TAO-Pilipinas

We would like to congratulate one of our staff, Arch. Beryl F. Baybay, for being accepted to Sida’s International Training Programme in Shelter Design and Development. This short course is conducted in Lund, Sweden from April 2-25, 2008 with a regional continuation in Africa on October 2008. Right now, she is in Lund undergoing the 2^nd phase of the training program.

This program is sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and covers full accommodation and meals, training fees, training materials, and insurance. The aim of the Shelter Design and Development Programme is to give professionals deeper knowledge and a wider frame of reference to help them create long-term conditions to combat poverty through effective capacity and institutional development.

With summer just around the corner, the YP Program of TAO-Pilipinas started accepting applicants for its summer internship program. Six internship positions are available to senior students and new graduates of architecture and interior design, civil and geodetic engineering, and planning. The summer interns will work on TAO projects from April to May 2008.

The internship will focus on community-based technical assistance, fieldwork activities, and housing-related research works. We are looking for YP interns who have strong commitment to social housing and community development issues and a desire to develop their skills and experience. For more information, please click here.

Application requirements include submission of completed application form, resume with 2×2 ID picture and referee report (or referral letter). Interested graduates/ students may download and print the application forms and send to TAO-Pilipinas, 23A Mapagbigay Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Diliman, Quezon City 1100 or email completed forms to yp@tao-pilipinas.org.

A hardcopy of the TAO Shelter Issue No. 3 is now available. The 3rd issue of TAO Shelter focuses on solid waste management. For those interested to buy the printed copy, you can contact our office or email rp@tao-pilipinas.org for more details.

Together with COPE Foundation in Bicol, TAO-Pilipinas conducted the Young Professionals Workshop on Social Housing in Legaspi City last January 21-25, 2008 with the theme, “Building Sustainable Communities in the Resettlement Sites of Albay, Bicol.” About 25 participants joined the five-day workshop whose main objective is to bring together technical professionals, affected communities in Albay, the government and NGOs in one forum to discuss resettlement planning and design issues and needs. It also aimed to revive the Bicol Young Professionals as a volunteer technical assistance group for poor communities.

Workshop participants included graduates and students from Bicol University Department of Architecture and Aquinas University Polytechnic Institute. They were joined by representatives from Bicol Urban Poor Coordinating Council (BUPCC) and community associations in the COPE-sponsored housing areas in Anislag Phase 2 and Taysan resettlement sites.

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In the first quarter of 2008, TAO-Pilipinas will be releasing the 4th issue of TAO Shelter, the magazine about planning and design for sustainable communities. The issue will focus on the theme “Planning and Design for Extreme Weather Conditions.” We are calling for articles which deal with the following issues or topics:

• Typhoon-resilient house and building design
• Risk reduction through site and urban planning
• Flood prediction and mitigation
• Effect of urban physical patterns on local weather
• Indigenous or traditional solutions for extreme weather protection
• Experiences of communities dealing with the impact of extreme weather

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