CFC-GK Quezon City

AJ Dimarucot, Freelance Designer/Artist 110903

2011-10-19T13:16:00.010+08:00

At A Wedding Reception 110924

2011-10-19T12:24:00.023+08:00

20110904 Enchanted Farm, Angat, Bulacan

2011-10-11T15:11:00.037+08:00

Nag-San Juan sa Enchanted Farm with PNoy

2011-09-12T20:17:00.006+08:00

missin' 'em

2011-09-12T12:32:00.016+08:00

Jun's Parrot or Parakeet(?)

2011-09-05T19:28:00.004+08:00

Messages from Shirley Bangayan

2011-06-18T22:35:00.003+08:00

Below are forwarded messages from Shirley Bangayan of Living for Christ Foundation for your profound reflection.

God bless us all.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I believe I should share the personal message I got from our Lord dictated to my sister-in-law, Maria, by her angel David. I now understand in a clearer light the different conflicts that transpired in my work with the poor and in CFC. Reading my message hopefully will remove anger, resentment and being judgmental against leaders who caused the division in CFC. I hope you will also find much enlightenment from what is told to me.

The second half of the message refers to the "Shrine" that Bangy and I were told in a written message (also dictated by Maria's angel) to build. It is located in the Passionist Compound Phase 8 Bagong Silang. Our foundation, Living for Christ Foundation, donated it to the Passionist Congregation in 2006 together with the entire complex after Ancop was converted into a resource generation from social development work. The compound is now used as a seminary. When we built the chapel fourteen years ago, we were given instruction to keep an eternal light in the Chapel which we faithfully maintained even after we had moved out from the Compound. The last sentence of the message to me refers to this eternal flame. One needs to know the history of the Shrine to be able to understand the second part of the message about "The Shrine".

I have also attached a written message addressed to CFC which Maria believes should be forwarded to CFC members.

Praise and Glory to God!

Shirley

June 8, 2011
Couples For Christ
My message to you

This is My commandment to you – that you love one another as I have loved you.

My servants, My servants, why do you forsake Me and turn away from Me? For do you not all have one Father? Has not one God created you all? Why then do you treacherously deal against your brother? For are you not all My children? Is My love not given equally unto you all? How then can you take upon yourselves the right to judge each other as if you were given some divine right to do so, being free of your own shortcomings and sins? Are you perfect in My eyes? Have you kept all My commandments? Are you righteous in all you do? Then by what authority do you speak for me? For you are not My children and do not witness for Me by the manner in which you chose to behave. Your actions speak the thoughts that lay in your hearts and they do not reflect the words that you speak.

For you have taken it upon yourselves to go about My work as if you anointed yourselves My chosen ones. Do you truly believe that you were drawn to My work by your own will?

Pride, you misleader of men. You worm your way into the hearts of My servants under the guise of righteousness and set yourselves apart as if pure of heart, yet covet that which is not truly yours. Slander and inequity are your middle name. You chose to give yourselves seats in high places and wait not on Me for direction and guidance. For is it not I who have the right to choose My servants and to call them according to My needs and desires? Why then do you not recognize My authority?

For even Satan knows My authority and waits upon the direction of the Lord. He knows not to tempt without the Fathers direction those the Lord has set aside as His own. Yet you corrupt My ministry and My work at will. For the work of Couples For Christ was and is not yours to dictate. For it is not your kingdom commission but My Father’s. You were created and established by My hand as I placed My will within the heart of My servant to bring together My children in service for the formation of this office.

You have worked hard to come together and serve Me because it is I who have empowered you with the ability to gather together many with the same desire. But it is as always will be my office. Do not deem to call it your own for as I have given so I may take away My favor.

Lest you not remember why you were chosen and what your commission is, I tell you truly –

To proclaim the good news of My kingdom and that all who accept are saved by the redeemed by My Son Jesus Christ.

For the time grows short and there is much need. People die daily in their sins and My heart is heavy with a sadness at the loss of My children. The need to reach as many people as possible is great. So it is that Couples for Christ has been called forth to do My work, not only in this nation but throughout the world. For the good news is for all to hear. You are My witnesses and I call you to My service. Heed Me and I will bless greatly all your work and all My workers. Heed Me not and I will not forget your denial of My work or your names, for no longer will your names appear in The Book Of Life. For no child of Mine denies Me and turns from Me. Remember, I will judge by the intention of your hearts and not your words. For much that is spoken is not a true reflection of what lies in the heart of a man. It is for his actions to speak outwardly and proclaim to the world the truth that lies within.

My children serve Me by denying themselves and heeding My voice. They fix their eyes on Me and give all of themselves just as Christ gave up all that He was for us unto death. Can we do less? Think not only of yourselves and the needs of your own but remember all are the family of God and He cares for all not just some. Do not forget your brothers for God will also not remember you.

The world is growing away from My kingdom and I call to you My servants to work intensely, diligently, and with fervor to reach out as a community united in My name, each member chosen to do a specific task and with great love. You are called to reconcile My lost children to Me so they may be saved. Yet how can you do so if you yourselves are not reconciled with each other, with love for one another, and for the love of My Son? For how can you heal a world filled with so much Anger, Hate, Pride, Selfishness, Self Interest, and Hunger For Power, if you yourselves manifest the same sins? For these are not diseases of the flesh but of the spirit. Those who suffer such are not filled with My Holy Spirit. For such is not in our nature or in those I have drawn to Me. For to be so is to be under the dominion of evil and there is no place in My kingdom for him that enslaves and I will put away all that contains him when My kingdom is established.

REPENT! For this is the first word spoken by Christ. It is the key to restoration in a relationship to Him and which without we can not be empowered to serve Him by the Holy Spirit.

So you must give up your own personal ideas, goals, values, and come totally to My direction, moving away from disobedience to complete obedience. Once again, you must become a community of God’s people not just individuals but of a whole body of Spirit empowered people under one banner united under One name and for One purpose as My chosen children – Couples For Christ.

Set aside and lay away your judgments and grievances and reach out to each other with Christ like love and do not diminish the work and office of Couples For Christ. For Satan works towards the destruction of the body for great is his victory when he can divide and conquer My children as a whole community.

As there is much power in a strong community witnessing to a world in Christian love than witnessing as individuals. Be steadfast and strong, hold true as a community under My will.

Leave behind your condemnations, accusations, and disagreements and do not let the world bring judgment and settlements of your disputes in and by their court systems. For it is not for them to hold authority over what I have created.

June 8, 2011 (3pages)
My message to you: Couples For Christ

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SHIRLEY

Many questions have you had, my daughter, through the past fourteen years and I have remained silent not to foster doubts or confusion, not to create anxiety and turmoil which you have experienced much of. My silence was to allow you to grow and mature in your faith for much would be required in the work I would set before you. You have done well, my daughter, and I am well pleased. You have taken up the task I’ve given you and have been faithful to my bidding even when I was silent. You listened and heard My voice and began the work with the poor as I wanted, not as man envisioned.

I placed you with Couples For Christ as a means to educate and establish working with the poor, to give you the tools to learn first hand the way that best serves the needs of a poor community. These lessons were meant for all the members and from here into individual tasks. For I set out to use each person in a different way and for a different purpose. This beginning was never intended to remain as part of your task. Your relationship here was a foundation to what lay ahead.

Tony Meloto was selected to serve my plan as an emissary to the government, to prompt it to join into a building foundation that would serve the poor and propel it to implement programs that would call attention to the plight of the poor in this nation and that of all poor in the world. His task may seem of great importance as he has garnished many accolades but what man sees as important and impressive is often but an illusion created to gather attention and the desire to also attain high recognition which is only temporal. His behavior and attitudes are of no concern to anyone but Me for I have empowered him for My own purpose and will use him as I will. His role will be one of provision as to gather by his words the workers needed to carry out My plan, just as Frank Padilla is my servant in implementing My teachings and word to those who need moral guidance and moral uplifting to the Christian values needed in the nation.

Together all will play a role in My plan to serve the poor communities of this nation. They like many others I have chosen are now beginning the change that I have set in motion. For I will not lose My children to the world. I seek to bring them all home and will continue to place prophets, healers, teachers and leaders in high places of power as well as more lowly ones. The time grows short and I will by My grace continue to reach out and secure My kingdom.

The Shrine:

“Build me a shrine” was an instruction into obedience and conviction. Never was it meant to be a place for your foundation.

Rather it was to serve those who choose to serve Me. For it would house My servants and provide a reminder of My saving grace.

It is here that young minds and hearts would be tested. For those who professed a calling to a vocation of servitude would come to study My word and to take on the task of spreading the gospel. For some who truly are My servants will find peace and fulfillment but they will be few because this is a vocation that corrupts the laws of nature. For I the Father never created man to be alone. The flesh has needs that serve My purpose of procreation and it cannot exist without fulfilling this need. When men alienate themselves from this desire to fulfill such a need it corrupts their souls. They will seek to fulfill their needs in dark and secret means. They will need to be convicted of their sins. My shrine will reach out to them as a reminder that such a life was never meant for men to live. Much abuse is occurring in such places of training and much sin is committed by those who profess they can and have remained chaste yet have engaged in sinful acts and let others to do so as well to quench their lust and hunger of the flesh. Let them see the price paid to release them if they repent and refrain from a life that promotes celibacy and abstinence from the ordinance God has placed on men to become whole and fulfilled per the laws of God.

For some come to serve due to financial need, others for shelter and security, some from being led to believe they are chosen, and some out of an honest desire and for a love of service for the Word.

Yet even then one can serve without denying that which the Lord has placed in their hearts for how can a man know the true needs of a husband or of a father if he has not been one. For these are roles that require much knowledge which can only be known from experience. For one can study and acquire knowledge from books and lessons but compassion, patience, and empathy comes only through first hand experience. Just as God manifested Himself in the flesh as Christ to demonstrate and experience the trials and tribulation of mankind that He fully show us that He understood our weaknesses not as it was written but as He knew them, lest any man says He was above such an experience and unable to judge fairly.

No longer is the eternal flame needed for My spirit dwells within and I will light their way to salvation.

Message dictated to Maria by her Angel David 5-29-11

Tony Meloto receives the Nikkei Asia 2011 Award for Regional Growth in Japan

2011-05-26T10:40:00.002+08:00

Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

I'm deeply honored and grateful for the Nikkei Asia Award for Regional Growth which I am receiving from some of the most distinguished leaders in Japan, starting with Mr. Ryoki Sugita, Chairman, Nikkei Inc.; Mr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman, Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and Dr. Yasuhiko Torii, Ex-President, Keio University, Regional Growth Prize Selection Sub-Committee Leader.

It is my great honor to receive this award with outstanding citizens of Asia - Dr. Wu Maw-Kuen of Taiwan, winner for Science, Technology and Innovation and Mr. Bao Ninh of Vietnam, winner for Culture.

I am receiving this award on behalf of the countless volunteers of Gawad Kalinga including my wife and daughter who are with me today, and good friends and big GK supporters, his excellency Ambassador Manuel Lopez and Consul General Sulpicio Confiado and his wife.

Japan is a big inspiration for me as the first country in Asia to rise from poverty through hard work, honor and heroism. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan has also shown the world their capacity to rise from tragedy through solidarity and sacrifice. Our people are capable of the same heroism to rise from tragedy and suffering based on my experience with Gawad Kalinga volunteers and beneficiaries.

With the rise of Asian economies including Taiwan and Vietnam where my co-awardees come from, I'm confident that my country will also rise by building communities and creating a massive platform for productivity and prosperity to end poverty.

It all started for me in my search for answers about poverty in my country. 1. Why is the Filipino a squatter when there is so much land in the Philippines? 2. With his creativity and talent, why is he content to live in shanties and other subhuman dwellings? Both questions drove me sixteen years ago to look for answers in the biggest slum area in the country then—Bagong Silang in Caloocan City, where Gawad Kalinga was born. It was the template that spawned over 2,000 intentional communities nationwide with direct impact on the lives of 1 million Filipinos from the most marginalized and vulnerable sectors.

Although it is our public image, Gawad Kalinga is not just about homes. Our work is nation-building with a clear objective to bring the Philippines out of poverty within one generation. The platform is basic and simple: land for the landless, homes for the homeless, and food for the hungry. They resonate with the most fundamental human aspirations: land, for roots and security; home, for cover and comfort; and food, for sustenance and nurture.

These seeds were planted in the first seven years of our journey and form part of the Social Justice phase, the first of three in the movement’s roadmap to 2024. And so as we continue building on these foundations, our movement also enters the Social Artistry phase. Where Social Justice is about healing, restoring and rebuilding, Social Artistry is about excelling and pushing the boundaries of the initiative through designer communities, towns, cities, even whole provinces.

Heralding this phase is the launch of our Center for Social Innovation (GKCSI). Concretizing the concept of Bayanihan Economics or the economics of sharing, GKCSI will create Filipino-owned brands of affordable, high-quality products that use Philippine-grown ingredients to improve the lives of the Filipino poor. GK CSI is the village university for the rising Filipino that will mold a new generation of social entrepreneurs.

Our approach to excellence takes after our strategy in building homes: impact, scale and sustainability. We start by building the template that we are calling the GK Enchanted Farm. The Enchanted Farm is our Silicon Valley for social enterprise and our Disneyland for social tourism.

The third phase of nation building for us is the building of big industries, mainstreaming medium and big social enterprises, building a strong middle class and creating opportunities at home so our people will not abandon their families to seek jobs abroad.

Key to all of this and something we will always go back to is social justice. We will always remind ourselves who we are fighting for. In fighting for the poor, we are fighting for our children. If we neglect the poor, our children will inherit a country that will not provide them opportunities for a better life, a country where there will be no guarantee of food on their table or safety in the streets, a country that they will be ashamed of.

This is why Gawad Kalinga has also recently inspired and spearheaded a legislative initiative that institutionalizes the Gawad Kalinga way of caring and sharing. Dubbed a signature piece of legislation, the Volunteerism for Nation Building Act of 2011 has convinced lawmakers from different party lines and leaders from different institutions to sponsor and vote for new forms of public-private partnerships that is top in the priority of our new government under President Benigno Aquino.

All these ideas spring from the conviction that no Filipino should be a squatter in his country that has enough land, and no Filipino should be hungry in his country where natural resources are abundant. The goal is simple: to transform the attitude of poor communities from survival to sufficiency, from sufficiency to abundance; and to transform the attitude of the rich from philanthropy to social enterprise.

