PALO, Leyte – Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla lauded the fruitful partnership between the province of Leyte and Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) that resulted to the establishment of a Filipino-Chinese Friendship Village in Barayong village here.

The project that will be constructed in a five-hectare lot identified by the local government will soon see the rise of 500 houses and five units of school buildings with two-classrooms each to cater to typhoon-displaced families.

It is located some three kilometers away from the center of commerce.

“It is definitely a village, within a village,” Energy Petilla said in his speech.

Petilla enthused that the province of Leyte is very lucky with its partnership with the federation.

“Leyte received more than its share of classrooms under the Schools for the Barrio from the organization that any other provinces in the country,” said Petilla, former Leyte governor.

The groundbreaking of the project was held Friday morning led by no less than FFCCCI president, Dr. Alfonso G. Siy.

Siy said that if Dr. Lucio Tan, chairman emeritus of the FFCCCII, will like the outcome of the friendship village, he might add more units of houses.

“Dr. Tan is few of the most generous people in the Philippines,” president Siy said.

“Right now we are constructing 300 houses for the people affected by typhoon Sendong in Compostela Valley, Cagayan. After that, we will proceed with the construction of the houses here,” Siy added.

The construction of the houses will cost P40 to P45 million while the school buildings with 10 classrooms will be at P2 million.

FFCCCII secretary general Fernando Gan said that the materials are pre-fabricated and there will be five-houses in a row. Each unit will have an area of 21-square meters and one common comfort room and shower room outside.

The funding for the project came from the different affiliated organizations led by the FFCCCII Foundation Inc., Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, World News Daily, Filipino-Chinese Amity Club, Overseas Chinese Alumni Association of the Philippines, Filipino-Chinese Shin Lian Association, and the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

Go Tic Ching, president of the Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (TFCCCI) and other officers graced the affair. Twenty-five officers from FFCCCII graced the event.(PNA)

Source: www.businessweekmindanao.com