Korean automaker donates $46,000; 80 volunteers build 9 homes in Payatas

By Tessa R. Salazar February 12,2014

Happy Move Global Youth volunteers with Columbian Autocar Corp. executives at the project site

They make cars “Gangnam” style. But on a sunny Friday, Feb. 7, Kia Motors showed it could use that same passionate fervor for making lavish, stylish cars for a purpose that’s more down-to-earth, yet life-affirming as well.

 

Columbian Autocar Corp. (CAC), the exclusive distributor of Kia Motors in the Philippines, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, hosted a house-building activity in Bistekville 1 in Barangay (village) Payatas, Commonwealth, Quezon City. That Friday, it accompanied 80 Korean students to a project site for the youngsters to help in building houses for urban poor families. The activity was part of Kia Motors’ two-week Happy Move Global Youth Volunteer Corps from Feb. 3 to 13. Kia Motors also donated $46,000—enough for nine more houses—to add to the local government’s social housing projects.

 

Not a picnic

 

Korean University student Hye Won, 22, was one of the volunteers who arrived in Manila on Feb. 2. She had started working at the Payatas construction site on Feb. 3 and admitted that it wasn’t a picnic. “I feel my legs are trembling right now, but everything else is fine.”

 

She said she helped in filling the hollow blocks with cement. She added that it was her first time to help in building houses. “I am very honored to be able to help people, to allow them to have a better standard of living. It’s a meaningful experience. I would love to do it again. But I should exercise more so I would be able to do a better job,” she said with a laugh.

 

Spirit of volunteerism

 

Korean volunteers strike a happy pose. TESSA R. SALAZAR

“Having the Happy Move volunteers here in the country is such an honor, and we are thrilled for them to experience not only our culture but more so the Filipino spirit of volunteerism,” said Ginia Domingo, CAC president.

 

The ceremonial turnover of the houses will be held tomorrow, and will be attended by CAC executives, local community leaders, Quezon City government officials and representatives from Kia Motors Corp. and Habitat for Humanity.

 

Nenuka Guba, CAC’s business strategy and marketing manager, said that the Happy Move Camp is significant for CAC, which is planning to host many activities that would include customers, VIPs, Kia club members and employees as it celebrates its 20th year in 2014.

 

“The beneficiaries are recommendations by Habitat for Humanity. The program is in coordination with the Korea- and Philippines-based Habitat for Humanity. Bistekville 1 was their recommendation, which we are glad to sponsor,” explained Guba.

 

Popular in Korea

 

Happy Move volunteer Hye Won of Korean University would love to help build a house again. TESSA R. SALAZAR

Ho-Seon Eo, Hyundai Motor Group’s corporate responsibility team manager, said: “The Happy Move Youth Volunteer program is very popular in Korea. We chose 500 from over 10,000 student-applicants. The 500 students were sent to the Philippines, India, Indonesia and China. Eighty were assigned to the Philippines.”

 

He added that the program started in 2008. “Cumulatively, for six years we have already sent 6,000 students.”

 

Gerry de Asis, Habitat Philippines’ head for community development operations group, said: “This is part of our global village program wherein we invite volunteers to participate in the home-build. Aside from the construction workers, we invite the volunteers and even the home partners. They do their own sweat equity in building these homes.”

 

He added that the Kia group’s involvement would take place for 14 days, but each house would actually take two to three months to finish. The house-build includes layout and site development. Two types of houses in Bistekville 1 are single row houses and walk-up apartments with floor areas of 24 to 26 square meters.

 

Launched in 2008 by the Hyundai Motor Group, this corporate social responsibility initiative focuses on developing sustainable communities while spreading the values of sharing and volunteerism.

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