By HANNAH MALLORCA
A home is a place of solace during difficult times. But as we move forward to an uncertain future, there’s always a community to help us bounce back. The current health threat is a call for communities to work together to recover.
In a community-friendly neighborhood like Lancaster New City in Cavite, residents are slowly rising from difficult times through the spirit of Bayanihan. Collaboration is a priority and every LNCitizen has each other’s back, especially during this pandemic.
Being in a family-friendly neighborhood plays a significant role in helping the residents to continue ahead. Here are ways on how the Lancaster residents empower one another to move forward.
Assisting through virtual means
Despite the limited face-to-face interaction, the Lancaster community does not stop helping home seekers to look for the home of their dreams.
Lancaster holds virtual tours on its official website and social media accounts to keep people informed. With the use of videos and drone shots of the township, home-seekers are aware of what they can expect.
The use of virtual tours in social media is helpful for LNCitizens as well. Aside from serving as a virtual real estate agent, it’s also a source of information for the community.
Once you visit Lancaster’s Facebook account, updates on monthly amortizations, new establishments, and nearby locations are posted regularly.
Treating one another like family
In the Lancaster community, no one gets left behind, even if they’re living in a difficult time. Every LNCitizen makes an effort to make others feel special.
This can be seen in the story of Julie Nicolas, a financial advisor who moved out of the city with her family to begin a new life in Lancaster. Aside from its peaceful environment, Julie noted that its community has helped her to move forward.
“Ganun katutok talaga sa community ang Lancaster New City — hindi lang sa mismong bahay. Parang nakatutok sa comfortability ng mga tao which is bihira nang magkaroon ng ganyang service sa subdivision,” she adds.
Julie shared that the neighborhood was welcoming to their family. For her, it was also one of the reasons why she was able to take a step towards recovery.
“Naka-establish din kami ng extended family na kahit hindi kayo blood-related, parang considered family mo sila. So, talagang marami kaming naging kaibigan dito,” she shares. “Mas marami talaga kaming comfortability nanararanasan compared to others.”
Lucky Repelar, another homeowner, is one of the reasons why Lancaster is family-friendly for homeowners and home-seekers. During the quarantine’s early weeks, she would prepare food for her fellow LNCitizens, guards, store personnel, and street cleaners. She also made face masks and face shields and distributed them.
Extending support
The Lancaster community empowers one another to move forward in various ways. As we transition to digital, it was an opportunity for the neighborhood to develop its collaborative efforts.
For Julie, PasaBUY is a joint effort in the community that helped her family get essential needs, especially during the quarantine. Organized by the Lancaster community, homeowners create group chats to share scheduled trips to the supermarket, drugstore and other shops.
“Maraming available talaga na mabibilhan online, kasi ang daming homeowners na nag-o-online selling. Aside from PasaBUY, may grocery talagana nag-ooffer sa homeowners ng delivery, ime-message niyo lang sa kanila ano yung item na gusto niyo,” she explains.
Another collaborative effort of the Lancaster community is Tienda Buyani, a website launched to help the Lancaster community order fresh farm-produced vegetables and fruits that can be delivered to their homes.
To help the community, disaster resilience teams have also been organized in case of emergencies.
Filipinos are known for their Bayanihan spirit. The pandemic is a wake-up call for communities to work together to move forward.
In Lancaster New City, the sense of community has always been there. It has only been strengthened by the current health crisis, making every LNCitizen feel that they’re all in this together.
Building a family-friendly community is a priority for Lancaster New City, especially in times of crisis. For more details on Lancaster’s township, you may visit www.lancasternewcity.com.ph or its official Facebook and YouTube pages.
