Here at Base Bahay, we believe that sustainable development is not a one-man job; true change can only be achieved through an intersectional collaboration of partners that work together for holistic development.

This month, we sat with Ms. Erlinda Lizardo, Corporate Communications Manager of Cemex Foundation Philippines. As the arm of Cemex Philippines in charge of corporate social responsibility programs, Ms. Lizardo heads the Foundation’s many development programs that operate nationwide.

“The vision of the Foundation is really to help uplift the lives of the Filipino people. Our projects are geared towards helping the Filipinos improve their quality of life, whether it’s in housing, environment, education, or training, skills-improvement.”

Currently, the Foundation is focusing on three main advocacies: Build Education, Build Environment, and Build Sustainability. “These are areas we can share knowledge, in terms of the partnerships that we build, with the communities and other organizations,” Ms. Lizardo says, with regard to their Build programs; “These are things that we are really able to develop technology-wise, and where our expertise lies.”

This is seen particularly in their global programs such as the acclaimed Patrimonio Hoy program spearheaded by Cemex Foundation Mexico. The program utilizes a business model that engages with the base of the pyramid, giving low-income families access to building materials, and enabling them to build their own homes. To date, the program has helped elevate the lives of more than 450,000 families in Mexico. Though the Philippine office has yet to adopt this program, this is something that they hope to implement as well in the country.

Cemex Foundation Philippines has had partnerships and projects with different organizations for housing projects, including Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity in Cebu, as well as with Base Bahay Foundation. This year, Cemex Foundation Philippines has donated bags of cement to 4P for People and Base Bahay Foundation for the construction of the Rejoice Children’s Village project in Batangas.

Looking forward, Cemex Foundation Philippines has a lot more planned for their projects, including establishing more partnerships as well as launching educational programs for public school students, engineers, and architects. Ultimately, the Foundation aims to expand their reach to more local communities in need.

“In the coming years we hope to be able to scale up, to help countless Filipinos, help their lives improve. We’re building a better future for Filipinos.”