And the challenge remains: go and make every existing Gawad Kalinga site productive and help open new ones. Make the fields bloom with beauty, turn our barren lands into fields of abundance, make every brand fly, and every Filipino a giver of life.

Just like Japan, through hard work, honor and heroism, Filipinos will end poverty in the Philippines.

Bayani Challenge 2011 (Bantayan Island) II

2011-04-09T11:48:00.001+08:00

Bayani Challenge 2011 (Bantayan Island) I

2011-04-09T11:33:00.000+08:00

2011.03.26 CFC-GK Quezon City Assembly

2011-03-29T11:18:00.006+08:00

CFC-GK Quezon City held its First Ever Assembly on 26 March 2011 at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Multi-Purpose Center, Regalado Avenue, Greater Fairview, Quezon City (its going to be a regular affair).

Sister Claire of GK Laura poses with Bro Terence Grana, CFC-GK, Quezon City

Bro Terence leads the worship

GK Beneficiaries from various GK sites

CFC-GK Quezon City members with GK Advocate and Founder Tony Meloto

Another pose with Bro Tony

... and another pose again with Bro Tony

Brothers Tony Santos of West C, Omin del Castillo and Jun Garcia of North B, etc. in worship

Bro Jun Dimarucot giving an inspirational talk to GK beneficiaries, workers, volunteers and advocates who attended the assembly

Inspired assembly attendees

Brothers Led Ferrer, Willie Bagsarsa, Bobot Bautista with a GK Beneficiary

Bro Tony in the midst of the attendees from various GK sites

The Glory That is Rome

2011-02-27T16:03:00.000+08:00

By Tony Meloto

It always feels good to visit the Vatican when I am in Rome. I need to be constantly reminded that the causes that are precious in my life come from God especially at times when the waves get rough. The sacrifice I put into Gawad Kalinga is meaningless if it is not anchored on a firm belief that it is not God's plan for my country to be poor and I have a sacred responsibility to help make it un-poor.

The Vatican is holy ground where sacred oaths are made by serious Catholics like me who mean to keep them.

I am here in Europe again after barely four months since my last visit in October in my relentless pursuit of a better life for our people as my highest aspiration, my greatest legacy to my heirs and the best exit strategy of a grace filled life.

I try to remain focused by not allowing myself to be distracted by enticing global events around me like the people power struggle in Egypt or the local drama ushering the painful birth of honor and courage in our country as we purge corruption out of our complex system of patronage politics and misplaced loyalties. I pray for Heidi Mendoza and those with guts and balls like her. I feel a deep spiritual connection with people who just want things to be better for their country whatever path they take.

Mine is clear: Gawad Kalinga - building sustainable intentional communities, protecting the environment, educating and raising healthy children and creating wealth at the bottom of the pyramid.

Nation-building is my brand of kingdom-building; being my brother's keeper is my peaceful strategy of bridging social inequity and creating heaven on earth. The thriving GK communities, with all their struggles and challenges, are my proof of concept of effective Christian stewardship, the visible and massive evidence of the power of 'loving neighbor' when practiced against all odds.

At this stage of my life, all I want is to be faithful to my vows, to do what is good for my people and to follow what is right for my country. No equivocation, with passion bordering on insanity when what is considered sane works against the best interest of the least and the oppressed.

Standing at St Peter's square without a soul in sight on this cold starry night somehow it felt right to seize this solemn moment of grace. I reiterated my vow not to accept the crime of poverty in my resource blessed country and not tolerate the sin of hypocrisy that justifies it. There is a scent of hope in our country with an honest President and many concerned citizens who are finally sick and tired of our stupidity and are determined to end our spiritual and material poverty.

Corruption, dirty politics and injustice that cause poverty are a scandal to my religion and a shame to my citizenship. They simply must end ...or at least I should die trying to end it... otherwise it is a shame to call myself a Christian or a Filipino.

I must show to the world that by following the path of Jesus who did not seek power for himself that I can gain the trust and work with the most powerful leaders to do the most good to the weak and the powerless.

The square was still that night - no multitudes that pushed and shoved like the last time I was there when the charismatic one reigned. I was told by my hosts and tour guide, great couple Michael and Linda Stockmann, that my present shepherd was probably still awake as the light was still on in his room. I simply had to pay homage to the Holy Father as a matter of respect and tradition as a Catholic, even from a distance and late as it was. One does not take chances on a serious matter as going to heaven.

The flight to Rome from Paris took two hours where I slept most of the way from sheer exhaustion after a whole day session with French business and engineering students - 37 as of the last count - who were eager to do a two month internship in GK communities in the Philippines July to August this year. I also met with the President of AISEC France who wants to add a hundred more.

Gawad Kalinga is an attractive proposition to young Europeans who are discovering our pearl of the orient seas as the exciting gateway to Asia. The east is no longer just an exotic destination for them but a continent of vast business and career opportunities with the rise of Asian economies. The Philippines is particularly appealing to students of top business schools in Europe and Singapore interested in our emerging model of social entrepreneurship using the GK communes as a massive platform for productivity to help rebuild the economy from the bottom-up with a new bottom-line - social investment in people and planet.

Air France KLM, my home in the sky, is facilitating travel and solidarity between Europe and Asia by building a Dutch village for the homeless north of Manila where Europeans can do humanitarian service.

Social tourism is exciting to those who are out to discover the world with the heart as their compass. Gk villages are particularly appealing to those who not only want to experience poverty but to learn what can be done to end it and experience in the process the happiness of residents who see hope after knowing so much suffering.

My first night in Rome was deep slumber in an old monastery, oblivious to the company of nuns from centuries past hovering around my dead tired body. Anyway, nuns are like guardian angels to me, whether dead or alive. I have the deepest appreciation for many of them because of their nature and calling to serve the least and the lost. They practice to me what many of us Catholics keep hidden, have forgotten or afraid to follow - the beautiful teachings of our church on social justice and peace.

I woke up peaceful and refreshed early morning to a bright sunshine and cool weather to face a hectic day in Rome before flying out to London in the evening for my session in Oxford. The sleep did me a lot of good to start me off hale for a backbreaking schedule of speaking engagements and meetings in 5 European countries in 10 days that would tire others half my age, depriving myself of simple joys like valentine with my wife and birthday with my son the following day. Again the energy is from a deep faith that I am doing God's work. My peaceful acceptance of the pain of separation from my family to pursue my mission is for me an act of gratitude to God for the gift of loved ones who have found grace themselves in sharing me with others.

I was in Italy briefly to be with grade school children and teenagers at the Deutch Schull Rom who raised funds for homes and scholarships for the poor in the Fiat village in Silay City, Negros Occidental. In this amazing German school where the children of elite Italians and expatriates study, they are taught compassion and stewardship early.

My whole day spent with them was one of my most refreshing experiences in my recent foreign travels. It was not just the 4500 euros that the kids raised from their allowance and various fund raising activities and the moment when all 150 of them proudly went on stage to present to me the huge mock up check. I was deeply moved when they kept still with avid interest while I spoke and nearly half of them lined up to ask me the most endearing and spontaneous questions coming from the purest and most innocent of hearts during the extended Q & A. One blonde boy asked me in German what a kid like him can do to help more poor children in the Philippines go to school. A small Italian girl with an arm in a sling was nearly in tears when the interpreter could hardly hear her faint voice, when all she wanted to know was if I was born in a hospital or in a home. What do the children in the village eat? What happens to them when it rains? Are they happy with their new home? They kept asking and went back to the long line to ask more after I answered their questions.

The session in the morning with the grade school reinforced my faith in the power of inclusive and universal love that Gawad Kalinga draws out in people all over the world.

Love has no language barrier. It was expressed in German, Italian and English and the heart understood.

Love has no age limit. From the nine year olds who expressed their concern for others so poignantly to our interpreter Alliana, the President of the parents association, who could not hold back her tears while watching expressions of overflowing generosity and profound wisdom from children so young.

Love makes us one. We are one global family building a better, kinder and safer world together. Watching them, I was reminded of my grandchildren that I missed terribly. Somehow the impact of our cause on these foreign children made the pain of being separated from them worth it. After all this is about their future too. My six grandchildren are global Filipinos -- three of them British cappuccinos, one brown American, two attractive native hybrid; all of them will grow up loving the Philippines and caring for our people like their parents.

The afternoon session with high school teenagers was no less spirited or inspiring. They showed me great respect and deep concern for others in their quest for answers, convinced perhaps that my cause is noble and honest. I learned later on that many of them took a deep personal interest in our effort because of their affection for their Filipino domestic workers and know about their struggles with poverty at home. They were visibly touched when they realized that the work of Gawad Kalinga is urgent and aims to grow in scale to stop poor parents from leaving their children to seek work abroad. Three of them approached me after the session to say that they now understand my kind of evangelization as an act of love and justice relevant to them as Catholics in a suffering world.

Hearing them I realized that we have an attractive brand in GK to speak about faith with patriotism in a post-religious Europe to a mainstream non-Filipino crowd of various ages without being seen as leftist, ethnic or cultic. Faith is best expressed in loving without borders, in dining with landlords and squatters, with harlots and zealots to build a better world that includes everyone.

It felt reassuring to have the presence of our envoy to the Vatican, good friend and GK builder Mercy Tuazon and our amiable ambassador to Italy, Romy Manalo. They kept me company the whole afternoon and honored our gracious hosts, from the headmaster and his deputy to the members of the board and the leaders of the parents association, the faculty and the students. Somehow their presence left no doubt in our hosts' minds that our government and church support our cause.

I left the place to catch my flight to London after a sumptuous Italian meal in a nearby restaurant full of pasta and hope. I just tasted the glory of Rome in the company of my new GK family in Italy who wish to share la dolce vita with my people.

It was simply awesome.

The Choice We Make

2011-01-17T17:09:00.003+08:00

Bolting out of Couples for Christ (CFC) and moving to Gawad Kalinga (CFC-GK) is undeniably a tough choice to make.

In July 1991, we have committed ourselves and our children to do work in God’s vineyard through Couples for Christ (CFC) and its Family Ministries. For twenty (20) solid years, we have strived to be faithful CFC servants .We tried to touch people for God every way we could. But somehow, somewhere and sometime in our service, we’ve been put to the test… we got wounded… we faltered and missed the mark… we got adrift. Yet, God in His goodness and mercy never fails to lend a hand and help us to stand up strong time and again and mend our brokenness. For months, we relentlessly prayed for guidance and discernment to come up with a clear, firm and spirit-led pronouncement to make a difference in our journey towards holiness. We prayed for patience and wait for the right moment to declare our certitude to align our spirituality with the work with the poor through Gawad Kalinga (GK). We prayed for boldness to choose a course of action in moving forward and the courage to survive the storms we will encounter if ever we go over the other side of the fence.

For a time, we’ve been so perplexed about what’s going on between the top echelons of leaders in community. Even as we assumed a higher service in the sector, we have been insulated and hardly knew the real score that prompted the CFC-GK mess. So, what is the use of hanging around in a community if we start to doubt its governance; if we start getting hypercritical and judgmental about community’s strategies and plans; if we could no longer get inspiration to keep going; if we could no longer fathom the rationale in unceremoniously removing dedicated leaders from the CFC roster because they’re perceived to be antagonistic to the CFC mission and vision; if we could no longer sense the community’s acceptance that nation-building is one component of evangelization; if we could no longer get the heightened spiritual enrichment and empowerment as we seek to fulfill our destiny as children and servants of God.

Though we see eye to eye with the CFC life and activities, there is one area where we differ in viewpoint with the IC - it's not about being right or wrong rather it's about arriving at a decision after exploring the “benefit of Solomonic wisdom and Jesus’ compassion,” so goes the words of an esteemed brethren.

In Philippians 1:9-10 Paul reminds us to make “excellent” choice – a choice that emanates from a heart fully committed to the Lord. Here, we are being taught that when love abounds in knowledge and discernment, we’re able to understand what is best so that we may “approve the things that are excellent.”

The Lord’s message to us: The recognition that we have to decide with our hearts, to be strong, and believe that what lies ahead is an opportunity to celebrate that elusive springtime in our journey of faith.

We guess it’s time to make a personal choice - to hit the road that leads us on doing what we can do not what we want to do. We cannot underestimate the impact of one’s choice. It can produce lifelong consequences, for good or bad. Of course, it comes with a price - responsibility. And when one is ready to accept and carry out that responsibility, then the reward is true greatness. The reward is timeless. Choosing a community in favor of the other will not always be an easy task. But it is a choice that brings the kind of consequence we can live with. We do not know where God will lead us, we only know that for those who love Him, all things turn out for the best.

There comes a time in a person’s life when he has to pack one’s bag and come to a parting of ways with a place, person or otherwise. Indeed, breaking up is one hard thing to do. It may not be the ultimate life crisis but it requires a special coping and adjusting. Just how does one say "good-bye" to a life of serving, sharing, loving, caring and friendship? Confidently, God in His kindness and compassion will guarantee us with the ability to let go, move on, depart with a smile and take along a handful of great memories. He will provide us with just enough light to see the next step - enjoy what we can see and not grumble about what remains in the dark.

Moreover, who could ever discount the role of a community that has introduced us to God’s work and taught us how to live in it – Couples for Christ, the community that has become a powerful channel for personal and family renewal; the community that has firstly provided us spiritual enrichment and brought us to where we are now in our spiritual journey.

With a heavy heart, we shall leave CFC – the community we have long regarded as a family, co-worker, companion and friend whom we shared great love, passion, and joy in service. We will carry on the CFC mission as a family in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth. Our CFC identity will remain in our hearts and no one can take that away from us.

We will persevere to be God’s humble and zealous laborers who will do whatever it takes to respond to His call to serve the least of our brothers and sisters. Indeed, it is always a great privilege to become a servant when God calls one to it.

As we are about to cross deeper into the heart of God and our own selves, we will be facing a significant and different perspective of service that determines how we respond to the full revelation of His glory and majesty.

And by God’s grace we’ll be filled with a lively faith and find comfort in His promise to restore us back to vibrant undertakings to help us grow in our relationship with Him.

God bless us all.

