Roughly three years had passed after Tropical Storm Sendong displaced thousands of families in Cagayan de Oro City, a resettlement project now flourishes as a new community and shares the story of its beginnings.

The Xavier Ecoville Project (XEP) has produced a book “Xavier Ecoville: Brick by Brick,” chronicling its earliest phases and provides insights on initiating a resettlement and rehabilitation project. It hopes to inspire and guide other organizations that want to take concrete actions in aiding and relocating disaster survivors in the future.

Edited by Palanca awardee Dr. Ma. Elena Paulma, “Xavier Ecoville: Brick by Brick” is packed with narratives, snapshots and personal reflections from both the XEP and its beneficiaries. The book is told from the perspective of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, the pioneering institution of the XEP.

“A UN personnel told us that seldom does it happen for a private entity [like XU] to take a lead in this kind of work,” shared Roel R Ravanera, the project chair during its first three phases. “XU took the risk and faced the challenge.”

XU president Fr Roberto C Yap SJ added in the same book, “In spite of our uncertainty and lack of experience in developing relocation sites, we were however sure right from the start about our vision: We will not just build houses, we will build a community.”

The Xavier Ecoville resettlement site, located in Barangay Lumbia, is now the permanent village of more than 550 Sendong-ravaged families. In line with XU’s vision for the project, Xavier Ecoville has given its residents not just houses and physical facilities, but also psychological guidance, values formation and livelihood opportunities, among others.

The XEP also empowers its beneficiaries to be self-sustaining and ecologically wise.

Residents are in turn grateful for the comprehensive relocation aid that the XEP has provided. “I have gone around the other resettlement sites and for me, Xavier Ecoville is the best among all of them,” said German Tumala, a beneficiary of the XEP.

For it to become a successful resettlement endeavor, the XEP went through numerous challenges especially in its first year. Such challenges included the coordination of various partners, the selection of beneficiaries, the construction of facilities and many others.

But the staff and volunteers of the XEP willingly gave their time and energy to surpass the project’s obstacles. One of the major points revealed in the book is how these people proactively took on leadership roles and treated the project as their mission.

The XEP launched the book on December 2 at the AVR1 of the XU Old Library—a celebration of milestone with the XU community, government and non-government partners, volunteers and the beneficiaries of the project.

About the book

“Xavier Ecoville: Brick by Brick” chronicles the efforts of Xavier University as the lead organization in the Xavier Ecoville Project (XEP), reputed as the first resettlement project in the world led by a university. While many other organizations have greatly contributed to Xavier Ecoville, this book is told from the perspective of Xavier University.

The documentation spans the XEP’s first three phases: (1) selection of beneficiaries from the survivors of Tropical Storm Sendong, and provision of temporary shelters; (2) community organizing and building of the permanent houses; and (3) community strengthening and awarding of permanent houses.

The book contains accounts of processes, events, challenges, milestones, lessons, and personal narratives.

With this book, the XEP hopes to inspire and guide other organizations that want to take concrete action in resettling people displaced by disasters. The ultimate goal in this undertaking is not just to build new houses, but to rebuild lives and foster a resilient community.

Production Coordinators: Hyacinth J Tagupa and Ryan Louie G Madrid
Editor-at-Large: Dr Ma. Elena L Paulma
Editorial Consultants: Dr Ma. Theresa M Rivera and Estrella T Borja
Head Writer: Hyacinth J Tagupa
Writers: Nadine Hendrikka E Legaspi, Vanessa M Gorra and April Charisse C Montellano
Layout and Graphic Artist: Rico M Magallona
Photo Accounts: Ryan Louie G Madrid