MANILA, Philippines – When Extreme Make-over Home Edition Philippines recently concluded their Season One finale, they forever changed the lives of the residents of Dupax, Nueva Ecija, as they turned over 28 newly constructed houses for their project titled, ‘Bagong Bahay, Bagong Buhay’. The houses were built using Bosch technology, a leading brand in power tools, which enabled the Extreme Makeover team to build 28 residential structures from the ground up in just a little over one month.The traditional Ifugao family of Alice and Geronimo Malcino was among the families that benefited from the project. Prior to the completion of their new home, the Malcinos lived in a nipa hut with no running water and no electricity. Precariously bordered by cliffs, the Malcinos’ home lacked the necessary structural soundness to provide a safe and secure shelter for their growing family.
The architectural, design and construction teams of Extreme Makeover Home Edition Philippines had the gargantuan task of building 28 duplex houses for the families of Dupax in a very short time. It usually takes over 3 months to manually build a house, but the team was able to complete all 28 houses — including demolition of the old structures — in just 45 days. With modern methodologies and the latest building technologies offered by Bosch power tools, the construction process was simplified and expedited in order to swiftly provide homes for the families.
The 28 duplex houses were 1-storey and made of concrete, with metalworks, fiber cement and roofing systems all made with the help of Bosch power tools. All houses have been turned over to residents fully-furnished. This helped ensure that the houses will be both sturdy and comfortable for the families to enjoy for many years to come.
Bosch power tools such as drills, saws, hammers, sanders, jackhammers, grinders, cutters, surveillance kit and digital measuring tools have all been used to build 75% of each house. A total of one million pesos worth of Bosch manual and power tools were provided so that multiple structures could be done simultaneously. Such tools not only served to make the demolition and construction processes faster, it also provided the highest levels of precision, accuracy and safety.
Prior to the actual building of the houses, Bosch measuring tools were used to determine the accurate measurement of all aspects of the building such as staking the location and precise allocation of materials for each of the houses.
Furthermore, cordless power tools eliminated the need for a steady power source, which was a scarce commodity in the remote location of the provincial community of Dupax. The cordless power tools ensured that construction could take place despite the limited power supply, as well as provided the carpenters with increased flexibility when working with oblique angles.
Bosch tools also played a critical role in the finishing process, such as painting, in which the Bosch sanding machines served to easily smooth out surfaces such as walls and ceilings. If manual sanding had been done, it would have taken the team 2-3 times longer to complete the final paint job – and time was not something the recipient families could afford to spare as they waited eagerly to move in to their new homes.
An additional 500,000 pesos worth of Bosch power tools was also donated to the Dupax community center to assist the residents in further home improvement and perhaps even contribute to the livelihood of the residents with carpentry skills.
With new homes and new tools, Dupax residents have a better life and brighter future to look forward to, as they raise their families in houses that are built to last.
To see Bosch Power Tools in action, visit the show‘s website at http://www.tv5.com.ph/extrememakeover/home.