Terence and Thel Grana

7th Anniversary of Gawad Kalinga

2010-10-11T17:28:00.001+08:00

SPEECH of

His Excellency BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President of the Philippines

At the 7^th Anniversary of Gawad Kalinga

[October 10, 2010, Quezon Memorial Park]

Magandang hapon.

Sa mga ganitong pagsasalu-salo, kadalasan ay ang mga volunteers po ang una nating pinapasalamatan. Ngunit kung mamarapatin po ninyo, nais ko po munang bigyang pugay si Ginoong Tony Meloto: ang Ama ng Gawad Kalinga. At wala na nga po sigurong mas aangkop pa sa salitang “ama” upang ilarawan siya. Siya ang tatay na nagtanim ng binhi upang umusbong ang pamilyang ito. Siya ang haliging nagbibigay pag-asa sa mga walang masilungan. Siya ang amang gumabay sa mga myembro upang maisapuso nila ang dalisay na adhikaing makatulong sa mga nangangailangan. Siya rin ang sandigan ng bawat kasapi at volunteer tuwing may mga kumukwestyon sa tunay na layunin ng Gawad Kalinga. Kaya naman po, kasama ko ang lahat ng Pilipino na nagpapasalamat sa lakas, yaman at panahong inialay ni Tony para itaguyod ang Gawad Kalinga. Patunay po siya at ang pitong (7) matagumpay na taon ng Gawad Kalinga na wala tayong hindi kayang gawin kung ang puhunan natin ay ang tiwala ng bawat isa sa atin. Muli, maraming salamat, Tony.

Ang tagumpay po ng Gawad kalinga ay maihahalintulad din sa tinatamasang tagumpay ng bansa natin ngayon. Gaya ng nagawa ng diwa ng bolunterismo sa inyong grupo, malaki rin po ang iniambag ng mga nag-volunteer at nakiisa sa atin sa paninigurong ang tatahakin natin ay ang matuwid na landas lamang, at hindi na maliligaw pa sa kung saang gubat ng kurapsyon ang ating bayan. Kaya’t hindi ko po pinapalampas ang mga pagkakataong aking personal na pasalamatan ang mga masisipag nating volunteers: kayong nagtiwala at nanalig sa kakayahan nating makamit ang pagbabago, kayong mga hindi pinagdadamutan ng tulong at malasakit ang inyong kapwa at Inang Bayan. Sa lahat ng volunteers ng Gawad Kalinga, marami pong salamat.

Nitong huling miyerkules po, inihayag ko po sa inyo ang mga nagawa ng ating administrasyon sa loob ng isandaang araw. Gaya po ng inaasahan, hindi pa po ako nakakababa sa entablado, kaliwa’t kanan na po agad ang puna ng mga nais iligaw ang bayan natin. Nakakalungkot man po, pero mukhang natural na po yata sa kanila ang sumakit ang loob kung gumaganda ang buhay ng mga Pilipino. Maliban dito, nakakalimutan din po yata nilang may higit sa dalawang-libong araw pa po tayong magtatrabaho upang maitaguyod ang kaunlaran ng ating mga kababayan. At hindi po ito magiging madali. Sangkatutak pa rin po ang mga balakid sa katuparan ng mga pangarap natin: kasama na dito ang mga pulitikal na hadlang mula sa mga nagnanais na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang ligaya. Puso, tapat na paglilingkod at pagkakaisa ang pinakamabisa natin sandata. Ito po ang paulit-ulit na nating napatunayan.

Gaya po ng ginagawa ng Gawad Kalinga, hinihikayat ko po kayong makipagbayanihan upang kumpunihin natin ang ating bayan. Lahat tayo, may magagawa. Ang pagiging simpleng mamamayan ay hindi dahilan upang sabihing wala tayong lakas. Pinatunayan na ito ng Gawad Kalinga.

Kaya naman po natin isinusulong ang pag-uugnayan ng pribadong sektor sa pamahalaan, at sa mga mamamayan. Ito po ang silbi ng Public-Private Partnership Center. Kung negosyante ka, at gusto mong makilahok sa pagbabago, bukas ang pintuan ng gobyerno para sa iyo. Magiging tapat, malinaw, at mabilis ang proseso ng mga papeles mo. Mali naman po sigurong pahirapan ka pa namin kung ang gusto mo naman ay tulungan ang bayan.

Hindi lang yan. Sa DILG, magtutulungan ang mga lokal na opisyal at mga civil society organizations upang maitaas ang kaledad ng regional coordination at mas matugunan ang mga problema sa procurement at peace and order. Sa DSWD naman, paiigtingin natin ang monitoring at auditing ng mga programang pinondohan natin, tulad ng conditional cash transfers at ang KALAHI-CIDSS. Tuloy tuloy ang pagpapalakas natin ng ating mga regional, provincial and municipal offices na siyang mangangasiwa nito. Ilan laman ito sa mga halimbawa ng mga paraan kung paano maaring makilahok ang ordinaryong mamamayan sa pamamahala.

Bibigyang-lakas natin ang isa’t-isa. Sa atin pong pagbabayanihan nakasalalay ang patuloy na tagumpay ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Muli, maraming salamat sa Gawad Kalinga. Sa loob ng pitong taon, hindi lang po makukulay na bahay at yumayabong na mga komunidad ang inyong itinaguyod. Mas higit po dito ang dinadala ninyong pag-asa sa mga kababayan nating nalulugmok sa kahirapan. Sa bawat pamilyang nagbubukas ng pinto sa bago nilang tahanan, may isang bayan din pong malugod na sumasalubong sa pag-unlad.

Ipagpatuloy po natin ang pagbabayanihan; sama-sama nating kumpunihin ang ating bayan. Ngayong nasa kamay nang muli ng taumbayan ang pamahalaan, wala po tayong hindi magagawa. Napakaganda na po ng ating nasimulan, at napakaganda rin ng napipinto nating kinabukasan. Kumakatok na po ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap. Para sa susunod na salinlahi, atin po itong pagbuksan.

Maraming salamat po.

Report Kay Boss

2010-10-11T17:20:00.001+08:00

Jun & Angie: Ruby Anniversary

2010-10-10T11:47:00.004+08:00

click here: Ruby Anniversary , and view the slideshow of the affair.

2009-08-04T08:59:00.002+08:00

GK Robosnai Groundbreaking

2009-04-08T09:23:00.002+08:00

07 April 2009
Groundbreaking
Gawad Kalinga Robosnai
East Fairview, Quezon City
Philippines

(pic taken from www.hblad.no)

Dangerously Beautiful

2009-04-03T10:49:00.000+08:00

GLIMPSES (2009-04-03)
Jose Ma. Montelibano

It is a drama that has captured a nation's attention. Three International Red Cross workers, two foreigners and one local, were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf bandits and are now trapped, together with their tormentors, in a mountain range in Sulu. A threat to behead one of them if government troops would not leave the area and contain themselves only in the Jolo area was not carried out. Having bought time, the kidnapped victims and government forces still do not know how the Abu Sayyaf will play out the drama. Neither does the public which follows the drama.

As I write this article, a deadly cat-and-mouse game intensifies. It does not threaten three lives but hundreds, both innocent and guilty alike. Around the mountain and the large band of bandits with their prisoners are the Marines and civilian militia coming from all the local government units. The Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead one of the kidnapped Red Cross workers because I believe they saw how they could all be massacred by the superior numbers and position of government forces. A simple threat put the Arroyo administration on hold. Once in a while in the Philippines, a life counts, especially if it is white and if it belongs to an international agency.

When Dick Gordon makes a plea for the lives of the three Red Cross workers, I cannot help but shed a tear with him. And what Dick may not be able to show in public but may be very much alive in his heart is a rage I cannot help but also feel. Sympathizing with victims is natural. What is not so clear is the cause of my rage, not just at the inhumanity of banditry for profit but the many lives that will be lost in the future if a settlement is reached and the kidnapped victims are returned alive and safe. What is not clear, even to me, is why a drama can whip up so much public sympathy for the Red Cross workers but almost nothing for the slain soldiers from the Marine Corps.

Are lives of ordinary Filipinos so devoid of value that the death of hundreds under the strangest circumstances that upset international human rights agencies create no public furor? Does it have to be like the case of Mary Jean Lacaba whose threatened life draws so much attention because she is part of the Red Cross? Even when we appreciate, or do not, one human life because it belongs to an ordinary Filipino, it is almost automatic that foreign lives, especially Caucasians, will elicit more importance from us.

I was in Sulu last week, part of a contingent from Gawad Kalinga visiting our first GK village in Patikul and preparing for our second in Panglima Estino. While media plays up the drama of an unresolved kidnapping and a most fluid situation which, in the end, can only end up with more lives lost, a miracle quietly unfolds where landless and homeless Tausug families in a barangay in Patikul discover that life is not all that hopeless. A generous landowner and just as generous a corporation produced land and homes for the poor.

From a very successful first initiative where the provincial government, Marines, civil society personalities, a municipal bureaucracy, and poor residents of a barangay converged in a Gawad Kalinga program, a template for replication is emerging and exciting those who have been traditionally frustrated at how things simply do not work in a conflict torn area. Panglima Estino is somewhere in the middle of Sulu, a place which most Filipinos may never have heard of. Yet, its mayor and the governor of Sulu asked Gawad Kalinga to establish a village in Panglima Estino after seeing how the residents in the first GK village in Patikul are so enthusiastic about their new homes and community.

Several more GK villages are planned for the next twelve months. Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan has been such a persistent advocate for GK in his province and is moving heaven and earth to produce funds for the houses and communities he wants to build with Gawad Kalinga. And the Marines led by Gen. Sabban and Gen. Ecarma believe that development the Gawad Kalinga way may trigger not just development but even friendship. It is unfortunate but somewhat anticipated that intermittent violence is still part of a pattern which is not so easy to break.

Sulu is dangerous not because of its terrain, which, by the way, is so beautiful with shores covered by white sands. Neither is it dangerous because it is home to the fierce and proud Tausug people. It is dangerous because we have allowed historical prejudice and religious competition to overtake the brotherhood that had been our birthright before being colonized and driven to fight against each other. And it will become even more dangerous if we do not struggle to dismantle four hundred years of Christian-Muslim conflict.

In the heat of the moment when bandits who terrorize for profit try to have their cake and eat it, too, what is beautiful in Sulu and its proud people remains hidden from view except from very up close. Sulu teaches us many lessons, many of them sad ones. Sulu reminds us how a divided people are not only weak but destructive to one another. How, then, can a Philippines ever be a strong nation with a fractious, quarreling population, jealous of their religions, resentful of their past and despairing of their future?

The road to peace in Sulu had long started. The path to friendship has begun between Christians and Muslims who are building homes and communities together. The passageway for the rediscovery of our fraternal bonds lies in our hearts if we choose courage over fear, generosity over greed, nobility over compromise.

When a friend from the military coined the phrase “dangerously beautiful” in reference to peace, he did not mean the usual meaning of danger. He was speaking about a personal experience, about how a beautiful land and people would captivate someone not from the place and make him giddy with infatuation. He was sharing, in two words, a love story that began from conflict and now wants to blossom in harmony.

Dangerously beautiful. Sulu.

My Bohol

2009-03-27T15:05:00.000+08:00

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. It is the 10th largest island in the country, located in the heart of the Visayas. To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.

Bohol is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. The Philippine tarsier, considered the second-smallest primate in the world, is indigenous to the island.

Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the 'Republic of Bohol' with both conviction and pride. A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos.

Hills dominate the island of Bohol. Two ranges run roughly parallel on the northwest and the southeast. An interior plateau is dominated by limestone hills. In Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, these hills form near perfect cones in great numbers and are collectively referred to as the Chocolate Hills.

Bohol's climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast. Bohol is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957-1961) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.

GEOGRAPHY

Bohol is the perfect arena for scuba diving, kayaking, trekking and cave exploration. For the less adventurous, it offers leisurely pursuits like cruising, swimming, snorkeling or, simply, collecting seashells by the seashore.

The Island of Bohol is oval-shaped mainland surrounded with 73 smaller islands, having a gently rolling terrain, ideal for commercial and industrial site development. Bohol's mountainous interior is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. At certain points, hills drop steeply to the coast from a maximum elevation of 870 meters above sea level. The interior uplands are fit for agro-forestry and high value agricultural production. The central and northern lowlands have also fertile grounds and abundant water supply. Over a hundred caves have been identified, the biggest of which is found in the eastern part which makes Bohol ideal for spelunking adventures. The Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol are considered one of Philippine's natural wonders and Bohol is often referred to as the Jewel of the Philippines.

Most beaches are of white sand. The sand is often of such high quality that it is exported to other beaches in the world. The most well known of these beaches are in Panglao Island, and there, numerous islets have similar, yet untouched and pristine beaches.

The Loboc River is the most famous, running from the southeastern coast to the center of the island. It is famous for its River Cruise going up to its water source. The largest, Inabanga River, runs in the northern part of the province.

Numerous waterfalls and caves are scattered across the island, including the beautiful Mag-Aso falls in Antequera. Mag-Aso means smoke in the native tongue. The water is cool and often creates a mist in humid mornings which can hide the falls.

CFC Pix Link

2009-01-26T15:44:00.001+08:00

http://cid-39dc4b32f3f05e63.profile.live.com/?lc=1033

2009-01-01T23:58:00.007+08:00

2008-10-22T17:22:00.007+08:00

15th Anniversary of North B 1 B

2008-09-08T16:15:00.011+08:00

Celebrities visit GK Ruby

2008-01-29T22:22:00.000+08:00

Please click the above Title and you will be redirected to pictures of 'Celebrities visit GK Ruby.' Thanks and God bless.

2007 GK1world

2008-01-29T22:16:00.000+08:00

Click the above Title and you will be redirected to the 2007 GK1world. Thanks and God bless.

GK 1MB Challenge 2007 - Marinduque

2007-04-27T09:09:00.000+08:00

Cheryl Cosim's visit to GK Ruby on 27 January 2007

2007-01-31T22:52:00.000+08:00

God's Gift to the Filipino People

2007-01-30T16:04:00.000+08:00

GK Sitio Ruby Senior Citizens’ visit to Marikina City

2007-01-30T15:42:00.000+08:00

By: CHONA C. SANTOS
Sitio Ruby Phase 1
Caretaker Team

Last January 11, I brought a group of ten senior citizens, with ages ranging from 60 – 81 years old, of Sitio Ruby to the Marikina Sports Complex to be introduced to ground golf through the invitation of Nadia Sartre. We were met by the Senior Citizens Association of Marikina after we paid a courtesy call to Mayor Maridez Fernando. She graciously received us at the Shoe Hall of the Marikina City Hall which was quite impressive. We were received like VIP’s to the delight of our senior citizens. The mayor was responsible for introducing the sport to Marikina’s senior citizens which she got from one of her visits to Japan.

