JAO and EMHE’s “Big Reveal”

Last Sunday’s episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition Philippines was just absolutely overwhelming. It was the climax of a week that started with plans, excitement and hopes for the Austria family. What started as an old, run-down, cramped house became a home that would serve to remind the family that sometimes dreams really do come true and that Apong Norma’s good deeds were not overlooked and have not gone unnoticed both by her neighbors and the fates.

JAO Builders Team with Apong Norma

The show just kept building on the excitement and drama as the team first came to the Austria residence. As the team and the audience are introduced to the matriarch of the family Apong Norma, you cannot help but root for them and be hopeful and happy for what would come next. It literally was as they say the stuff dreams were made of. After suffering tragedy herself by losing 5 of her children and her husband she bravely carried on, and even though poor, Apong Norma admirably shared what she had – herself, serving and helping the people of her community.

with Ms. Tessa Prieto

There were also light moments courtesy of the bubbly Tessa Prieto. Representing the feminine side of the team; Divine Lee, Marilen Faustino and Tessa early on made design suggestions with their uber girly taste in color schemes. Tristan Jovellana reined that all in with the use of more neutral colors “para hindi naman mukang rainbow yung bahay nila.”

Apong Norma's family inside their new house!

Everyone in the team (including JAO Builders) felt the importance of the project as they already saw the house of the Austria’s, the airless, lightless, restricted space ten people call as their house. The house had no indoor plumbing and was sweltering in the heat because they don’t have ceilings. As the house had limited space the team had to work with and around that. And who better to call as their build partner but JAO  who has had a lot of experience working with what land is already there; and making it into something one hopes to own as their house.

Apong Norma's Spa Room

It was nothing less than exciting for the Austria family and for the audience too as they watch the family in taking their very first vacation, buying a television and even meeting TV 5’s roster of young starlets. It was just one surprise after another. But it was all a preview for the biggest one yet – the completion of their dream home!

Big reveal!

At last the day of the big reveal came. And with the show’s now signature expression of “move that bus” unveiled what everyone has been eagerly waiting for. It was just gratifying to see the Austria family made happy by their dream home. And to see that the former space their house occupied can be transformed. They couldn’t (frankly even the people who were watching) believe that the team could even fit in a massage room even after all the amenities were built. It was just absolutely incredible. Indeed it was an extreme makeover not only for the house but for the lives of the Austria family members.

JAO CHILL things down this Hot, Hot Summer!

Build your Dream Home with us, and we’ll throw in a FREE Samsung 2 door 12 cu.ft. refrigerator or a Carrier 2HP air conditioning unit!

HURRY! Grab this COOL offer while it lasts!

Promo period runs from April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012

JAO CHILL things down this Hot, Hot Summer!

Build your Dream Home with us, and we’ll throw in a FREE Samsung 2 door 12 cu.ft. refrigerator or a Carrier 2HP air conditioning unit!

HURRY! Grab this COOL offer while it lasts!

Promo period runs from March 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012

JAO is spreading the love this Valentine’s Season.

Receive an iPhone 4S or a 32” Sony Bravia LED TV for FREE when you sign a building contract with us.

Let us build your Dream Home, and top it off with this amazing gift!

Hurry while the promo lasts!

Promo runs from February 1 to 29, 2012

Kung Hei Fat Choi from JAO Builders!

It's that time of year again! JAO Builders wishes you a very Happy Chinese New Year! We hope you have a smashing time partaking in the festivities, and we wish you a very prosperous and lucky year ahead! May the early days of this year set the stage for your future successes. Best wishes from JAO Builders.

Construction Reality - Paolo Bediones: USI TV5 Under Special Investigation

Paolo Bediones of TV5's Under Special Investigation steps into a pair of rubber boots as he explores the high risks of construction labor and issues of construction safety. In a project site by JAO Builders, he joins a group of laborers and engineers building residences in a hands-on discovery of real construction and real dangers. Construction Reality It is a game of hard work and creative science. Construction is application of physics, psychology, art and of course, common sense. It is engineering and architecture combined. It is also hard physical labor under the heat of the sun. Any man who enters the construction world gambles his life as he climbs scaffolds of metal and temporary lifts to reach his work plane. Philippine construction workers have been quite infamous. They have the reputation of disregarding safety protocols despite the provisions for them. When construction workers are accustomed to slippers and the absence of protective gears, setting them up with new and strict safety protocols have been a challenge for engineers all over the country. Tragedy On a late Thursday morning, January 27, 2011, 11 construction workers fell from a gondola that collapsed from a ride down from the 32nd floor of an Eton construction site in Makati City. Only one survived but still in critical condition. The image is harrowing as rescuers pull-out bodies from a tangle of reinforcement bars, concrete and scaffolds. This is the first reported and massive construction accident of 2011. Labor groups and the government are once again alerted to the lack of safety measures in construction in the country. The investigation led to the obvious. They were too heavy for a gondola and rope designed to carry a maximum of three passengers. At such height, no net could lessen the blow. Neither could a quick mind.

