It takes a community to build a library
By Lou Gepuela
One year ago, we began a discussion in a small meeting room regarding what we could do with an empty room.
3ZERO House founded by Gawad Kalinga and Acted had the good fortune to have a space to do all their individual and collective good works, and they were looking for something else, something quick that could rolled-out, something that would have a significant, positive, exponential rippling effect for the local community.
My suggestion? Create a community library.
There is a misconception these days that libraries are obsolete as mere warehouses of books, simply because we already have the internet, where all knowledge is literally at our fingertips, thanks to the ubiquitous smartphone. We can bring it anywhere, access it anytime, and it is always ready, always available, always on-demand.
Libraries are not mere storehouses of books.
Libraries are a civic space. It is where the community gathers. It is where our elders spend leisure time, and where our younger citizens learn how words on paper can take them to worlds and times beyond their imaginations.
As a civic space, it is where members of the community engage. It is the nucleus where communities are built and strengthened.
Unfortunately, these days, we have seen not just a shrinking civic space in the real world, but also online, where dialogue has been outshouted and overshadowed by inauthentic, replicated, online behavior, where information is debatable due to its truthiness, and where, sadly, spaces are no longer safe for real conversations for real people.
This is where the real teamwork began. It started with emails, calls, appeals online and offline, and as the months passed, the work progressed. The room soon took shape, with chairs and tables thanks to Sentinel Upcycling Technologies and BASF, computers thanks to Synchrony, and the concept enriched thanks to very involved partners on the ground and grassroots such as The Habilin Project, Concerned Youth Organization. Then came the books, thanks to the efforts of Keys School Manila, C&E Foundation, Bayan Family of Foundations, Zoe Broadcasting Network, A2Z, Light TV, Edispo, Mandaluyong Youth Development Office, and many other individuals who wanted to see this dream become reality.
The 3ZERO House Community Library now stands strong, visible and extant as a welcoming space for students from nearby schools, residents, advocates, changemakers, and people who are just needing a space to read, study, converse, and collaborate.
It takes a community to build a library, but it takes a library to sustain a community.
The Community Library is open to all every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at ZERO House, 212 Haig St., Brgy. Daang-Bakal, Mandaluyong City.
➡️ How to access: Message The Habilin Project or Concerned Youth Organization on or before the day you intend to use the library.
About the 3ZERO House Philippines
Since its launch in 2019, the 3ZERO House Philippines has served as a collaborative ecosystem for changemakers, fostering partnerships, empowering communities, and pioneering innovative solutions towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Philippines.
Rooted in the global 3ZERO movement—a vision for a world with Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty—the Philippines, as the first 3ZERO House established globally, has become a catalyst for collective action.
Over the past five years, the global initiative has:
✅ Supported 79+ social and environmental entrepreneurs through capacity-building programs and microgrants.
✅ Disbursed over $43,800 in funding to incubate and scale sustainable solutions.
✅ Organized 159+ forums, trainings, and activities, engaging thousands of stakeholders in meaningful dialogue and action.
Through the local community, 3ZERO House Philippines has facilitated strategic partnerships among 98 organizations, with 100+ partners co-creating 20+ 3ZERO-linked initiatives benefitting almost 6,000 people.
Read our complete 5-year report and learn how to be part of the movement, visit or follow @3ZeroPhilippines on social media.
For inquiries, please contact: Philippines@3zero.org