Ground golf is played using a wooden mallet with standees made of metal with a ring that serves as the hole where the golf ball is to be holed in, to score. Just like golf, there are supposed to be 18 standees placed 10 meters apart. These standees are portable and can be sited in any terrain or even on a wide lawn. It can also be played with 9 standees only. The balls used are used golf balls, each player is provider his own ball.

The wonderful part here was I saw our GK senior citizens having fun, witnessing them concentrating on the game and walking with sprightly steps toward every hole, making hi fives laughing and giggling. It was a transformation from their long faces and quiet presence in corners unobtrusively listening in their homes or gatherings we had. It was a joy seeing them conversing with our hosts, making new friends as they were trying to play the sport. The best part was they can play this sport at their own pace and they can play the sport at Ecopark which is just walking distance from their homes. Even the former Vice Mayor of Marikina on a wheel chair due to a stroke plays this sport. The game takes only an hour per flight. Once we raise the funds for the equipment, we hope to make this a family sport so that the young kids can play with their grannies and bond. A mallet only costs about P200. The standees can be made out of scrap metal.

By the way, the Japanese senior citizens from Yachimata, Japan are coming to Marikina to play for a friendly tournament of ground golf this August with a contingent of 300 men & women players. We hope that our senior citizens would be able to compete this August. This might catch on to our other GK sites and we hope that this will open doors of great possibilities in all aspects. They say life now begins at 60 (from 40 before) because of longer expectancy. We heard wonderful stories of how this game has changed the lives of senior citizens in Marikina and Yachimata. As long as there is life there is hope and age should not be a hindrance to one’s search for fulfillment and happiness.

terence and friend

2006-11-21T09:36:00.000+08:00

Congress Cites Gawad Kalinga - 10.10.2006

2006-11-08T21:27:00.000+08:00

Building a business for employees – BusinessWorld – 24 July 2006

2006-08-01T07:59:00.000+08:00

Newsbarbers’ Dennis A. Gadil (ENTERPRISER)

BY IRIS CECILIA C. GONZALES, Senior Reporter

Tradition has it that we go to our friendly neighborhood barbershop, not only for a haircut but also to hear about the latest talk of the town, the community gossip or whatever news there is.

Dennis A. Gadil, a newspaper man, said this is a tradition he wanted to keep alive because he credits his narrative skills to his neighborhood barbershop in Paranaque, where he grew up.

Mr. Gadil has been working as a journalist for Malaya since 1993, covering mainly the legislative beats.

Because of this, Mr. Gadil, along with his fellow newsmen, thought of putting up Newsbarbers.

Mr. Gadil made sure, however, that his barbershop is no ordinary shop. More importantly, Newsbarbers is both a business and a venue to empower employees by teaching them not just about business but about investing.

Thus, its owners make it a point that its barbers will have the opportunity to become part owners through the money that they put in the company.

Mr. Gadil and former People’s Journal reporter Zaldy de Loyola opened the first branch at Ever Gotesco mall along Commonwealth Avenue in August 2002.

Now, barely four years since the launch of Newsbarbers, the group has three operating branches in Circle C mall in Congressional, SM Fairview and the one in Ever Gotesco. The group will open two more this year – one in SM Bacoor and another in SM Pasig.

The opportunity came when eight seasoned barbers defected from an existing shop because of poor labor practices. Mr. Gadil and his colleagues thought of helping the workers by providing a venue where they could practice their skills under a labor-friendly environment. Now, the group is proud of how Newsbarbers has turned out.

“It’s basically the same service but the major difference is how we run the business and how we treat the employees,” Mr. Gadil told BusinessWorld.

His employees have, in fact, become investment partners, an opportunity they never thought would happen. Buddy Gonzales, the shop’s head barber, is now part owner because his employers encouraged him to put up his money into the business. He has also been appointed area manager.

“We also have a trust fund for employees that they can tap for loans in case of emergency or whatever need arises,” Mr. Gadil said.

Former radio journalist Terence Grana said the group would continue to maintain good service to their clients and help empower employees. The utility men or the janitors – there are at least two in every shop – are also trained to become barbers so they can earn more.

The group is also planning to expand the business over the next two years by opening it for franchise. “Franchising is the direction. We are looking at five franchises in two years,” Mr. Gadil said.

This bunch of newsmen-enterprisers, however, are not resting on their laurels. They have vowed to uphold the service and continue to teach and train their employees how to satisfy the customer.

And living up to its name, Newsbarbers also makes sure that clients can catch the latest neighborhood chit-chat, as well as the latest political and economic developments.

The television sets in each shop are tuned in to the news at the scheduled timeslots so that clients can listen to what’s happening.

Running the business, though, is not without challenges. Mr. Gadil complained about the tedious registration process in putting up the business, as well as the various tax requirements.

Mr. Gadil said it is not easy to run a business, but he advises would-be enterprisers to study the market first and familiarize themselves with what they are getting into.

“One has to master the formula of the particular business that he wants to get into,” he pointed out. In the case of Newsbarbers, the group chose to put up their businesses in malls because malling has become a one-stop shop experience for families.

This is in contrast to stand-alone barbers shops in commercial districts like Tomas Morato. Based on Newsbarbers’ experience, he said, it is more practical to have the shop inside malls because families would want to be able to do everything they want when they go out. The mother can do the groceries or shop with the children, while the husband can go to the barbershop while waiting.

But not all malls are ideal, he said. When asked why Newsbarbers did not expand in the newly opened Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Mr. Gadil said it is not the kind of mall where families would go to do the groceries or have a haircut. “It’s a very leisure-type mall,” he said. He also advises entrepreneurs to invite other investors if they want to put up a capital-intensive business such as a barbershop. If one can’t do it alone, it would be good to seek the help of other people. Investment in a barbershop can go as high as P900,000 to P1 million.

Suzy Unas — Making it in music lounge circuits - Manila Bulletin 07.18.2006

2006-07-18T18:45:00.000+08:00

(Suzy is a daughter of Brother Rollie and Sister Mabee Unas.)

Many would think that singing in music lounges is an easy task. And this is why newcomers take their music lounge stint as their stepping stones in building their musical careers. Well, in a way, performing in a music lounge is quite easy, but newcomers shouldn’t take it so comfortably or easily that they neglect to dwell on the thought that the first step to anything is the most important, the most vital.

For Suzy Unas, beginnings are of prime importance. That is why she always endeavors to do her best in anything she does, especially when she embarked on her singing career two years ago, in 2004. "I never thought I’d seriously consider singing to be my career," Suzy said over dinner at Dulcinea Morato. But of course she knew she had a fine singing voice.

This 20-something fair-complexioned charmer took up Hotel and Restaurant Management at UP but when she was in high school, she had started taking up voice lessons. "Then, I would sing in school affairs. But singing took the backseat when I became sort of an athlete. I played volleyball in school." Something that could have put her in great shape. (To maintain her good physique, Suzy goes to the gym, the same gym I go to everyday and where my wife Cathy and I met Suzy.)

In 2004, someone urged Suzy to try out to be a lounge singer at the Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas. She liked the experience, and learned to love singing enough for her to resume taking up voice lessons and in 2005, she went full-blast in her singing career.

These days, Suzy fills up her calendar with a five-day a week stint in various music lounges. Mondays, she sings at the Intercon; Wednesdays at Calesa Bar in Hyatt Regency Manila; Thursdays at the Celebrity Lounge of Broadway Centrum; Fridays at the Lobby Lounge of Hyatt Hotel & Casino; and Saturdays at Boulvar Music Lounge of Manila Pavilion Hotel. Tuesdays and Sundays are Suzy’s days-off.

She may have a fulltime singing stint these days but Suzy said she keeps on learning, not only new songs, but on how to deal with different people and cope with situations that may arise anytime.

"Different lounges have different characters because of the people who go there," Suzy explained. "For instance, Boulvar Music Lounge is to me the most challenging. Because people go there not necessarily to hear someone sing. They go there to talk business most of the time, to have a drink in a quiet atmosphere and if they have their way, they’d rather you stop singing and go home. So it’s a big challenge to make people notice you and listen to your music."

It’s a totally different experience at the Calesa Bar, Suzy shared. "Because working at the Calesa Bar is more demanding, knowing that people go there to listen to good music because it’s a place known for good music."

She has learned a lot eversince she started her solo singing career two years ago, but she’s still learning, Suzy stressed.

In two years’ time she thinks she has achieved something just by making her presence felt in the music lounges she performs in. But she dreams of bigger things, like being able to record an album someday. "I’d like to prove my mettle in recording. But at the moment, I’m not expecting too much. Kasi I might fail and that would be painful. So I just do my best everytime I perform."

How about showbiz? "Well, why not if the opportunity knocks? If it comes, it comes. I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it."

Well said from a pretty music lounge singer ON THE RISE!

Typhoon "Florita"

2006-07-13T13:00:00.000+08:00

little georgie sez:

2006-07-12T10:27:00.000+08:00

“Building a Nation from the Ground Up…The Gawad Kalinga Initiative”

2006-07-11T15:16:00.000+08:00

Asian Development Bank
Leadership Enhancement and Advancement Program
Effective Implementation of Strategic Plans and Programs
ADB Headquarters – 9 to 10 May 2006, Manila
“Building a Nation from the Ground Up…The Gawad Kalinga Initiative”

Gawad Kalinga has grown to be a movement of nation-building because it dared to hope amidst an environment of cynicism.

In a country known for its corruption and its poverty, Gawad Kalinga is awakening and inspiring heroism in people beaten down by disasters of history, politics and natural calamities.

Barely 3 years since the launch of its bold campaign of GK777 (700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years), Gawad Kalinga is being recognized by the government, the business sector, the Church and the media to be a powerful force of change.

With over 700 communities built nationwide, touching the lives of 70,000 families and partnering with over 300 LGU’s and 100 corporations, GK is rapidly transforming the physical, social and cultural landscape of the Philippines.

What drives the flourishing spirit of GK may be summed up in four things :

First, the movement is fired up by a grand vision that awakens the dying spirit of patriotism that lives in every Filipino. That is why advocates, partners and volunteers of GK work and move with a passion and a love for the Philippines that is infectious.

Second, GK presents a striking perspective on poverty and human behavior that surprises even the most stalwart of skeptics. Its insights strike deep within because they inherently ring true while questioning the very tenets that the modern world has been built upon.

Third, GK breeds a radical culture. The spirit, the passion and the commitment of its people - the way they move and the way they act – while rooted primarily on Christian values remain generally relevant and true on a universal level because of shared values of nobility and humanity.

And finally, its operational success can be attributed likewise to the fact that its inspiration moves equally from the ground up. From the very beginning, the major shifts and major directions of Gawad Kalinga have been led by experiences and realizations from the ground.

A Grand Dream

The problem of poverty in the Philippines is massive and that is why GK faces it with an equally grand vision of a slum-free, squatter-free Philippines.

It is a powerful vision matched by an aggressive action plan through the GK777 campaign.

Launched in October 4, 2003, GK 777 is a quantifiable goal that aims to reach a critical mass tipping the scales to genuine poverty reduction in the country.

It likewise sets the stage for a concrete and visible manifestation, as homes and communities rise nationwide, of a transformation of the physical and social landscape.

The birth of a vision

GK started out as a youth program of Couples for Christ in December 1995, at one of the biggest squatter re-location areas in Metro Manila – Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

A group led by Tony Meloto, inspired by the call of Christ to serve the poor, initiated a weekend camp among the youth with hopes to rehabilitate gang members and drug addicts raised in the slum areas – to transform them before they become the next-generation criminals of Metro Manila.

It was through their direct and constant contact with the youth and, concurrently, with the communities where they lived that they stumbled upon key insights that made them realize that they were facing an even greater challenge.

The group learned that no matter how intensive the rehabilitation of the youth, should they return to live within the same slum community, it would be difficult to expect a sustained transformation of their behaviour.

It was imperative then that the solution involves the entire community and hence the mandate was raised to the transformation of slum environment, community after community, town after town.

The underlying 5-point strategy

To achieve its vision of transforming slums, Gawad Kalinga has mapped out a simple strategy of development in building its communities.

Land for the landless. It is the aim of GK to provide security of land to each poor family. The poor are driven to squat in the cities and in rural areas because they do not own land to build their own homes. Without security of land, the poor will continue to live under the threat of an uncertain future, bereft of hope, dreams, and aspirations that they could work for.

Homes for the homeless. By building beautiful, sturdy homes, the basic unit of society - the family may now be built on solid ground.

Food for the hungry. A hungry man is an angry man. It is GK’s goal to provide each of its GK communities with a food sufficiency program through either backyard or communal farming and food processing.

Water for the thirsty. The lack of flowing, clean water may lead to unsanitary conditions and debilitating diseases that strike down primarily the young. GK engages the local government and its other partners to provide a dependable water system for its communities as an integral part of its community health program.

Light for those in darkness. It is both a practical and a pastoral tenet by which GK communities are built on. With adequate physical lighting, living conditions are transformed – children can properly study at home and people can walk the streets without fear. It is also about a community-based child and youth development program where the potential of every child and every youth reaches its full fruition.

Provocative Insights on Poverty

What strikes you with Gawad Kalinga is not the colorful houses – in fact, it is these same houses that usually make people dismiss it at first glance as a simple housing project – but instead, it is the insights that it raises about poverty, society and culture that is something quite revolutionary.

GK presents a unique perspective on poverty … that poverty is not an economic problem --- but one that is spiritual and behavioral.
The problem of poverty is not about a lack of moneyas much as it is a loss of human dignity.

The poor may not have steady financial resources to support their basic needs but what permanently cripples them the most, disabling them from rising from poverty, is the loss of human dignity. Once stripped of their dignity -- forced to live in conditions quite close to that of a pig pen, people start to live like pigs. It is then that standards of living decline, value systems crumble and chaos rules.