A Lesson to Learn Construction work is tough, dangerous even. Though a living in it is hardly good, thousands of people enter this world by choice or lack of a better one. It takes skill and almost no academic training to work as a construction worker. The wages are small and the harsh weather does not make it easier. A lesson had to be learned and Paolo Bediones was no stranger to it. Armed with a hard hat, gloves and rubber boots, he took a shot at picking and shoveling in creation of a ditch for foundation. He learned to secure reinforced bars with tie wires but failed to impress Supervising Engineer Roland Labugen of his skills. Though the gloves he wore protected him, it was obvious to Paolo Bediones that he could have wounded himself easily. "Paolo Bediones holding on to a scaffold while shooting for Under Special Investigation, a TV5 production." "Wearing a safety belt and hard hat, Paolo looks below from a slab and temporary railings." He walked through excavations, abutting rebars and pipes with a cautious step and a hand constantly holding on to something. Construction workers are far more courageous [or insane] when they walk through narrow beams without safety harnesses while several stories up. Look Ma, no hands! He learned to use the harness in a 4-storey project. And likely thinking how billboard workers would choose not even a safety belt but rather free climb a billboard. Safety is every man's concern and must be every construction site's priority. Yet the dangers never dissipate. When you wear a hard hat into a site, there is never a guarantee that you will be 100 percent protected. A hard hat protects your head only from falling objects. "[Boots] are for protection against, for example, nails..." says Engr. Labugen. For an engineer with so many years of experience and exposure to construction highs and lows, the stories are always quite colorful with a bit of gore stuck in between. Nevertheless, we have to learn of the gory and gruesome in construction just to keep in mind how dangerous it can get. Awareness As Paolo Bediones tried to accomplish a few strokes of picking and shoveling on soil, he realized how much injury, bruising, and discomfort it can cause. It is inherent part of the job. You have to sweat and toil to get the job done. However, the mind has to be at work as well. Like the masters of martial arts, you have to wield a move and a weapon with proper stance and technique. Otherwise, injury for you rather than your opponent is a likely aftermath. Awareness is everything. You have to know your tool. Master it to keep it from overcoming you. One wrong stroke, one loose grip with a pick in your hands could mean your life or someone else's - a life no can replace. It is a responsibility to be mindful, to be aware of the dangers. To keep the workers constantly aware, "site engineers act as safety engineers as well" says Engr. Oliver Zapanta. It is a task of managing work quality and work ethics so workers maintain strict compliance with protocol. If you visit a construction site, one of the most obvious safety measures would be a clean engineer holding a piece of paper and yelling at some workers who care not to wear mandatory safety gear until they do. Construction Safety is a job for both workers and management. More importantly, it is a matter of respect for life.

JAO Smart Homes Post Launch

JAO Smart Homes Post Launch JAO Builders and Development Corporation further establish their credibility and innovation with the successful soft-launching of their “JAO SMART HOMES” feature last July 28, 2010. Held in the client lounge of the main office, attendees of the launch were given a first hand look at all the features included in JAO SMART HOMES. When asked what a JAO SMART HOME was, a representative of the company had this to say: “With JAO SMART HOMES, aspiring home owners are given the choice of incorporating techno-smart features into their soon-to-be homes, such as biometric access doors, security motion sensors, timed lights, wi-fi coverage, CCTV monitoring systems and luxury home theatre systems among others. Clients can now experience the best of what technology can do to, for a lack of a better term, upgrade their home living experience.” Among the attendees was TV Personality and current JAO endorser, news anchor Aljo Bendijo, who was said to be thoroughly impressed with the concept and execution of the Smart Homes line.

Interested parties can drop by the Main Office at the Ground Floor The STG Corporate Centre, 76 Timog Avenue, Quezon City Philippines 1103, from Mondays to Saturdays - 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, or visit www.jaosmarthomes.jaobuilders.com