TAO-Pilipinas

The January-February 2012 Issue of the YP Enewsletter is now available for download. This issue talks about the YP Reunion held last year at Malayan Plaza. Reflections from some of the 2011 YP Workshop participants are also included in this latest issue. Click the photo on the right to download the latest issue.

For old issues of the YP Enewsletter, please click here.

The October- December 2011 Issue of the YP Enewsletter is now available for download in our website. This issue covers the many activities done by the YP Program including the recently concluded 2011 YP Workshop. To download the enewsletter, please follow this link.

The YP Program is still accepting applicants for the 2011 YP Workshop entitled, Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in Community Planning and Development. Deadline is extended until September 16, 2011.

The Young Professionals (YP) Workshop on Social Housing is a capability-building activity organized annually by TAO-Pilipinas to orient young design professionals about social housing, with different thematic focus every year. It targets young design professionals/students who are interested in working on issues that affect poor communities, particularly their shelter needs. It aims to develop social commitment and promote YP involvement in participatory processes with poor communities in need of technical professional services. Done in coordination with TAO’s partner NGOs and people’s organizations, the program provides venues for direct community-professional interaction. TAO has organized four cycles of the Young Professionals Workshop in Social Housing with the following themes and immersion areas: participatory community planning (Metro Manila) in 2005; community-based disaster risk management (Infanta, Quezon Province) in 2006; building sustainable communities in resettlement sites (Albay Province) in 2008; and water supply and sanitation (Metro Manila) in 2009.

The application form is available for download at this link. Filled-up application form can be emailed to yp.taopilipinas@gmail.com or fax to 441-0998. To know more about the program of activities for the 2011 YP Workshop, please visit the YP Website.

THE YP WORKSHOP FOR THIS YEAR was officially launched with a roundtable discussion with the academe. Heads and representatives of architecture, engineering and planning colleges in Metro Manila were invited to a roundtable discussion on July 22, 2011 at Max’s Restaurant in Quezon City Circle.

The event was attended by Dean Ted Inocencio of PUP-CAFA; Dean Victor Macam of UE(Caloocan)-CE; Dr. Phares Parayno of Miriam College-DE; EnP. Carmeli Chaves of UP-SURP; Engr. Ariel Morales of UE(Manila)-CE; Arch. Antonio De Vera of FEU-IARFA; and Engr. Aquilino Rolusta of CCP-CE. Representatives of student organizations were also present — Mharren Castro of UP-Task Force Arki; Gerome Hipolito of UP-GE Club; Aldo Mayoralgo UP-Asaphil; and Melanie Ramis of UE ACES-PICE.

TAO’s Education and Training Program team gave presentations to brief the guests on the program and application requirements for the 2011 YP Workshop on Social Housing. Arch. Geraldine Matabang presented an overview of TAO’s organizational profile and selected projects while Engr. Rosalyn Veneracion discussed the YP Workshop objectives, theme, and program. Argean Guiaya presented the socio-economic profiles of community areas where participants to the YP Workshop will immerse in. These included communities in Tanza and Tangos in Navotas City, Talayan in Quezon City, and Kasiglahan Village I in Rodriguez, Rizal.

An open forum followed the presentations. Guests sought some clarifications on the workshop program and articulated their concerns such as the sponsorship consideration and the safety and security of workshop participants especially during immersion activities. The threats of eviction and possibility of relocation of the community immersion areas, many of which are informal settlements, were also discussed. Community leader-organizers of Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Ms. Luz Domingo of Talayan and Ms. Vangie Serrano of KV1, were also on hand to provide some information on their area’s peace and order situation, coordination with the barangay authorities, and the readiness of host families with whom the workshop participants will stay with during the immersion period.

At the end of the discussion, video presentations of previous YP workshops were shown and application forms and posters were distributed. TAO Executive Director Arlene Lusterio gave the closing remarks to conclude the event.

TAO-Pilipinas is looking for volunteers, preferably a group of civil engineering or architecture students who represent a university-based student organization, to work with us on the Shelter Improvement Schemes for a community in Tangos, Navotas. The project is one of the ACCA-funded small upgrading projects that TAO facilitates. What will be done by the YP Volunteer Group includes ocular assessment of houses identified for repair, interview with household members, and development of schemes for house repair with cost estimates. If your group is interested to work on this project, please email Arch. Ge Matabang .