Poverty is most debilitating to the men who are reduced to living like animals (becoming predators) when they are de-humanizedand stripped of their natural male nobility.

Men, by their very nature, are meant to be hunters and protectors of their families and, most especially in the Philippines, men are expected by society to be the providers. Caught in the cycle of poverty and being unable to deliver as he is expected to, Filipino men lose all motivation to be productive members of society and instead turn towards vices of drinking, gambling, mendicancy and some, even turn to a life of violence to regain their primacy over society.

The cycle of poverty is rooted in the divisiveness of our nation.

The Filipinos are an intelligent and talented people but most have been pursuing the path of individual gain and achievement without a conscious effort to work for the common good. For decades now politics, religion, socio-economic class and ideology have divided the country. Further, driven by ambition, self-interest, pride and the need to provide for their children and their family beyond their need, those who have material wealth have turned a blind eye to a great many others who are in need. The Filipino has lost his inherent culture of bayanihan, its culture of working together as a community for the greater good.

Our acts of charity only succeeded to raise a country of beggars.

Because we only pity the poor, we give a pittance.

Despite being the only predominantly Catholic country in Southeast Asia, the Philippines sadly remains to be one of the poorest. 400 years of sermons have made the Filipino people pious and dutiful Catholics and yet far removed from the teachings of Christ in caring for the poor. Giving alms has become an escape route from genuinely loving and serving the poor as Christ did.

That is why GK’s attack to poverty is quite revolutionary. It does not address poverty through a financial solution. It addresses poverty through environmental and social engineering. And its work is not a work of charity but a movement of nation-building.

GK focuses on the restoration of the dignity of the poor by building colorful GK homes in beautiful communities. From flimsy shanties of bleak grey rusted iron sheets, motley brown used plyboards and tattered tarpaulins and plastic, GK builds for the poor sturdy structures painted in bright colors of hope. From unsanitary surroundings, GK brings them to clean, beautifully landscaped communities. From bare survival in pig pens and chicken coops the poor now turn to a quality of life equal to upscale subdivisions. By providing them with a middle-class environment the poor start to have middle-class dreams and aspirations to work for.

Where most interventions target women and children, for GK the initial intervention is through the men. GK raises the men to their inherent nobility and productivity by getting them to build homes for their family and for their community. GK puts man’s natural brawn to good use – turning him away from destructive activities in society and instead leading him towards building for his neighbor.

The success of a GK community is hinged on the improved quality of life of the entire community rather than the economic or material standards of living of an individual. Through its various programs, GK aims to renew the culture of bayanihan in its communities. GK breaks the current culture of individual gain and instead envisions a strong united community that builds together, plants together, harvests together and rises together – believing that no one will be left behind.

Through GK, Filipinos are transcending differences to come together for nation-building. GK unites by not discriminating in terms of politics, religion or ideology. In Muslim Mindanao, GK has forged friendships and partnerships in 20 communities where Christians and Muslims build together, live together and rise together.

Breaking out of the usual fund-raising mentality, GK focuses on building strong partnerships.

In GK, everyone is welcomed not as a donor but as a key stakeholder… a committed and passionate partner in re-building the nation.

Through a creative formula of counterparting, GK has been able to forge strong multi-sectoral partnerships that bring together individual resources (financial, human and extraordinary) to effectively fill in gaps.

In the model of Kalinga Luzon, the national government through National Disaster Coordinating Council and the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided a 50/50 share of the funds with GK for the construction of homes.

The local government secured the land, provided site development and the use of heavy equipment. Other groups come in to drive the programs on-ground.

A Radical Culture

The program of development set by Gawad Kalinga while inspiringly revolutionary may not see fruition if not for the radical culture and value system that inspire its workforce of caretaker teams, volunteers and full-time workers. Guided by values that are primarily rooted on Christianity, the people of GK fuel the growing movement by leading with integrity and inspiration. It is what sets GK apart from other equally altruistic organizations. It is also what makes the movement strong and steadfast in its passion and commitment.

Bayanihan. Inherent in the Filipino culture where people work together for the common good – it has now gained renewal in the world of GK, demonstrated literally through the bayanihan chains during builds. The spirit of bayanihan however remains powerful everyday as everyone from all sectors continues to come together for the work of nation-building.

Servant leadership. Contrary to the predominant culture of leadership in the country where those who lead gain supreme priority over all others, in GK leadership takes a humbling posture of serving the very least – the poor.

Even in the Kapitbahayan, the neighborhood association in every GK village, the type of leadership passed on to the community is best captured by the tenet “Una sa serbisyo, huli sa benepisyo” (First to serve, last to benefit.)

Padugo. Literally meaning to bleed, this unique value requires one to give of oneself until it hurts. GK started out from the padugo of members of Couples for Christ. The first sixteen houses in GK Baseco were borne from pockets of the CFC which eventually served as the inspiration that started bringing in the partners. Now there are over a thousand homes up in GK Baseco. Padugo is a way of ridding the country of the culture of begging and instead directing its people to help themselves, to build from their own resources initially in order to inspire people to give of themselves.

Heroism. GK believes in the inherent heroism and nobility in everyone. Bawat Pilipino Bayani! (Every Filipino a hero!) It is a challenge to every Filipino to live as heroes for their country and their people by first seeking change and driving greatness in oneself and thereafter witnessing to inspire change and greatness in others.

Honoring and engaging the good in others. The country is caught in a vicious cycle of blame -- politicians, journalists and other pressure groups continue to blame and bash each other for the problems of our country.

Instead GK suggests a new culture of honoring. To inspire powerful change it is imperative that we honor the good example of others. That is also why GK works with everyone, it does not take sides in political parties or discriminate against corrupt officials. It does not judge others by their past mistakes but instead engages them in order to correct the mistakes of the past.

Stewardship and excellence. GK calls for a new culture of caring and sharing – a culture driven by a responsibility and accountability for what is happening in the country and what is happening with the poor. It will be a new culture of stewardship that ensures that everyone is seen in equal dignity and raised to a standard of excellence, where no one is left behind. Stewardship requires that the potential for greatness of everyone is brought out and utilized.

Dynamics from On-Ground

The bulk of Gawad Kalinga work and its workforce is on-ground -- its caretaker teams, its community organizing and its program volunteers are on-site every single day. The work continues to grow from insights, learnings and mistakes that are culled from experiences within the GK communities. The heart and soul of the work can only be found in the transformed communities – that it is inherently impossible for the work to move and grow without being driven by inspiration from the ground.

So while the vision is being driven from the top, it takes inspiration from the movements of the spirit on-ground. Further, strategies and ideas reach its natural death should it fail to find a natural place on-ground. This is a dynamic relationship kept abuzz by the healthy pressure from both ends of the spectrum.

To manage its on-ground operations in a growing network of sites, partners and volunteers, GK follows four simple guidelines in the implementation of its programs. They are the same guidelines shared with volunteers who wish to implement a specific program in a specific site – aiming to break down the daunting task of transforming communities.

Doable. Simplicity is key. Proposals/programs must be bite-sized for better management and implementation. Programs must initially be successful and manageable on a micro-level before it can succeed to effect a change in the macro level.

Visible. The work of transformation must be visual to be able to convince. GK is in the business of show-and-tell, that is why it is essential to showcase. A before-and-after demonstration has always proven to be powerful. It likewise builds credibility for the work.

Quantifiable. Because we represent a concrete vehicle for change, we produce concrete results-- number of homes and communities built, number of hectares of land given, number of Sibol kids reached.

Replicable. A multitude of successful micro-communities make-up a powerful macro model. It is thus essential to template in order to cascade successful learnings to other communities. The success for instance of the model of Kalinga Luzon was easily replicated for the rehabilitation work of Kalinga Leyte.

A Future Full of Hope

The Filipino is simply asked to honor his birthright, to make his love for his country and his people one of the leading drivers of his life. This is what Gawad Kalinga is awakening – it is what the Filipino has forgotten in the quest for his own survival, it is what has driven him to find opportunities elsewhere. But his individual success, wherever he is, will never be enough.

He may lead companies, be at the zenith of his career… but as long as his country remains third world he will be looked upon by the world as second class. It is inevitable that the Filipino, to rise, raise his country and his people out of poverty.

Four things that GK asks from every Filipino:

Never stop hoping for our country

Never stop caring for our people

Demand greatness of oneself as a Filipino

Inspire greatness in other Filipinos

What started out as a simple need to love the poor has blossomed into a rallying point of hope and unity for an entire nation. It has likewise produced a powerful and dynamic template to break free from the debilitating clutches of poverty that is enslaving third-world countries.

Gawad Kalinga is now in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Cambodia and India. It will soon build in Timor-Leste and in South America. The inspiring force that has borne (and continues to drive) Gawad Kalinga can be attributed to the four key factors discussed in detail above…and yet one cannot fail to recognize that it is the triumph of the human spiritrooted on a solid and intense faith that consistently works through it all.

It is what feeds the life force of its workers and what strikes partners as extraordinary, both Filipinos and non-Filipinos. It is where the boldness, the passion and the love flow. It is what makes every GK community evidently alive and filled with hope. And it is what the Filipinos, through Gawad Kalinga, have to offer to the world.

This paper was presented to ministers, senior and middle level executives in the government, private sector and civil society of the ff. countries : Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste.

The Highways of Mindanao
by Jose Ma Montelibano, INQ7.net - April 28, 2006

TRULY, the most dangerous highways are in Mindanao, even for Muslims. They do not seem to be. Safe and dangerous highways usually look alike. But the presence of checkpoints, the number of checkpoints, and the bunker-like structures beside them define the kind of highways they are.

In another dramatic gathering, thousands of Christians, Muslims, and Muslims drove all the way from various points in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in a caravan that included several hundreds cars. Destination: Camp Abubakar.Gawad Kalinga (GK) has just celebrated its second HOPE event, HOPE meaning Highway of Peace. Communities from the poorest of the poor among Muslims, “lumad” [indigenous peoples] and Christians are being built by Gawad Kalinga across Mindanao.Former conflict areas where fighting was once the fiercest now host communities built by friendship, by Filipinos who defy religious, political and historical prejudice.

However noble and heroic Gawad Kalinga's intentions and actions are, the risks remain in place. GK communities in Datu Paglas, Buluan, SK Pendatun, Upi, Kidapawan, Tacurong, and now, in Tugaig, Barira, which served as the headquarters of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front under the late Hashim Salamat, are safe. Not only that, they are friendly and hospitable. But traveling the highways of Mindanao to get to these GK villages can be a test of faith, especially at night. And no one knows this better than the people of Mindanao themselves.

The Second HOPE gathering at Camp Abubakar last Sunday, April 23, was a testimony to the determination of Christians, Muslims and lumad to rediscover not only peaceful coexistence but active cooperation.

Hundreds of vehicles carrying thousands of peace builders trekked hundreds of kilometers from different origins and braved the danger born from horror stories about traveling across several provinces in central Mindanao. Many couples brought their young children with them, as if to teach them by example that Filipinos are brothers and sisters whatever their religion, tradition, and political preferences.

Camp Abubakar itself is a recent symbol of great conflict because of the bombings and fighting that it experienced in 2000. It also stands as a monument of courage and aspiration of a people seeking to correct historical anomalies and live out their belief systems. With colorful Gawad Kalinga villages brightening the mountainous landscapes of Barira, Camp Abubakar is becoming a new symbol of friendship and respect.

Mayor Totoy Paglas started the journey of trust when he consented to try the Gawad Kalinga program in his municipality, Datu Paglas, despite knowing that GK was an initiative of a Christian renewal community. He allayed the fears of Muslims that Christians are out to convert them and staked his leadership on the stated pro-poor objectives of Gawad Kalinga. His trust has been justified with GK villages spread in four areas of Datu Paglas.

Beyond being affirmed, Totoy Paglas experienced being a source of inspiration to neighboring Muslim leaders, several of whom followed his example. Surrounding towns now host their own GK villages and use these as prime models for uplifting the quality of life of their poor. The bold response of Mayor Alex Tomawis to use GK as his main mechanism to rebuild his devastated town is reaping outstanding results. Many residents who fled during the hostilities in 2000 are back and GK has built more than 200 new homes for them.

More local government units in Muslim Mindanao have approached GK to work out future partnerships. GK is only too willing to help because the fraternity of Christians and Muslims is its priority objective in Mindanao. If the pace of GK in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is not as fast as it would like, it is simply laying the groundwork for future partnerships, groundwork for personal friendships with partners-to-be.

Building highways of peace means building friendship villages where Christians and Muslims of Mindanao work together to bring their poor towards a brighter future. The spirit of “bayanihan” [community collaboration] strengthens the bonds among all stakeholders of Gawad Kalinga; it also fosters an environment where collective productivity will find opportunity to be taught, to grow, and to be the basis of sustainable development.

It is common knowledge, and a common plaint of Muslims, that Muslim Mindanao is an area that has been left behind. Unless special, maybe even unconventional, focus is given to them, highways across Mindanao will stay dangerous.

It is not easy to transcend deep-seated differences which have been constantly provoked by violence. It is not easy for a minority to forgive the majority, especially when that majority stands accused as having occupied the ancestral domain of the minority. It is not easy to forget the atrocities committed by all sides, even when most of those ugly crimes were not sanctioned by the leaderships of the contending parties. It is not easy but it is necessary. It is necessary for peace, it is necessary for progress it is necessary for the survival of a fledgling nation.

There are those whop profit from the misery of others. These profiteers or manipulators will place roadblocks in the pursuit of a peaceful and thriving Mindanao. Greed and lust for power will be the worst enemies of those who seek to reach out in friendship, and to those who wish to accept the invitation for fraternal cooperation. But what needs to be done must be done if that elusive unity of one people can be given a chance to rediscover itself. Many have taken the first courageous steps, those who dared dangerous highways to offer their hands in friendship. Let us join them, and make Mindanao’s highways a symbol of a people reborn.

GK Director Exhorts Nation's Scholars
"Scholars of the Country, Heroes for the Country"
By Antonio P. Meloto - April 22, 2006
Given at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Commencement Exercises National College of Public Administration and Governance

Thank you very much for inviting me to this very important day in your lives. I did not go to school here at U.P. but two people very close to my heart finished here. My dad graduated here in Business Administration 68 years ago and my second child finished Theatre Arts here in 2003. I’m very elated, as this is the first U.P. graduation I’ve attended and it somehow lessens the guilt of not attending my daughter’s graduation because I put more importance on my mission to the poor.

