficiaries whom he address as project partners to transform the houses that was given to them into a home.
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| Some of the village's project partners with SM officials and local leaders. |
Meanwhile, SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia appreciated the collective efforts of its stakeholders for making the project possible.
“It means a lot to us that when you pull people who are like-minded and who have strength in decision making, things can be carried out,” she noted.
Also present during the turn over ceremony were SM Prime Holdings, Inc. vice president Marissa Fernan and SM Foundation executive director Carmen Linda Atayde.
Aside from Concepcion, SM Foundation have also established SM Cares Villages in Bogo, Cebu with 200 units, Tacloban with 400 units, and Ormoc with 200 units – totalling to 1,000 houses.
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