100 families get new houses in Bicol region

MANILA, Philippines - Almost two years after losing their homes to Typhoon "Reming," some 100 families in Bicol finally got their own houses as beneficiaries of a housing program by the local church. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Tuesday the 100 families were beneficiaries of 50 duplex houses built with funding acquired by the National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Action. Simple turnover rites were held at the village of Sipi in Legazpi City in Albay, another relocation site for disaster-displaced families. Legazpi diocese Apostolic Vicar Bishop Lucilo Quiambao, Sr. Rosanne Mallillin, SPC, of Nassa and social welfare officer Emma Lindio, had to squeeze themselves into a small makeshift tent during the ceremonies. "This is your new house, make it your home," Quiambao told the familiy recipients. He also underscored the family and life protection programs of the Catholic Church as basis for the social action programs. Mallillin said the funding used for the construction of duplex houses came from Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Filpinas and from donations of concerned Catholics who believed in “chipped-in unity" despite diversity. She proposed to name the newly constructed community "Damayan Village" as it was realized with the concerted efforts of everybody. - GMANews.TV