When I was invited by Dean Alex Brillantes to be your speaker I asked myself what could I possibly say to some of the brightest minds in the country, scholars of the country, many of whom want to go into public service. I am not a politician. Since 1996, I vowed not to take on any political position, whether appointive or elective. I just wanted to serve the poor. I wanted to help the poor by caring for the least of my brethren as a Christian who was challenged to follow Jesus all the way to the slums. I wanted to learn how to care for the weak and the powerless who were victims of history and a political system that they thought they were helpless to change. So I speak before you as an ordinary Filipino who has discovered the potential of every Filipino to make a difference and to bring about meaningful change by learning to trust one another and to work together for the common good.

Going back to my father, he lived a remarkably simple life although he was the contemporary in U.P. of two powerful people – former President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Ambassador Roberto Benedicto. I remember the times when he would talk about these two popular men and I often wondered to myself why he was happy to be a nobody – contented with his life as a public school teacher and later on as an accounting clerk who could hardly provide for six children. One thing about my father, he was scrupulously honest, although frankly, I would have been happier in those times for him to be more compromising so we could have more comforts in life. At age 81, he died without ever owning a piece of land… or building his own house… or driving his own car. He left us with nothing except his good name, the respect of his friends and the many lessons he taught me. The greatest one I learned is that the political power of Marcos and the business empire of Benedicto failed to bring our country out of poverty and to make life better for our people. It is not political power or wealth that builds a nation. Power and wealth are mere consequences of a strong nation. A strong nation is built by a strong people -- people who are determined to work hard, people who are willing to sacrifice for one another and the common good and most importantly, people with integrity.

U.P. has produced many people with integrity like my father. And it is this value that I want to highlight for those of you who want to go into public service or any field of human endeavor. Integrity is what we have lost as a people. We no longer trust our institutions. We lack confidence to succeed in our own country. We have lost the respect of other countries. Integrity is what we have to regain. Intelligence, competence, talents, skills we have in abundance because we are a gifted people but they are meaningless without integrity.

My father almost failed in me when I took the path of selfishness, wanting only to help myself gain the wealth and power that I never had. I compromised the values and integrity that he taught me to achieve my personal ambitions. But God intervened in my life in 1985 when I joined Couples for Christ and discovered a beautiful plan for me, for my family and my country. My family and I cannot grow at the expense of others but in fact achieve it by helping others find their own security and quality of life. Our selfishness has created the mess that we are in. Worse, we are caught in a vicious culture of blame. Yes there is basis for blame. Many politicians have not kept their promises… many of the rich have not shared their wealth… some Church leaders have failed to practice what they preach… many Filipinos have abandoned their country… and even the poor have been criticized for not working hard enough. At the rate we are blaming each other, everybody is to blame. We all had shortcomings and we all made mistakes. But blaming alone never solves the problem. It does not build homes for the poor. It does not feed the hungry. It does not restore human dignity. It destroys friendship. It poisons the spirit. It kills hope. Instead of looking for fault in others let’s look at ourselves –- what we have done wrong, what we have failed to do. We need to change…but for me, change begins with myself.

We have destroyed so much of ourselves and our country that me changing myself is not enough… that you changing yourself is not enough. We have to inspire change in many others… and, we have to change together. Change will not come easy, that’s why we need to encourage and we need to honor all the good examples around us. We need to invite everyone to come on board. Poverty is so massive that our response to it cannot be small. We cannot rebuild this country if we do not engage every sector of society including government. It is counter-productive to judge all government officials as corrupt. In dealing with dishonest men, just be honest. We cannot change people if we make them our enemies. Engage them and bring out the best in them.

While many are accustomed to the path of blame, we have to discover a new path, build a new culture of honoring those who do good.

In Gawad Kalinga, we work with National Government agencies and over 300 mayors and governors and we have been inspired by their sincerity and their determination to help the poor in their towns and provinces. Last year, we discovered a lot of outstanding local government officials in our effort to rehabilitate victims of calamities and conflict. The popular image of politicians as trapos and corrupt has not often been our experience. In working together, most of them have shown sincerity, deep concern for their constituents, and honesty in their dealings with Gawad Kalinga. If we maintain our integrity in dealing with them, they can be encouraged to respond to us in the same way.

We have partnered with over a hundred corporations and many prominent families and individuals. They are not the insensitive, selfish, greedy people many have always painted them to be, when they are given the chance to show their concern and express their generosity. Many of them have adopted Gawad Kalinga as their opportunity to make a difference, and many more will do the same because of their example.

The past year here in Luzon,we needed 400 hectares to 40,000 homeless families who lost loved ones because they lived in dangerous areas. We thought it would be hard to find land for relocation but in 2 months we were able to raise 507 hectares in 12 provinces. We found out Filipinos were generous if they became believers.

The religious sector is likewise not indifferent. A number of churches are responding with boldness to the call of nation-building by restoring the dignity of poor Filipinos. Bishop Soc Villegas took the initiative to build the Cardinal Sin GK Village for the informal settlers in Punta Sta. Ana; Bishop Precioso Cantillas is helping in the rehabilitation of landslide victims in Southern Leyte; Archbishop Ramon Arguelles is providing Church land to informal settlers of Lipa City; and today, CBCP President and Archbishop of Jaro, Angel Lagdameo, is opening Church land in 5 vicariates to host Gawad Kalinga communities for the poorest of the poor including many Church workers. The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches had not been less generous when they partnered with Gawad Kalinga together with National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in building new communities for the typhoon victims in Luzon. And now, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, more popularly known as the Mormons, have volunteered their services and offered their expertise and resources in providing water systems in GK communities all over the country. We are seeing a miracle in progress as different churches transcend their differences to work together to build a nation by helping the poor rise from poverty. This emerging unity is an affirmation of the Gawad Kalinga spirit of non-discrimination in the choice of whom to help and working with those who want to help. Muslims and Christians alike can still help each other.

Tomorrow I am flying to Camp Abubakar. Five years ago there was an all out war that destroyed an entire Muslim community. Over one thousand families of our Muslim brothers and sisters lost their homes. Tomorrow we will see 200 houses rising from the ashes of war. Together with Barira Mayor Alex Tomawis, DSWD and SMART, Christians and Muslims are building peace and friendship by building peaceful Gawad Kalinga communities in Camp Abubakar. This is also happening in 20 Muslim communities in Mindanao.

Millions of Filipinos have left the Philippines and we thought they had deserted us. But then again, this is not true. They have not forgotten. They have not stopped loving the motherland. Many are not just giving resources to build homes and villages but are actually coming home to help build them themselves. The Kampampangans helping Pampanga and Tarlac… the Batangueños helping Batangas… the Bicolanos helping Bicol.. and many more helping the provinces and towns of their birth. They are making true the words of Isaiah, “Your sons and daughters will come home to rebuild your broken cities.”We gave life to the spirit of negativity, pessimism and divisiveness in our country and succeeded in convincing ourselves that we are hopeless. When we are in an attack mode in pursuit of even the noblest causes, the natural reaction is to defend and fight back perpetuating an environment of conflict. We need a more radical response to our present predicament. Radical means to be different and to be passionate. Passion for change is oftentimes fueled by anger but passion that is more powerful is fueled by love… Love for God & country… Love for God & our poor countrymen. You can still be radical by following the path of love and the path of peace.

The University of the Philippines has always been known for being radical. It has produced outstanding men and women who risked their lives, their families and their future to fight injustice and corruption… most of them driven by a sincere desire for change. Despite the long history of militancy however, this university that has produced some of the most powerful leaders, politicians, businessmen and prominent advocates of many causes has not lifted our people out of poverty and our country out of corruption.

Is it possible for U.P. to champion a new brand of radicalism to what we already know? One that entails engaging all sectors of society without judgment or discrimination, following the path of peace and the true spirit of bayanihan (to be a hero for one another) to concretely find solutions to our problems.

Instead of putting down, can we try building up? Instead of fighting, how about helping? Instead of being first, how about not leaving anyone behind? Most of all to the bright and rich… the poor who could not attend UP, could we come back for them? Let us not leave them behind.

Even as we exercise our right to speak up and even criticize what we believe is not right, can we as vigorously honor what we see is good? Can we build and restore this country, where no Filipino is an enemy… where we will rise together because the weakest and the powerless among us will not be left behind?Are you radical enough for this? Let me answer for you.

Yes, you are. This brand of radicalism already exists in U.P. but not recognized and honored enough. U.P. has Pahinungod which has done a marvelous job of stirring the spirit of volunteerism but it needs to be mainstreamed, sustained and embraced as a way of life. U.P. has given birth to many Non-Government Organizations (NGO) and cause-oriented groups that are sincere in their desire to help our country.

Three things that we need to recognize about being radical:

Working together to build peace in times of conflict is radical.

Fraternities fighting each other is normal. Fraternities working together… that is radical. When people unite, transcend political, religious and cultural differences and work together for the common good… that is radical. That is what Upsilon and Beta Epsilon, Beta Sigma and Alpha Sigma are starting to do in Gawad Kalinga. I honor Eric Pasion and those who started Gawad Kalinga Youth in U.P. for being builders of peace.Working for the good of others at the sacrifice of greater opportunities for self is radical.

When people leave their high paying corporate jobs to give their time to serve their country – that is radical. Melo Villaroman, U.P. Business Economics ’84, retired early at age 42 as Director for Business Development for Asia of Procter & Gamble based in Singapore. When offered a higher position in Europe or the U.S. he politely declined and stated that his country needs him now. Eena Kanapi, U.P. Political Science ’92 is another radical spirit who left her job as Strategic Planning Director of a multi-national ad company to help the poor. Both are full-time volunteers of Gawad Kalinga, both are sharing their expertise in helping their countrymen rise from poverty. Promoting the message of hope in times of despair is radical. Maria Montelibano, first graduate of U.P. AB Broadcasting, multi-awarded TV Director and media specialist is heading a global multi-media campaign to communicate the message that there is hope for the Philippines if Filipinos can work together until there are no more squatters, no more slums, no more hunger, no more crime… where there is dignity and peace for everyone in this country.

U.P. has produced a beautiful Filipino in my daughter, Wowie. She has put her love life on hold to host the sports-adventure show GamePlan that showcases the beauty of our land and our people and to volunteer for Gawad Kalinga, bringing her to the poorest and the most remote areas of our country.

Many from this university have helped us in this Revolution of Hope – Cris Vertido, Cheche Lazaro and thousands of nameless and unrecognized volunteers and partners throughout the country. We are excited with the offer of support of President Emerlinda Roman throughout the U.P. system nationwide and offer of help from Dr. Ledy Cariño and Dr. Alex Brillantes to mobilize UP-NCPAG for Gawad Kalinga. We know that many more from among you and your parents will come and help.

I am asking all of you now to do what I ask every Filipino to do --Never stop hoping for our country. Don’t stop caring for our people.

Demand greatness from yourself as a Filipino.

Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.

No nation in crisis ever achieved victory without its young warriors leading the battle. Do not wait to be as old as me before you start to help our people and build our nation. Begin now. Like others in my generation I am here to admit the mistakes we have made and share the lessons we have learned.

Our greatest mistake is that we keep leaving others behind, especially the weak and the powerless. Look at what we have reaped because of our neglect. And because we left them behind – this is the curse of poverty that you will inherit from us. For the last four years, you were the scholars of this country. This nation did not choose you to be her scholars so you can just help yourself. This nation chose you so you can help others. Don’t forget the poor -- the many others who will not have the privilege of a U.P. education. Go back to the towns and the communities where you come from and give land to the landless, build homes for the homeless and help grow food for the hungry. This is the foundation of nation-building. From there, it grows to productivity built from discipline and talent. Nation is not about business, it is about economy. Nation is not about political parties, it is about governance. Nation is not about projects and programs, it is about vision. Nation is not about power and position, it is about leadership.

Let me send you off with a prayer.

As you go your way now, may God almighty light your path and embolden your heart. May you be the joy and consolation of your parents for all their hard work and sacrifice, knowing that you will be the future full of hope. May you heal the wounds of our nation and restore the dreams of our people. May you be the new generation of heroes that will bring our people to the promise land. May God be with you every step of the way.

For four years you have been scholars of this country.

All your lives, be heroes for this country!

Congratulations and long life to all!

Gawad Kalinga Puzzles MIT Students
GKOM Manila - March 18, 2006

A group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) the most prestigious technical school in the United States, came to the Philippines last January 6-22 on a mission to re-visit housing projects that were established in Tondo 30 years ago. But apart from completing their report, they unexpectedly stumbled across a most puzzling program that defied all the models of developmental housing that they have learned --- Gawad Kalinga. Vancouver, Canada, 1976. The U.N. convened the first ever World Urban Forum wherein the issues of informal settlers were first identified. The result of that forum was a competition among architects and other professionals from the housing sector to come up with models to help in the upgrading of slum communities. The winning design was implemented in two sites: in Lima, Peru and in Tondo, Philippines. Thirty years after, Professor Reinhard Goethert, director of the SIGUS program in MIT which brings students to various developing countries to conduct studies and impart their knowledge, brought a team of graduate students with architecture, engineering and urban planning backgrounds to re-visit the U.N. Habitat program in Tondo Foreshore and Dagat-dagatan, Manila.

But through a sudden twist of fate, Mr. Goethert heard of Gawad Kalinga and thought of bringing the students to see this new model of building communities. Their arrival coincided with the GK Bayanihan Build in which 80 Filipino-American balikbayanis came home to the Philippines to volunteer in Gawad Kalinga communities and so the MIT students joined the group in the build activities in Baseco, Tondo. During the evaluation of their trip, the MIT students gave their impressions of the GK coming from a very technical perspective. Almost all the students thought that GK was inefficient because the workers didn’t even have wheelbarrows and they used people to move hollow blocks around. Another observation was that relationships were very informal because their was no agreed time when construction would start and the community organizers would not even know how many people would turn up for work on a given day. But despite their sound observations, the MIT students struggled to understand why the gardens and surroundings of GK Baseco were more vibrant and better tended than the other housing projects that were just a few meters away. They became even more confused when they arrived in the Shell-GK Village in Batangas and learned that the GK residents left their old 60 sq meter house in squatted land to live in a 20 sq meter GK house within the new community. The answer lies in the caretaker team, they were told. They caretaker team spearheads the values formation in village that restores the dignity of the poor people and teaches them to love the community. The GK team shared that efficient and sound physical structures alone do not make a harmonious and productive community but the values that people share that is the foundation of a successful community.

