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Building Projects

2006
Mission House
For two consecutive years, MMP’s missionaries have been hosted by various families in Butong. MMP will be constructing a Mission House to provide dedicated housing for seminarians and visiting priests. It will also include a general purpose area, a chapel, and a small healing center. The Laraya Family has donated 1000 square meters of land in Butong towards this project. Architect Edd Manapul has prepared conceptual designs of the Mission House (see renderings). Alex Mojares, a contractor-builder in Lipa, Taal, Batangas, will adapt the plans according to local design requirements and will also handle cost estimations. Construction will commence once the land has been secured.

Mary Mother of the Poor Village
MMP will proceed with the building of its Mary Mother of the Poor village for the poor, however this time it will not be doing it alone. After a tour and presentation of a transformed slum community in Baseco (Tondo, Manila), Fr. Fernando made the decision for MMP to join forces with Gawad Kalinga (GK). GK, is an established and powerful force eradicating poverty all across the Philippines. With their GK777 mission, they hope to create homes for 700,000 families in 7000 communities in 7 years. Joining forces with GK will allow MMP’s efforts to go so much further than if it were to build housing communities on its own. GK has an already established infrastructure of low cost building supplies, marketing and established community building plans. Most importantly they have established ongoing community support and educational programs to help build up the people themselves, and not just the buildings in which they live.

MMP Missionaries Brian O’Neill, Barry Phillips, Aleisha Currie, Hala Mattar, Ian Buzon and Andre McKenzie, spent 2 days at Baseco bonding with the villagers. This involved digging the foundation for a block of four new homes and assisting with a medical mission. The missionaries also got to enjoy several meals with 3 host families—a perfect opportunity for the missionaries to practice their tagalog and exchange stories of life on opposite sides of the planet. The villagers did share a love for praise music and mealtimes were often followed by hour long praise-fests. Though their time in Baseco was short, the bond that each missionary developed with the locals was deep and it was hard to say goodbye. The love of Christ had unified them all: the rich and the poor, the Asians and North Americans, there was no distinction, they had become one family in Christ.

A building site and quantity of homes are yet to be determined. Details will be finalized over the next few months.

Mission House Renderings
(by Edd Manapul of TH'eM Architecture)

Mission Team with GK-Baseco Families

Classroom Construction, Lemery West High
On July 4, MMP began construction on its second classroom extension project at Lemery West High School (Batangas).
MMP’s Canadian and US missionaries, Fr. Jeff Shannon, Fr. Galen Bank, Br. Barry Phillips, Br. Brian O’Neil, Ian Buzon, Andre McKenzie, Larry Armero and Oskar Lustre began digging the foundation, aiding local engineers and contractors.

Over the 3 week building project, MMP Missionaries assisted the local contractors/workers with cement mixing, moving sand, gravel, hollow blocks, preparing rebar wire supports, while the school kids looked on with excitement and curiosity.

Classes typically consist of up to 50 kids. There are about 38 teacher and over 1360+ students in the 2nd year, many of which have to attend classes in makeshift classrooms—gazebos, covered walkways, and non-windowed shelters. The exposure to hot, humid and wet conditions are not ideal for optimal learning. There are no computers available for the 2nd year Annex students either. Students and teachers at Fr. Fernando’s old high school are extremely greatful to MMP for the second classroom extension built there since 2004.

2005
Two-storey Home: Butong, Batangas
Involvement: financed & constructed*
Situation: family of 10, living in a place with no enclosed walls but only a roof suported by 4 pillars made out of bamboo
Key Contacts: Paul & Marilyn Aquino (MMP Los Angeles).

Library & Classroom Extension: Gumian, Quezon:
Involvement: financed & constructed 2 floor extension to an elementary school*
Situation: Area was hit by landslides in late 2004. High school desperately needed additional classroom and library.
Key Contacts: Jun & Rosemer Enverga and Bert & Grace Baldovino, as well as their respective families, who arranged for MMPs accomodations, meals and spiritual activities while in Infanta;Fr. Francis Lucas, of The Infanta Integrated Community Development Assistance (ICDAI) coordinated the completion of the project.

2004:
Two Homes: Butong, Batangas
Involvement: financed & constructed*
Situation: two homeless families had their shacks destroyed by a typhoon.

Classroom: Lemery, Batangas
Involvement: financed & constructed*
Situation: many of Governor Leviste Memorial National High School's students attended classes under a tree, or at best, under an open gazebo, still exposed to the elements.

* Constuction completed with local contractors

Statement of Clarification Regarding The Healing Ministry of Father Fernando Suarez (Companions of the Cross)
Posted: February 6, 2008
[view full statement]

NEW: MMP Trifold Brochure
Click here

MMP-Montemaria
March 2008 Newsletter!
Click here

• View the Montemaria slideshow presentation

• How to invite Fr. Fernando Suarez & Fr. Jeff Shannon to your Parish