UN-Habitat works on shelter design with partners in Roxas

UN-Habitat with partners sharing knowledge on bamboo construction

 

UN-Habitat and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Capiz chapter have been working together to develop a standard design for shelter that will be adopted in the community driven shelter recovery.

UN-Habitat initiated a number of meetings with UAP and the Hilti Foundation, where both organizations shared their knowledge on local construction practices.

The Hilti Foundation introduced their experiences on designing and implementing bamboo shelters in the Philippines, and helped initial shelter designs to be improved.

UN-Habitat is anticipating further discussions aimed at harmonizing different technical inputs into the final shelter design.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS: We’re looking for a Documentation and Reporting Junior Officer in Roxas, Philippines

UN-Habitat Philippines is currently recruiting a Documentation and Reporting Junior Officer to join our team in Roxas, Philippines.

For full details about the posting, please click on the link below:

UN-Habitat Philippines – Documentation and Reporting Junior Officer

IN THE NEWS: Tacloban’s rehabilitation and recovery plan “Investing in people”

Laids Cea, UN-Habitat’s regional coordinator of the Cities and Climate Change Initiative, recently met with a group of journalists to discuss Tacloban’s rehabilitation and recovery plan and its push to develop a “resilient, vibrant, and livable” Tacloban.

See the full article on the Manila Standard Today: Tacloban P3-b plan: Investing in people

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Join UN-Habitat’s team in Manila (Knowledge Management and Communications Consultant)

UN-Habitat Philippines is currently recruiting a Knowledge Management and Communications Consultant to join our team in Manila.

For full details about the posting, please click on the link below:

UN-Habitat Philippines – Knowledge Management and Communications Consultant

INFOGRAPHIC: Six months after Typhoon Haiyan

The Philippines Shelter Cluster launched an infographic breaking down past progress and existing needs six months after Typhoon Haiyan.

View the full size here

FROM THE FIELD: An update on Roxas from Chrispine Ojiambo

In Roxas, the shelter situation for families affected by Typhoon Haiyan remains critical. And it is likely to worsen with the coming rainy season, as many houses are traditional light-weight structures built from bamboo in a non-engineered fashion.

UN-Habitat finished initial shelter assessments and came to the conclusion that a significant number of houses received minor, and substandard support in repairing. However, many houses still remain in the same state as after being destroyed by the Typhoon.

Mr. Chrispine Ojiambo, who was seconded to UN-Habitat by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NORCAP) to work on shelter issues in Roxas City, brings new light on the current state of shelter for affected families in this personal account:

My support to UN-Habitat, and its partners like Social Housing Finance Corporation SHFC has been to work diligently with project team and home owners associations in setting up the base to support poor families rebuild safer homes in our upcoming shelter recovery project, through tasks like familiarizing community association leaders on project scope and their role during implementation. Throughout this project phase we have worked in close coordination with shelter cluster–IV, to ensure that our project abide to shelter cluster guidelines, better resource distribution to beneficiaries by cluster stakeholders, among others. We have also worked in close collaboration with Roxas City housing department in sharing information to ensure our support reach deserving beneficiaries. At the moment we are also engaged in discussion with United Architects of Philippines – Capiz chapter seeking for technical collaborations in our shelter design and other technical input that relates to post Haiyan shelter reconstruction.

Mr. Ojiambo adds that he is whole heartedly touched by the suffering brought by the Typhoon, and concludes:

In contrast, I am happy to be part of the UN–Habitat’s team that is working hard to provide safe shelter solutions, and passing on technical knowledge to communities in order to improve their understanding of safe and better shelter reconstruction aimed at increasing community resilience to disasters. For this I thank UN–Habitat and Norwegian Refugee Council (NORCAP) for having me as part of the team implementing this noble course.