Donating to the Poly House, the Easy Way

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lancer
Zkrib, are you thinking next Januaryish?

Kinda. January is usually our busy month, but if I can't get away in January, soon afterwards.

[Lancer]

God willing we'll be here for 5 months that trip, so that's cool. There's a fiesta on May 1 if you're into that bit of fun. If it gets too noisy we'll just go hang out at the beach.

Arrian, I sent the reply again and this time got to a different point in the process that looks more like an end. It says it is now waiting a response from you.

[Lancer]

There's still a $50 donation on "temporary hold" name and email "unauthorized"

Got no clue whose that is. Maybe when the other $50 donation by Arrian made on the same day clears, this one will also clear. ...and maybe if I had wings, I'd be a pig. Just invented that.

[Zkribbler]

Lancer -

How close are we to being able to provide the electricity, water, flush toilet, and a separate bedroom for the kid?

[Lancer]

Zkrib, I don't know. We've been working out the costs of stuff and I've gotten some surprises. For one thing this Poly house isn't in Jagna, it's in Mabini which is hmm, maybe an hourish down the road in the opposite direction from Tagbilaran, ie away from civilization. So, in discussions with Clemente and Rigo since all this started I discovered that transportation costs for materials largely delivered from Tagbilaran are higher than delivering to Jagna since they have to go much further. Also the suppliers in Mabini are smaller since the area is poor, small suppliers combined with less competition mean higher costs. It's been years since I've been to Mabini but you should be able to determine how it relates to Jagna and Tagbilaran using that excellent Bohol map you have.

So we have a cousin that has a truck and if we load a bunch of stuff up in Jagna and truck it over to Mabini ourselves we can save some dough even considering that we would need to pay something for the truck and fuel.

Then there's the hollow block dilemma. Hollow block made in Jagna uses high quality local sand and good quality limestone from the limestone quarry here to mix with the cement. That made in Mabini uses dirty sand or just plain sandy dirt and whatever, the guys, Mente and Rigo, aren't impressed with it. The cost of block in both places is currently 9 pesos each. The cost of having block from Jagna brought to Mabini drives the price per block to 14P! So I asked Rigo to really research the block suppliers in Mabini to see if any can produce a decent block. The difference right there (9 vs 14P) blows us out of the water estimate wise so it's unacceptable. Also these things are heavy and since we're buying all our cement and rebar here in Jagna that truck is going to be heavy already. Moving all that block ourselves would require several loads and drive the price up pretty far. There's a reason for the 9P to 14P jump. We have to get block locally in Mabini, but want to avoid getting block that disolves when it rains. So there's issues. None of these problems did I know about when I first came up with my wild assed estimate in the beginning. I figured on Jagna costs. So we have to have to truck stuff ourselves, and get local Mabini block, and maybe put a very thin coating of wet mix cement over them on the outside to protect them. Rigo will be working the problem in Mabini on his days off also.

What was the original question Zkrib? Oh yes...here's my answer.

I hope we're in the realm of adding extra bits to their house, I believe we are. I added a little to what I thought things might cost early on just to cover the unknown. The unknown turned out to be a 600 lb gorilla however...

When we get into building we'll know more. The way they build here they'll make a door to nowhere and board it up. When money is available they'll add a bedroom off that door. So we'll make a door to nowhere and maybe we'll have enough to build a bedroom, I hope so.

Rigo is talking about us running that first truck out there in February or early March. So I won't be swinging a hammer for too long since I leave end of March. Rigo said that on his own working on my ocean project he's saved over 5000P! That comes in these days at $120, and I didn't figure on that in my original estimate either.

You come in January or whenever and we'll do a walk through and see how far they got, then determine if they need more help. Sound good?

[Theben]

Originally posted by Lancer

I'm trying but I need a little help from my friends, so you guy start putting your pennies in a jar...

Somehow at 1st glance I read this as "penis in a jar..." I must be channeling Asher.

[Lancer]

[SlowwHand]

Don't buy cheap. Better to go smaller and grow than to go cheap. A valuable lesson I learned from the 3 little pig brothers. Indoor plumbing is a rare, from what I remember (not in the Phillipines, but elsewhere) treat.

[Lancer]

I agree Sloww, and I need to find good alternatives. However there must be a way to get decent block in Mabini. There's little block making outfits all over the Phils. I've heard of people sitting there and watching them make block just to be sure they don't cut corners. There's little enough profit in each block... None of it is up to the standards made in the US, that's certain. Putting a coating of wet mix cement on the outside, kind of a thin stucco, might do the trick too.

First lets see what Rigo developes in Mabini checking suppliers.

The plumbing can be a line and a valve outside the house, that's not unusual. Alot of people here still live off common (shared) hand pump wells driven a mere 20 ft down. But, I'd like to do a little better than that and I think their property is out a bit, away from town and shared hand pumps.

Rigo is frugal, there's no money to be made in Mabini, but he's managed to survive until now and feed his family. Sometimes at harvest he works in farmers rice fields, other times he sheperds cows. The deal with the cows he sheperds which belong to Clemente is that he does the work and ends up with a calf. No money, but the meat can someday be sold...I had it all described to me but we were all half plastered, but I think that's how it works. Clemente has spoken of building a rice Mill and employing his brother, Ray, and Rigo both part time as needed.

God willing, the future is bright.

[Lancer]

Btw, anyone wishing to express an opinion on this or any matter that has to do with the house or the universe or whatever that hasn't yet donated may do so for only $5 donation per opinion.

[Lancer]

As far as I can tell on investigation the second $50 is notification that the $50 Arrian donated was withdrawn, or taken out. In other words it's the same thing.

Papa Mente says that Mabini is an hour and a half from here "at normal speed". Since the 'ol boy has a young gf there I'm thinking it takes him an hour.

Vaaarooooom......

[Zkribbler]

If we can't move the concrete blocks from Jagna to Mabini, can we move the family from Mabini to Jagna?

[Lancer]

I doubt it. The property my boss at the casino bought them is in Mabini. Also Clemente's family is in Mabini so that's where he keeps his cows and will build his rice mill. These are Rigo's work, or in the case of the rice mill, will be Rigos work.

Nice thought though Zkrib, a different way to come at the problem.

No worries! Everything will work out.

[ZEE]

Lancer check your Paypal please

[Lancer]

AAHZ donates $100! Thanks for helping AAHZ, you da man!

You figured out paypal too, good job.