BLESSING. Columban priest Fr Paul Finlayson leads the blessing of Mother of Divine Mercy Village's bakery and grocery store. Supplied photo.

By Niña Bea Cadorna

The Xavier Ecoville Project (XEP) management team, representatives from Habitat for Humanity and Department of Social Welfare and Development, volunteers and guests drew together to join the residents of Mother of Divine Mercy Village (MDMV) in Opol in opening their bakery and wholesale enterprise Friday morning, Feb 5.

Columban priest Fr Paul Finlayson led the blessing of the livelihood center while Vern Fernandez, Cagayan de Oro City’s housing task force consultant, headed the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

XEP served as a consultant in organizing the MDM Village’s livelihood enterprise, where the Xavier Ecoville Multipurpose Cooperative (XEMPCO) will help them manage their business to ensure its progress and sustainability.

XEMPCO is committed to share their best practices and challenges in running an enterprise with the managers of MDM Village's bakery and grocery store.

“Helping their livelihood enterprise is our way of replicating the Xavier Ecoville experience to other resettlement communities in need,” said XEP coordinator Philip Flores.

“We are happy that now, from being beneficiaries, the XE residents are slowly helping other survivors as well,” Flores added.

MDM Village, one of the 22 resettlement communities in CDO, accommodates approximately 550 houses. This neighborhood in Opol was built through the joint efforts of the city’s housing task force, Columban missionary priests and St Francis Xavier chaplaincy.