AIG and Habitat for Humanity Philippines Build 63 Houses for typhoon Yolanda Survivors

ORMOC CITY, Philippines, July 27, 2015 – AIG in the Philippines has officially handed over 63 houses to families who survived the wrath of super typhoon Yolanda. These families live in Barangay Margen, located in Ormoc City in the province of Leyte in Central Philippines.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines said their case studies show that the most common damage during strong typhoons is the house roofs. As a result, the roofs of the new houses in Barangay Margen have a resilient design, called ‘quarto aguas’ (four-sided), using corrugated galvanized sheets. The perimeter of each roof has also been strengthened to withstand heavy rains and strong winds.

The homes are built to withstand storms using a ‘Zocalo’ wall, which is composed of steel, bamboo, hollow block, and mesh wire with Modular- Ferro concrete. The steel frames keep the wire mesh and interwoven bamboo slats in place, and are plastered with concrete. These materials are earthquake resilient, but are light enough to help prevent casualties in the event of a collapse during a very strong quake.

The AIG Philippines’ resettlement project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines will continue as there is a long-term Typhoon Yolanda relief committee in place to lead project planning and the execution of future initiatives to benefit residents of the small village.

“AIG’s role as an insurance company is not just to provide financial assistance. What brings us to work every day is our passion for the bigger picture, which is helping to ensure safer and more resilient communities. The same applies to our philanthropic initiatives,”
said Mark Lwin, General Manager and CEO of AIG Philippines, in his speech during the ceremonial handover.

Key to a much safer and resilient community: Lawie Valles, Head of Portfolio Management, AIG Shared Services – Asia, Charlie Ayco, Managing Director of Habitat for Humanity and Mark Lwin, CEO, AIG Philippines Insurance led the ceremonial handover of Barangay Margen last month.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines CEO & Managing Director, Charlie Ayco, was also present.

“Through AIG's generous donation, we have a promising outlook for the future of families affected by Yolanda. By providing disaster-resilient homes to these families, AIG has provided hope – strengthening our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live,”
Mr. Ayco said.