Tropical Depression Doesn't Hinder Progress

Returning to the Philippines from the holiday's in the States, I reemerge into what is known as a "tropical depression".  I am embracing the cooler weather, given I just came from the much talked about "polar vortex" and bitter cold temperatures in the Midwest.  The "tropical depression" is much like spring (or July 4th for that matter) in Seattle which is helping to make a kinder transition from a dry, arctic winter to a humid, tropical summer.

It's been over two months since my last entry and there aren't enough fingers to count all that has occurred on the Estudio Damgo construction site, in the Philippines, in life, and in the community.  First and foremost, we have completed 18 weeks of construction, marking 2/3 completion with 9 weeks remaining until graduation in March.  Students feel the pressure on getting the building constructed in time for graduation.  I'm confident the building will be completed in a timely manner, even though we are a month behind our preliminary schedule due to setbacks from weather, limited workforce, and getting materials delivered on time.

A handful of selected photos over the past two months highlight important milestones to date.


 Week 12 - Slab on Grade Concrete Pour

 

A boy brings home a sack of food.  Behind, cement bags are piled along the fence staged for mixing.

 Two workers haul bags of cement to the mixer.

 

 Loading the concrete mixer.

Passing buckets between the crew, Sir Marlon Tanilon from the Office of Student Life at Foundation University, actively volunteers for the day.  Estudio Damgo students, FU skilled labor, and volunteers make up the workforce needed to pour 70% of the concrete slab on grade foundation.

Week 14 - Laying up the brick wall. 

Progress on the Comfort Room and Storage exterior brick wall, interlocking clay bricks were donated by the Teves family.

 

 

Contextualism, two Core Shelter children return home from mid-day play.

Week 18 - Sky High Bamboo

 

 Core Shelter children manage to find a place to play amidst the daily construction.

  

With the bamboo columns in place, one can get a sense of the scale of the building.

A detail of the column pedestal.  Four bamboo columns are held in place by four GI pipes that are caste into a concrete pedestal.  The reason for the GI pipe is for future removal of the bamboo if ever it needs to be replaced.