Property giant Megaworld Corporation continues its commitment to uplift Filipino families, impact society, and help shape the nation for a better future. Recently, Megaworld has forged a P65M partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines to build more than 100 safe, decent, and disaster-resilient homes for informal settler families. The project will rise up in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. They are doing this to help families rise up from the scourge of mass unemployment brought about by the pandemic.

Megaworld Gives Back to the Negros Occidental

During a virtual event held in September, Jennifer Palmares-Fong, Vice President for Sales and Marketing for Megaworld Visayas, and Lili Fuentes, Chief Operating Officer of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize the agreement.

“This partnership with Habitat for Humanity is an opportunity for us to realize our commitment to creating a better world for everyone. We are very excited about this partnership, as this will create a long-lasting difference in the lives of our partner families, who will live in the new community we will build with Habitat for Humanity Philippines,” said Palmares-Fong.

Property giant Megaworld, the Philippines’ pioneer developer of integrated townships, has so far launched 28 master-planned townships all over the country, two of which are in Bacolod City. These are the 53-hectare, Beverly Hills-inspired Northill Gateway, and the 34-hectare The Upper East, which was inspired by New York City’s affluent Upper East Side district.

Building Disaster-Resilient Homes and Sustainable Communities for Filipino Families

The socialized housing project in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, formally known as the Luis Jalandoni Village, will rise on a 3.4-hectare property in Barangay Ayungon.

The community will feature a total of 241 housing lots—230 of which will be built by Habitat for Humanity Philippines using the “Cement Bamboo Frame Technology.” These are proven to be disaster-resilient homes. Other amenities that will form part of the community will include parks with lots of greenery, a children’s playground, and communal facilities.

This project is part of the Negros Occidental Impact 2025 (NOI25), a project spearheaded by Habitat for Humanity and the Leadership Coalition. It “aims to build 10,000 housing units in sustainable communities that are clean, green, safe, disaster-resilient, and progressive where families enjoy security in their homes.” 

Helping Out Families in La Carlota City

La Carlota City is the third local government unit (LGU) Habitat for Humanity Philippines has partnered with under NOI25.

“The partnership with Megaworld will help informal settler families in La Carlota to have safe and disaster-resilient homes that they can call their own. We are not just focused on building houses alone, but we are ensuring that the families who would be living in this community will be empowered to organize themselves into a homeowners’ association to further develop the community we have created with them,” said Lala Baldelovar, Chief Development Officer of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, who was also present during the virtual MOU signing.

“This partnership will change hundreds of lives in La Carlota City. Thank you for helping us not just build houses, but build homes, and not just develop a site, but build a community. Thank you for responding to the call of helping vulnerable families in La Carlota have a decent home,” said Fuentes.

In August, Habitat for Humanity Philippines signed an MOU with the LGU of La Carlota, represented by Mayor Rex Jalondo-on. The city provided the site-developed land for the housing project. According to Mayor Jalando-on, this marks the first time the LGU will be providing complete house and lot units to low-income families of the city.

“The local government of La Carlota will be really happy to see Megaworld step in and confirm its commitment to build the first homes for this project,” said Fuentes.

Megaworld Bacolod is hoping to uplift and make an impact on the lives of Negrenses through this endeavor. Alongside its ongoing township developments in Northill Gateway and The Upper East, the company maintains a committed vision towards long-term sustainability and economic growth through charitable projects and institutional partnerships, creating opportunities for all.