a village-building volunteerism
Time and again man has done great things due to the strength of his convictions. Gawad Kalinga (GK), an initiative to create villages in the Philippines by providing shelter and health,
To its founders and volunteers, it is not enough to say that they believe. It is not enough to give lip service and say, "Sure, it is a great idea."It is not enough to give a token amount and afterwards forget about it. In fact, it is never enough. Tony Meloto never stops. Neither does Frank Padilla, Dylan and Anna Wilk, Boy and Maria Montelibano and the tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers, mostly Couples for Christ members at the forefront of village building. When I met them in Bagong Silang, Payatas, Towerville, and Angeles, Pampanga (Philippines), there was a common denominator: their strength of conviction. They believe Gawad Kalinga will succeed in reaching its goals. They believe because they have seen the results. I was convinced, believed, and humbled. Although I donated a considerable amount of money for three villages, it is they who should be recognized and admired because without them, Gawad Kalinga will not be a reality.
My wife, Myrna, and I are the eldest in our families. Since we arrived in the U.S. in 1972, we sent my two sisters and Myrna's six brothers and sisters to school. We did this initially by taking an extra full-time job while going through our residency training in New York City. I worked as a house staff physician at night and trained during the day. We continued helping our families back home until everyone was established. We also sent other relatives to school over the years. This act of generosity is not unusual for Filipinos, however. Annually, $8 billion remittances by overseas Filipinos prove how we value our family and extended families. About 10 years ago, Myrna and I began looking for the opportunity to give back in a big way to help our countrymen in the Philippines. We thought about halfway houses for drug addicts; or a home for the aged and homeless street children. We thought about Honorio Ventura, the philanthropist from Pampanga who sent so many needy gifted students to school, one of whom ultimately became the president of the Philippines: Diosdado Macapagal. None of these materialized because we were dealt a severe financial blow due to the stock market crash and aggressive real estate investments in 2000. I just retired from my practice that year and we were brought to near bankruptcy, so I was forced to go back to work. Today, I am still working, and have to work an extra month each year for three years, to fulfill my donation of $100,000.
I visited the villages [to which my donation went] in November 2004, and was very impressed. The houses were cute, colorful, and clean. The children in their school uniform were so happy as they greeted us. The men who built the houses were beaming with pride. The mothers were proudly showing off their homes and their community center. I saw the bayanihan spirit (cooperativism) seeping through the eyes of the village leaders and volunteers. This reality has given us hope.
I know that it is difficult to feel proud to be a Filipino, with so many negative news for many years that have resulted in a general feeling of hopelessness. But despite this, there are many great men and women who will lead our original country to greatness.
The U.S. has spent trillion of dollars to take care of its poor; yet there are still so many poor and homeless Americans. In Decatur, Illinois alone, a $36 million-housing project for 650 families will replace a 30-year old drug- and crime-infested old government housing. Habitat Humanity also helps in housing the poor. But because social-economic conditions have not changed and the bayanihan spirit is not there, many of these neighborhoods revert back to being drug- and crime-infested neighborhoods. By and large, this is true everywhere else in America.
The founders of Gawad Kalinga led by Tony Meloto have shown that for a minimal cost and a lot of bayanihan spirit, many of GK villages are now free of crime, gangs and drugs, and populated by responsible, hopeful and proud villagers who can become the true hope for the Philippines.
I call on you to be part of this revolution. Support can come in many forms. You may spread the word, volunteer, or donate financially. I know that when one does not have much expendable resources it is not easy to donate financially. However, for as little as 50 cents a day, one can pledge one house donation which cost $1,000 over five years. The fact that charitable donations are tax deductible lessens the net cost for the donor based on the tax bracket. Let us be true believers with strength of conviction and join the Gawad Kalinga revolution.