At the end of the day, it was their team leader, Professor Goethert who provided some insight into their trip. After listening to all the comments he said, “You have to look at it from the perspective of GK trying to build communities rather than houses. This is not a technical activity but rather about resolving issues within the community.” Finally, he added, “There is something different going on in this GK.” He expressed his desire to come back with a different team of students to study the conundrum that is Gawad Kalinga. Perhaps they will discover that there is something of value in the inefficient practices and the rule-breaking models of GK that is now transforming a whole country --- house after house, until there are no more slums in the Philippines.

The Unfairness of It All
By Jose Ma. Montelibano; GLIMPSES Article - April 7, 2006

Last Friday, I accepted an invitation to talk to a group of informal settlers who had been residents in the famous homes-along-the-riles of Metro Manila and nearby provinces..

This particular group, comprised of 600 families, had resisted attempts by government to relocate them to several areas in Bulacan under an NHA-run program. Their reasons are common to those like them, but two stand out. First, the relocation sites are too far from where they earn their livelihood. Transportation expenses would simply deplete the little they earn. Second, the amortization rates of their new homes are deemed too high for them to pay with consistency in order to avoid eviction in the future.

Their resistance earned for them the demolition of their homes. In desperation, with whatever they could gather from the debris of their former shanties, the informal settlers found a property owner who allowed them to use his facilities as temporary shelter. All of them were housed in a warehouse like sardines in a can, but they felt lucky nonetheless. The same property owner also acceded to negotiate and sell five hectares if the government's community mortgage program could accommodate the transaction.

When I arrived in the area which is now under negotiation for a community mortgage arrangement, it was muddy all around. It had rained that morning and the sight of mud and shanties again managed to provoke rage and drastic thoughts in me. I knew that all of them had muddy floors, leaking roofs, no water, no electricity. I knew they were living more like animals than human beings, and I wanted to cry right there and then.

The reason why I was invited was to represent the national leadership of Gawad Kalinga (GK). The informal settlers themselves had asked for the intervention of Gawad Kalinga. It seems that GK is a ray of hope for the landless and homeless poor. Although I serve as a mere volunteer for special projects, it had to be me to attend as all the leaders had their own commitments to follow.

From the beginning, I saw it was not going to be just a simple meeting. More than a hundred families were gathered aside from the congressman of the area and a town councilor representing the mayor. There was also an officer from the External Affairs of Malacañang. Apparently, he had kindly intervened for the informal settlers and it was apparent that they appreciated his presence. What was supposed to be a meeting turned out to be a gathering with a full program.

The invocation that was given by one of their leaders gave me a hint of the sentiments of the audience. Indeed, it appeared that they were not strangers to prayer and had all their heads bowed in respect. I believe they could not do much more but pray. I could not help but keep staring at the way their shanties were positioned neatly over what seemed like over a hectare of newly bulldozed and graded land, now muddy because of the morning rain. I could not help but look and become enraged at the way these poor Filipinos had to swallow indignities just to survive.

Meanwhile, the invocation became less prayerful and took n a more resentful and militant tone. It was obvious that the speaker was trying very hard not to be confrontational but could not fully disguise his pain and frustration. What was clear was that he was hoping for answers to their plight, and urged that no more promises which could not be kept be given to them that morning by any of those who were invited, including Gawad Kalinga. With that, I asked the emcee to remove me from the list of speakers. Gawad Kalinga did not send me there to make a promise, or to give an answer to their needs, only to assess the situation.

Personally, though, I did not wish to speak because I thought I could not contain the pain and anger I was feeling inside. I was afraid I would end up ventilating my own sentiments which then would have simply affirmed the unfairness of it all. I listened through the talk of the congressman who was himself showing signs of great anguish that he could not do more for them than what he was already doing. I learned that he had been sympathetic with the plight of this group of informal settlers and had himself joined them in protest action.

The program was shortened because I lessened their speakers by one and because two other congressmen and the mayor did not make it to the gathering. But a question-and-answer forum was initiated and I could not avoid answering questions as easily as avoiding giving a speech. And I could not help but assure them that Gawad Kalinga will try its best to appeal their case to national government and source out their needs as best as it can.

Before I left, though, one of their leaders, Rowena by name, talked to me about the pain that was eating her inside. Her voice was quietly firm and her emotions under control. She told me of the hardship that poor Filipinos had to undergo in a country that declares them squatters or without any right to be anywhere. No right to be anywhere, no birthright of security as a native of this beautiful but broken country, no inheritance of pride and dignity and simple privilege to lie in decency.

She spoke of her pain at being looked down as though she, and others like her, were not full human beings. She spoke of how even the barangay captain thought so low of them simply because they had nothing but shanties, and how he was deliberately slowing down their purchase of the property where they were situated by withholding his signature. She explained that kindness was largely missing from government except for one or two officials of the many they had to engage in the last few years. She described how Filipinos in position and power shabbily treated them, and prejudged them as thieves, liars, drug addicts. Man's inhumanity to man, I saw the effect of it up close.As tears slowly made their way to her cheeks, my own tears followed suit. I had to think of the millions of other poor Filipinos who were in the same position, and I thought I understood why so many could not help but express their sympathy in great rage and violence. Definitely, I, too, felt disturbed enough to be capable of more drastic action.

If there are many political, social and religious advocates who ask that Filipinos should not tolerate wrongdoing, I ask that they first insist on not tolerating poverty. A nation whose people think enough of others in great need and moves with determination to lift the poor out of their misery will be a righteous nation by simple consequence. I did not give a promise for Gawad Kalinga because it is not within my authority to do so, even as I know Gawad Kalinga that will help.But to myself, I did make a promise. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I made a promise. It is a personal one, a private one. It is a promise I can fulfill, a promise I will keep for as long as strength flows through my body. It is a promise to care, a promise to share. It is a promise to do what I can to be a better Filipino for poor Filipinos. It is a promise that I will try others to make as well, in the privacy of their hearts or in the light of the public eye. Let us promise. Let us not tolerate this kind of suffering anymore.

'Balikbayanis' rebuild country of their roots by Eline Santos, Philippine Inquirer - January 22, 2006 *

You might want to add a new word to your Tagalog lexicon: "balikbayani," a successful Filipino who has built a wonderful life abroad, and then comes home to rebuild the country of his roots.

Last Jan. 8 to 15, around 80 Filipino-Americans, including a few non-Filipinos, paid their own airfare and participated in the Gawad Kalinga Bayanihan Build.

Gawad Kalinga is a 10-year-old movement against poverty that started in the Catholic Charismatic community, Couples for Christ. What began as an experiment in building one home for one poor family has, in recent years, become a multisectoral effort in nation-building. The goal is to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years (by Oct. 2010). Currently, there are around 650 communities nationwide, with more sites being opened regularly.

The "build" began with a visit to GK villages in Baseco in Tondo, Manila. Afterwards, the bulk of the balikbayanis went to Bicol while 30 delegates spent their week in Isabela to build homes.

"You want to give back the blessings you have received," said Marietta Mayuga Pascua, a California-based grandmother of five, who helped out in Tumauni, Isabela.

Marietta and husband Tony sweated it out with fellow balikbayanis, full-time GK workers, future GK beneficiaries, volunteer construction workers, and even a mayor and his municipal officers. Volunteers cemented hollow blocks for the walls, dug up the soil for the foundation, painted, mixed cement, and helped pass along building materials to where it was needed. In some sites, such as Iriga, Camarines Sur, the guest builders also planted crops in the nearby vegetable garden.

Source of inspiration

The new crew may have felt like they slowed down the work because of their inexperience, but they were actually a source of inspiration for the people building with them.

"Natutuwa po kami (We are delighted)," said 45-year-old Armando Ramos, a beneficiary in Iriga, Camarines Sur. "Di pa rin nakalimot tumulong sa aming mahihirap. Di katulad ng ibang mayaman (They have not forgotten to help the poor, unlike other rich people)."

The balikbayanis were delighted with the whole experience as well.

"It's living out your faith, what you believe in and doing it for your country, your own roots. Double purpose: faith and patriotism," said Inoy Figueroa, who used to dislike coming home because of the heat, but came home to work in a GK site.

Inoy noted that after the "build," the respective volunteers adopted the GK village they worked in as their own, regardless of who sponsored it. By the end of the week, there were pledges to sponsor the pre-school in one site as well as proposals for a mobile clinic to go around GK villages in the same area.

Sense of self

For some of the volunteers, digging in the dirt was more than just building a foundation for a home. It was getting back to your roots, and getting a better foundation for a sense of self.

Ben Dichioso Jr. was born in Maryland, USA. He used to be ashamed of being Filipino.

"In America if you have an accent you will be discriminated against. You will be teased. As a child, no one wants to be teased so we hide. We're not Filipinos anymore. We blend and we mix," he said.

He lived the American dream and was a captain in the US Air Force, even receiving an award for combat engineering while assigned in Guam.

In 1998, he got sick and lost his job. His wife left him and he lost half of everything he owned in the divorce.

Stay rooted

"I asked myself: 'What happened?' I was at the top of my game and now I was living in the basement of my parents' house. I remember calling out to God, 'Lord, Lord I surrender. I can't do anymore.'"

Ben got his life back. Now, he is an enthusiastic GK advocate proud of his Filipino roots. On his train commute to work, he wears a denim jacket with his name and the GK 777 logo embroidered on it.

Whether people asked or not, Ben would find a way to talk about being Filipino and being involved in Gawad Kalinga.

"Don't take the path that I took. Stay rooted in being Filipino," he would tell the Fil-Am youth during talks on college campuses.

Kids can join, too

Daniel Espiritu-Paz was certainly a source of motivation for his fellow volunteers. The six-year-old did his share of the work-painting, cementing hollow blocks, and even taking his place in the cement brigade to pass empty buckets along the line.

Daniel was just one of the heroic kids in this movement as the Batang Bayani of Gawad Kalinga have three villages being built with the thousands of coins saved from allowances. Twelve houses were awarded to beneficiaries just last December in Nueva Ecija, where the first Batang Bayani village is located.

Don't forget

According to statistics from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, 685,485 Filipino overseas workers were deployed around the world from January to August of 2005 .

Marietta Pascua understands only too well the urge to leave. She herself left the Philippines in 1973. Despite a college degree, the money she was making was not enough. She found employment in a telephone company before putting up her own store for Asian goods, which she later sold. Her only piece of advice to those who want to leave: Don't forget who you are and where you came from.

Meaningful life

While many Filipinos pine for greener pastures abroad, 28-year-old Eleanor Chichioco is staying after the Bayanihan Build to work full time for Gawad Kalinga.

She worked three years in New York and had what many would consider a good life: Partying with friends, shopping, backpacking in Europe. And then 9/11 happened.

"Sept. 11 really jolted a lot of people including myself," said Eleanor. "All of a sudden you're going into the subway and you see the faces of all these missing people. You think - what does my life stand for?

"Proud to be PinoyGoing into ministry work for Singles for Christ, she eventually found her calling in the Philippines. Despite concerns about going to unfamiliar places around the country and overcoming the language barrier, Eleanor has no regrets.

"I don't want to work to escape ... People work so hard so that they can escape. What kind of life is that? I just want my life to be consistently meaningful every day," she said.

And Eleanor, together with countless others, found her life's purpose in building, not just houses for the poor, but rebuilding a nation with a renewed faith in God and a renewed sense of pride in being Pinoy.

* P ublished on page A1 of the January 22, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

as of 25 June 2006

2006-07-04T20:22:00.000+08:00

terence at penn

2006-06-29T19:51:00.000+08:00

Indonesian Build at Ruby 0n 18 June 2006

2006-06-29T08:35:00.000+08:00

Fr. Luz Flores' Visit to GK Ruby on 24 June 2006

2006-06-29T07:54:00.000+08:00

Rev. Fr. Luz (Dodong) C. Flores of Anchorage, Alaska takes time out to make a visit to GK Ruby while attending the month-long celebration of the CFC 25th (Silver) Founding Anniversary. A GK Advocate (and the CFC Spiritual Director of Alaska and Washington State, USA), he wants to "watch and learn" how a GK site in Metro Manila operates in view of his plans to initiate a GK in his beloved hometown, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.

Fr. Flores poses with the North B 1 Cluster Head with the GK777 tarpauline window cover as their backdrop.

... with his brother, Roman Flores , a CFC member in the province, who will oversee the prospective GK project in his hometown.

... with a sister-beneficiary

... with Jasmine, wife of GK Ruby Phase I Kapibahayan President Tata Conte.

presenting..........

2006-06-27T08:17:00.000+08:00

People behind the GK Trilogy...

2006-06-26T20:32:00.000+08:00

GK goes to the movies, or the movies invade GK.

On November 18, the GK Trilogy will find its way to movie theaters in the Philippines and the United States. Seated with Tony Meloto are Tony Tuviera, Bobby Barreido, and Tony Gloria. Butch Jimenez was not able to make the lunch meeting held the other day but everyone is moving towards D-Day. Standing are Rose Cabrera, Jhoanne Siy, Maria Montelibano and yours truly.

Everybody is excited about the trilogy which will be another milestone in GK history. We don't know what will come out of it but we never really know where the Lord will bring us with the work. We started with nothing but a deep faith that GK is God's work and an unbearable urge to help the suffering poor. We carry the same motivations and simply believe God guides us every step of the way.

Boy M

Negroponte speaks of Gawad Kalinga

2006-06-26T20:26:00.000+08:00

http://shootforgk.com/web/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1139

In an event in Washington D.C. commemorating the centennial of Filipino migration to the United States, former Ambassador to the Philippines speaks highly of the work of GK.

Tribute to the working class; and Gawad Kalinga

2006-06-22T08:23:00.000+08:00

BY FERDDIE MENDOZA
http://ferddiemendoza.blogspot.com
Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Yesterday, laborers from all over the Philippines and today in countries spanning half the globe celebrate Labor Day.

I salute my fellow workers all over the world for the wealth of nations they produce and the dignity they instill on themselves through hard work and excellence that shows in their respective trades and crafts.

