Base Bahay Foundation has partnered with the Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. Foundation Inc. (AOFF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the ANFLO Group of Companies, to provide sustainable housing for banana workers and their families in Davao. The housing project leverages Base’s expertise and innovations to realize AOFF’s vision of uplifting the local community.
Through the partnership to provide affordable and disaster-resilient housing, Base is constructing two-storey duplex houses that are sturdy and made of high-quality bamboo.
Designed to maximize space, the duplex house has one bedroom, a restroom, and a shower on the ground floor, and two rooms on the second floor, with the total floor area of each housing unit at 41.7 square meters (sq.m.) and 83.4 sq.m. for the whole duplex housing.
At the heart of each home is Base’s Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT). Certified by the Accreditation of Innovative Technologies for Housing, Base’s CBFT can resist typhoons with wind speeds of up to 250 kph, as well as earthquakes, based on the values in the National Structural Code of the Philippines. The bamboo is also treated for termites, making it as durable as other conventional housing materials.
“This project started with a vision–a vision to build sustainable houses for our employees and their families. One of the most unique features of this house is the use of bamboo in the construction of the houses making it environment-friendly,” said Maria Cristina Brias, AOFF president, at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This project involves resiliency,” added AOFF executive director Norman Clemente. “We’ve been planning for the past three to four years, and our dream is now a reality.”
AOFF’s affiliate company, TADECO, has a huge bamboo production that is being utilized for a banana plantation and for housing development purposes. Prior to starting the housing project, Base built a treatment facility for AOFF in 2020 to elevate the quality of the bamboo material as structural grade for construction purposes with an eye to building the two-storey homes for AOFF’s banana workers and other structures of hospitality purposes.
Mindanao is home to different species of bamboo that can be used for structures, including Dentrocalamus Asper (Giant Bamboo), Bambusa Blumeana (Dentrocalamus Asper) and Guadua.
“Our partnership with AOFF demonstrates what is possible when the right technology is combined with materials that are abundant in the area,” said Pablo Jorillo, Base general manager. “Our work with AOFF, providing durable and permanent housing, is just the first step toward realizing the community’s goals of providing for education, healthcare, economic upliftment, and preservation of culture. We’re proud to be helping make a significant impact in the lives of banana workers and their families through the AOFF and TADECO.”
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the 3 Two-Storey Duplex Housing Units held on September 9, 2022 at Panabo, Davao.
