Officers of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Canaman, Philippines were trained to use the Design and Construction of the Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology (BISCAST) Low-Cost House Building Technology to build an emergency shelter in 2019.

“To enable low-income urban dwellers to acquire homes of their own in order to improve their living conditions, the shelter addresses concerns about affordability, climate change resilience, and green building,” said Mr. Werner Haberzettl, adviser to GIZ’s Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: Urban Nexus project during the Design and Construction of the BISCAST Low-Cost House Building Technology workshop on 29-30 April 2019.

The LGU of Canaman and BISCAST initially held formal discussions last year on the proposed cooperation, which is in line with the municipality’s programme for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

On 29 March 2019, the CCRPH technology and Manufacturing Fabrication Laboratory (ManFabLab) orientation was introduced to 23 architects from the different chapters of UAP in the Bicol Region. In the workshop, the BISCAST low-cost house building technology, its construction process and the fabrication of hollow concrete blocks and pre-cast beams were presented and followed by a demonstration of the fabrication of the blocks. The participants also visited the Manufacturing Fabrication Laboratory (ManFabLab) and explored the state-of-art equipped facility for manufacturing miniature 3D models for a concept or project, the different machines and the processes and services available at the laboratory.

Organised by the BISCAST and Urban Nexus, the workshop on 29-30 April 2019 aimed to promote the technology to LGU officials as well as orientation to United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Camarines Chapter (Camarines is a province in Bicol region).

Information on the CCRPH low-cost building technology, construction and the process for the fabrication of different hollow concrete blocks and pre-cast beams specifically designed and utilised for the construction of the CCRPH was presented at the workshop and followed by a demonstration of the fabrication. The following day, the participants were given the chance to produce the various blocks including the pre-cast beam learnt from the first day.

The next training in June 2019 was conducted for skilled construction workers, foremen as well as construction and site supervisors from the LGU Canaman.