Alberto Andicoy could hardly hold back his tears as a priest offered prayers to bless a newly-constructed home in his community he called home for over 30 years. He could still not bring himself to the realization that this day had finally come—he was looking at his new house.
“I cried tears of joy. I did not expect to have a house like this!” he told the GML.
At the age of 66, Alberto now walks with a limp. He had been a professional driver for some Dumaguete businesses for many years until he suffered a stroke two years ago, leaving him half-paralyzed. “God gave me this (handicap) so I have to accept it,” he said.
But Alberto beams with pride and hope with the assurance of a strong roof above his and his family’s heads. ‘Dili na mi maulanan (we won’t be rained on anymore!)”.
Leaking roofs are a common complaint among the informal settlers of this community that calls themselves Friendly Homes in barangay Cadawinonan, Dumaguete.
Monalisa Sibul, the wife of a construction worker, said they can now sleep better at night, especially on rainy nights, as they would not need to keep transferring from one side of the floor to the other to escape the leaks from their roof.
Many of the informal settlers have been living in this lot for more than 30 years, said Engr. Gregorio Uymatiao, Jr., president of the Rotarian Martin “Ting” Matiao Foundation (TMF) and of IHomes Metro Dumaguete and IHomes Philippines.
Origins of TMF
The Ting Matiao Foundation is the non-government organization of the Rotary Club of Dumaguete South (RCDS). Uymatiao, who is also past president of the RC Dumaguete South, traced the beginnings of the TMF to the time of Pres. Corazon Aquino, who preferred to work with NGOs to implement projects.
Then Negros Oriental Governor Emilio Macias II challenged the Rotary Club of Dumaguete South to partner with the government so we formed the Ting Matiao Foundation to give the Club a legal personality,” Uymatiao said.
The RC Dumaguete South, through the TMF, built a total of 48 schoolbuildings in the hinterlands of Negros Oriental and another 12 schoolbuildings in Siquijor. Since then, the TMF partnered with national and international funding partners such as the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation and the German Development Foundation, which gave the club many development projects for Negros Oriental.
At its peak, the TMF had 35 employees.
It was no small wonder that the RC Dumaguete South consistently got the Outstanding Club Award from District 3860 for several years in the early 90s.
Changing priorities of funding institutions and the loss of several key administrators gradually led the TMF to go in hiatus mode.
Giving hope
In 2022, RCDS President-Elect Alex Pal met with PP Greg Uymatiao o discuss the possibility of reviving the TMF to lead the club back on track during his presidency the following year. “We wanted to hit the ground running for my term,” Pal said.
With the 2024-2024 RI Theme “Give Hope for the World,” Pal said giving homes to informal settlers would be a perfect way of giving hope.
The club adopted the Friendly Homes community and made the housing project as their flagship project, which would benefit from Rotary’s seven areas of focus — Promoting peace, Fighting disease, Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, Saving mothers and children, Supporting education, Growing local economies and Protecting the environment.
Uymatiao, however, said the homes would not be given for free because of the TMF and IHomes does not believe in giving dole-outs.
The TMF then purchased the land and then partnered with IHomes to build the houses. The informal settlers who wanted to own homes in the community would have to pay at least 60 percent of the cost of the land before the home construction would start.
The homeowner would then pay IHomes a minimal amount for some 20 years to own the home.
Hope-Creating Rotary District 3860 Governor Rozanne “Twinkle” Gamboa led the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Friendly Homes in September 2023. She also led the inauguration of the first two homes last June.
Magic
The RC Dumaguete South, with Irresistible President Elmore Baylon, continued the Friendly Homes project and on September 11, awarded two more homes with District Governor Caroline “Caycay” Lee Andrade in attendance.
The awarding of new homes by the Rotary Club of Dumaguete South through the TMF and IHomes made more informal settlers aspire to have a home of their own.
Joven Beranio, one of the new homeowners, said several friends have approached him for information on how to get their own house and lot.
“I would tell them, go see Engr. Greg Uymatiao at the Rotary office. Then they start to have hope.” (Alex Pal)
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Photo Caption: Alberto Andicoy sheds tears of joy upon receiving his new home at Friendly Homes in Cadawinonan from the Rotary Club of Dumaguete South and IHomes Metro Dumaguete. (Photo by Alex Pal)
