With an average of 20 typhoons each year, the concept of “home” for many Filipinos goes beyond shelter.
It is a source of comfort and represents safety and security. With Base Bahay Foundation’s (BASE) Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), homes are becoming powerful symbols of resilience, enabling us to build better and smarter.
Building homes is building hope for every family
Using CBFT, BASE has built over 2,000 homes, empowering over 10,000 individuals with safe and sustainable homes. One of the first projects is in Jaro, Iloilo, in partnership with the Homeless People’s Federation.
For Helen Villarin, a community worker and a beneficiary living in the housing project, her CBFT home gives her peace of mind during life’s most uncertain moments.
“We have been living in our home since 2019, and I feel that we are safe living here, especially during times like this when there are storms,” Helen shares. “I know that our house is sturdy because it doesn’t shake or move, no matter how strong the wind is outside. Now that storms keep coming one after another, I’m confident that we are safe.”
Like Helen, Richard Gerafusco, who lost his previous home to a fire, found not just a new house but a renewed sense of security.
“Our bamboo house is very safe. It is beautiful and truly a safe place to live in,” he says.
These are just two of thousands of families whose lives have been transformed. Their new home represents a new beginning.
CBFT as an affordable and sustainable alternative in construction
The Philippines topped the World Risk Index in 2022, indicating that the country is exposed to various climate challenges with limited coping mechanisms. With 60% of homes informally built and vulnerable to disaster, this indicator makes rebuilding more difficult for low-income families.
BASE’s CBFT breaks that cycle. Developed using bamboo, a local and renewable resource, these homes meet the maximum windspeed and magnitude specified in the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP). Apart from its durability, houses built using this technology are also affordable and a good alternative for private and government institutions, as well as the housing sector, to utilize because it can be constructed in six (6) weeks.
“With CBFT, we are redefining resiliency, especially in times of disasters,” says Engr. Luis Felipe Lopez, BASE General Manager. “At BASE, we believe resilience is about building smarter and building for the future.”
With this technology, families no longer need to constantly rebuild after disasters, as CBFT is designed to withstand such calamities.
Empowering communities with sustainable livelihoods
The innovation goes beyond construction. BASE supports the local economy by empowering farmers, workers, and builders. With partnerships across nine (9) independent bamboo supply and treatment facilities, and through the Bamboo Academy Program, BASE is shaping a new generation of skilled builders, architects, and engineers.
To further position bamboo in the mainstream construction, BASE is working closely with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) to integrate bamboo into the NSCP, laying the groundwork for an inclusive use of bamboo in the built environment.
BASE also positions the Philippines on the global map for bamboo, as it supports other countries in the development of their own bamboo building code, standards, and guidelines.
Build beyond today
Initiated by the Hilti Foundation in 2014, BASE has saved over 35,000 tons of CO2, proof that climate action, affordability, and social impact can go hand in hand.Celebrating its 11th year, BASE believes that resilience is more than weathering the storm. It is about building forward and shaping a resilient and empowered future deeply rooted in the strength of the Filipino spirit.
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