In view of widening gaps between the rich and the poor in many places around the world, global leaders should sincerely assess the responsiveness of their programs of action.

In my country, many Filipinos seem resigned to their miserable fates and doomed to a downward spiraling life of poverty.

Many are honest and very industrious. I see people working from sun up to sundown.

Unfortunately, due to a general lack of education, skills and opportunities to improve their lot, very few barely come out from their lives of destitution.

They have lost their sense of dignity...their sense of hope.

Rays of hope however come from people who have refused to give up on themselves, on their brethren and on their country.

One such effort is Gawad Kalinga.

Gawad Kalinga or simply GK promotes the establishment of peace loving communities of faith, productivity, and love for the environment. It revives the Filipino "Bayanihan" spirit of collective cooperation, promotes total human liberation from spiritual and temporal oppressions and allows the poor to gain back their self-dignity and hope.

GK makes all these possible by embarking on a holistic approach to development and introducing programs that cover practically all members of the community from the parents to their children, from livelihood to shelter, from health to peace and order, from the environment to education, and most importantly (which I think is lacking in many well meaning programs to uplift the poor) is the integration of values formation and spiritual renewal into the community.

From what I heard, GK has already been adopted in several other countries as well.It would do our country a lot if our national leaders along with big business were to join the GK effort.

Let's face it; they have always had the resources to pump prime anything in the first place.

To a significant extent, recent developments have indicated that many have but a lot more have not heard and/or acted on the good news of GK.

To my mind though, by God's abundant grace, involvement and ownership of an empowered working and middle class as a coherent social bloc will ensure the sustainable success of GK.

By experience, the working masses when united for a common cause have dramatically changed their respective country's courses of history.

Let our common cause be for the eradication of poverty through the restoration of our people's self dignity and healing of relationships.

The following quotation is an excerpt taken from the Kapitbahayan Manual (For the Caretaker Teams & Community Organizers)

The GK 777 Movement:

The whole GK community, CFC's and partners from all sectors of society are gearing up towards the GK 777 Movement: to be able to build 700,000 homes for the poor, in 7,000 GK communities within 7 years.

Through this campaign, we hope to trigger the patriotism and generosity of Filipinos everywhere, especially from the private sector and the 6,000,000 Filipinos abroad.

GK 777 will be a template for development that other Third World countries can adopt.

It aims to bring back the spirit of "Bayanihan" that our country is known for.

The GK 777 is building the Filipino dream and restoring the idealism of the youth.

Our children will be the first generation of Filipinos who will be proud of our country again.

Today, more and more government officials are willing to help and express genuine service to the nation.

Our target in GK 777 is to build cities and municipalities that are squatter free and slum free.

GK 777 will encourage national leaders to legislate laws that will transform this nation's biggest liability-the poor- into its biggest asset. Motivating them to be self reliant, stimulating a grassroots economy and making the country safer for everyone.

This is our dream, to start a process that each poor family in this nation would have a decent home to live in.

A slum-free Philippines!

GK 777 is a cause of our lifetime. Be an advocate and proclaim it to the nations.

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and raise-up the age old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets and Dwellings." - Isaiah 58:12

Again, I salute my fellow laborers and invite everyone to answer to the call...Workers of the world...unite! For GK, for Gawad Kalinga!!!

One Bread, One Body - Reflection for June 21, 2006

2006-06-20T23:20:00.000+08:00

ELI'S COMING

"When Elisha saw it happen he cried out, 'My father! My father! Israel's chariots and drivers!' " –2 Kings 2:12

Elijah was a one-man army. He claimed to be the only surviving prophet of the Lord (1 Kgs 18:22). When taken up in the fiery chariot, Elisha was probably referring to Elijah when he exclaimed "My father! My father! Israel's chariots and drivers!" (2 Kgs 2:12)

Elijah was Israel's whole army, a spiritual army that brought the government and military system of his time to its knees. Elijah stopped the rain for three and a half years, thereby shutting down much of the evil works of Ahab, Jezebel, and their cohorts (1 Kgs 17:1). Elijah took on 850 false prophets, personally putting each to death by slitting his throat (1 Kgs 18:40). Elijah was a one-man wrecking crew who could "clean house" and shut down evil.

Yet Elijah was a human being just like ourselves (Jas 5:17). We as Christians have much more power than Elijah ever had. In fact, we can do greater by far than Jesus Himself (Jn 14:12). As we exercise our faith through almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, we enter into a new dimension of supernatural power. We are soldiers for Christ, an army, "Israel's chariots and drivers" (2 Kgs 2:12).

PRAYER: Father, more than 99% of Your power in me remains untapped. May I live in the power of the Spirit.

PROMISE: "In giving alms you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father Who sees in secret will repay you." –Mt 6:3-4

PRAISE: St. Aloysius Gonzaga gave his hereditary fortune away and gave his life by serving plague victims.

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2006-06-20T10:09:00.000+08:00

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2006-06-19T16:00:00.000+08:00

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2006-06-09T22:11:00.000+08:00

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Loving hands that build

2006-06-04T16:25:00.000+08:00

By Tintin P. Bersola-Babao

Last updated 03:41pm (Mla time) 05/31/2006

http://globalnation.inq7.net/propertyfocus/propertyfocus/view_article.php?article_id=3320

The Cortes Home Before

... in prayer

Have you ever experienced moving in and out of homes too frequently and having no real permanent address? I did as a young girl.

My earliest memory of eviction was when I was four years old. It was a small apartment in Cubao. We had no choice but to move out because my father had a falling out with his siblings.

The next years, my parents, only sister and I lived a nomadic life—living in apartments in Cubao, Matatag St., Parañaque, Fairview, White Plains, Greenhills, Loyola Heights, etc. We must have lived in more than 25 apartments and houses in my lifetime!

Reasons

There were varied reasons. Most of the time, we were living in dire straits. When my parents sold everything from country club shares to chicharon to earn a living, we lived in cramped apartments. When they chanced upon a gold mine selling oriental furniture, we moved to a 1,000-sq m., corner house with a swimming pool in Greenhills.

Then the business went bankrupt. We sold the house and moved to a smaller home. That was 1987 —I was 17 years old. For the next seven years, the cycle of transferring homes continued.

One night I told myself, this is it: Someday, I will buy my own house and it will be my permanent residence.

So when I started earning my own money between 1993-1996 I took a leap of faith and acquired a loan for a house which I proudly called mine—bought with my blood, sweat and tears.
I moved out of that home only when I married and moved to my conjugal home with Julius. My mom and brother still live in that house today. It’s my gift to them.

It is because of my past that I donated and helped build a house through Gawad Kalinga. Last year, on my 35th birthday, I convinced my high school best buddies that the GK house would be the perfect testament to our 22-year friendship. They all agreed and contributed money; I took care of the rest of the project cost.

Volunteer

Thanks to my “Magandang Umaga, Bayan” co-host Bernadette Sembrano, who is also a GK volunteer, I got in touch with Issa Santos, GK Head for Partnerships, who furnished me with a list of families whose house I could sponsor. I chose Mang Manuel Cortes’ family in Kapamilya Village in Sitio Ruby Fairview.

The day I met the Cortes family was also when their house was going to be demolished to give way to a new one. I could not believe a space which measured a mere 20 sq m. could fit 16 people!

Aling Helen, Manuel’s sister, told me that they would sleep in a sitting position to fit in the old bunk bed.

Interiors

The interiors would get flooded. And when the water level rose, all of them would just climb onto the bed and stay there till the water receded. Almost directly underneath their charcoal “lutuan” was, to my horror, their toilet bowl. Simply put, this wasn’t the kind of home the Cortes family deserved.

That Saturday was an emotional day for them—they were going to say goodbye to the house that was witness to their lives’ many ups and downs. Yet they were all thankful: finally they would have a decent place to live. They would no longer be considered squatters.

We all joined hands and closed our eyes in prayer. Minutes later, the “demolition team” composed of GK volunteers pummeled away until the house was reduced to rubble.

My friends and I devoted four weekends to participate in the building process. We were there during the “palitada” stage.

I never knew how difficult this job was until I tried it myself. Mixing cement and gravel was easy at first, but try doing it for more than five minutes and your back will hurt!

Our third visit to the construction site was for the bricklaying stage. Julius joined our group and he enjoyed the experience so much—lifting hollow blocks and laying them with precision.

Our fourth visit to the site was a fun one — we painted the two-story house with the family’s choice of color, light lavender. The activity became even more special because the GK choir serenaded us.

Then, it was time for the ceremonial turn-over — an emotional moment for all of us. The Cortes family gave a very simple, moving message of thanks, and we thanked them in turn. Helping build their house was an experience that nourished our souls.

The Bayanihan spirit is alive in the very concept and vision of building a GK house. Mang Manuel is a GK hero himself — he volunteers to build his neighbors’ houses. Now, with God’s grace, he and his whole family have a house they can proudly call their own.

I went back to visit the Cortes family last January when I accompanied my good friend, Dr. Vicki Belo, her daughter Cristalle, and the Belo staff to Sitio Ruby. They, too, donated houses beside the home of Mang Manuel. It was Dr. Vicki’s gift to others on her birthday. Cristalle also did the same on her natal day last April.

Last week Julius and I were at Sitio Ruby again, to judge a summer art contest empowering the youth and making them discover their true potentials. You see, GK is not just about building a house, it also means building lives—and character.

Thank you, Terrence and Thelma Grana, Couples for Christ cluster head, project director Gerry Santos, and his wife Chona, Ferddie Mendoza, SAGIP project manager – all for GK Sitio Ruby, plus all the good people of this GK Sitio. You have enriched our lives and contributed to our spiritual growth!

Gawad Kalinga Leads Typhoon Rehab Efforts

2006-05-27T18:53:00.000+08:00

by: Perseus Echeminada - Philippine Star
12/08/2004

The tragedy befell typhoon-stricken provinces has rekindled the bayanihan spirit among Filipinos.

At the helm is Gawad Kalinga, which is conducting the rehabilitation effort in typhoon affected areas in Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Aurora and Mindoro provinces in coordination with the Department of Social Services and Development (DSWD) and other government agencies.

Gawad Kalinga, or GK, which was tasked by the President Arroyo to lead the rehabiliation effort has started massive fundraising campaign to help the victims of the calamities rebuild their shattred lives the Kalinga way.

"We have recieved pledges for typhoon victims all over the world," Tony Meloto, Gawad Kalinga director said. GK, ABS-CBN, The STAR, Ateneo de Manila University, Couples for Christ make up the core group that is now working out an action plan that will rebuild devastated communities and restore homes, dreams and dignity of calamity.

GK, is a movement founded by Couples for Christ volunteers five years ago, has been building low cost houses for the poor communities in various parts of the county.

The group is a growing multisectoral partnership with a vision to address the slum problem in the metropolis.

Most of the benefactors of the GK are big companies and donors from all over the world, particularly the US.

The group recently launched "GK777" which stands for building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in the Philippines in the next seven years."

GK is not only a work of charity, but a mission of nation building and crusade for all Filipinos. It involves every sector of society," Meloto said.

Beneficiaries of GK homes help in the construction of other homes as part of the so-called sweat collateral, which they contribute to the mission.

Apart from low cost housing, GK also undertakes livelihood skills and assistance programs and medical missions. Terence M. Grana, GK coordinator in Quezon City, said that with the rise of GK homes, slmus are disappearing with rich and poor, Muslims and Christians government and the private sector building communities together."

The poor are re-discovering their dreams, and are being empowred to build a better future for their families," Grana said.

(Gawad) Kalinga Housing to Rise in Quezon City

2006-05-27T18:33:00.000+08:00

By Perseus Echeminada The Philippine Star 09/02/2004 http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200409026303.htm

The Quezon City government signed a memorandum of agreement yesterday with four private and non-government organizations to promote the Kalinga housing projects.

The city, under the administration of Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. will be working with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., ABS-CBN Foundation Inc., Ateneo de Manila University and the Gawad Kalinga Community Foundation Inc. to provide low-cost housing for poor families in the city.

Belmonte, along with Ateneo de Manila president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, ABS-CBN Foundation managing director, ABS-CBN president Luis Alejandro and Gawad Kalinga executive director Antonio Meloto, signed the agreement that calls for a concerted effort between the city government and the private sector to provide housing for the needy.

Belmonte described the Kalinga projects, which will initially target 100 homeless families in Barangay Ruby, as a project of faith.

"It's a project of faith, faith in the Filipino, faith that we can get our act together, faith that people from every segment of society including the privileged are willing to go down into the mud in order to help their fellow men," the mayor said.

He said the entry of the private groups is a giant step forward because the project will be assured of sustainability, which is what is lacking in some pro- poor programs being pursued by other groups.

The agreement provides the inventory and classification of Galing Kalinga projects, the identification and selection of beneficiaries, and the mobilization of other groups, civic, religious, private corporations and individuals in generating funds and support for the projects.

Terence M. Grana, Gawad Kalinga coordinator, said the beneficiaries of the housing project will not have to shell out cash and instead participate in the construction of houses for other beneficiaries.

"We call this sweat collateral, wherein the recipient will work for a certain number of hours equivalent to the cost of his unit," Grana said.

The (Gawad) Kalinga housing projects have been set up in Manila, Cagayan de Oro and other pilot areas in the country.

In Quezon City, the Payatas and Ruby areas near the La Mesa Dam are among the priority areas.

11.30.2004 First National Build in GK Ruby

2006-05-23T13:00:00.000+08:00

caretaker team members of GK Ruby Phase 2

prospective beneficiaries

Tony Meloto, Cito Alejandro and Fr. Ben Nebres answer questions from media people

Luis Oquinena, GK National Director

ladies in the chapel

Cito Alejandro

Wennie Cordero

GK Ruby Phase 1 Project Director Willie Bagsarsa poses with his cluster head (of North B 1) at the entrance arch of Sitio Ruby during the Indonesian Build on January 3, 2006.

GK Kapamilya (Ruby)

2006-05-15T14:01:00.000+08:00

Fr. Bienvenido Nebres of the Ateneo de Manila University gives the invocation during the Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony on September 8, 2004

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte gives an inspirational talk to the signatories of the MOA

True-blue nationalists paying respect to the Philippine flag during the singing of the Philippine National Anthem.