By
Virgelio and
Maria Crieta's family is closer than any family can get. While most of
their children are married and have families of their own, Virgelio and
Maria make it a point to spend time together at least once a week like
most Filipino families.
design that gives the structure more flexibility.
On October 15, 2013, a national holiday, Virgelio and Maria found
another opportunity to gather the whole family at one of their
children’s homes in Poblacion, in the town of Loon, Bohol. However, the
family revelry was interrupted by a violent shaking – a 7.2-magnitude
quake had struck the island of Bohol with a force so great, it left
thousands of families homeless and fearful for their lives.
As the tremors stopped, the Crietas were terrified. They thought it
was the end of the world. Virgelio and Maria had to stay at their
child’s house for a week before they finally had the courage to go back
to their home in the village of Catagbacan Norte, which was also
terribly damaged.It was painful to discover that their home, which was
built through years of hard labour, fell apart in just minutes.
Moving on from such a tragedy was not easy for the Crietas. But what
kept them going was their family: that unshakeable bond that no
earthquake could ever shatter. That, for them,was more than enough
reason to move on.
Virgelio and Maria stayed in a temporary shelter made out of salvaged
plywood, metal sheets and a tarpaulin before they were gifted with a
brand new home from Habitat for Humanity and its partner, UnionBank, who
was among the first to come to Bohol’s aid.
The Crieta family is just one of some 6,000 families who will benefit
from the new homes with a unique bamboo design provided by Habitat for
Humanity. The design makes use of a special technology involving
chemically treated bamboo strips woven between concrete-reinforced steel
frames, giving the structure more flexiblity. This design was a result
of Habitat for Humanity’s scouring its global database; and which
UnionBank readily supported.
Volunteers helped build the structure that could withstand
earthquakes – the interwoven bamboo slats plastered with concrete, a
representation of that same tight, resilient bond their family held on
to during the tragedy.
After months of enduring the stuffiness of their improvised shelter,
the Crieta family finally moved into their new brighter home,where they
can start making new memories and strengthen even more the ties that
bind their family together.
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