First GK Ecovillage to rise in Cavite

A unique Gawad Kalinga (GK) Ecovillage will soon rise in the beautiful mountain area of Barangay Aguado in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

The first GK Ecovillage called Gawad Kalinga Munting Paraiso Bayanihan village, hopes to be socially and economically sustainable and ecologically friendly.

The GK Ecovillage was conceptualized by the UP Alumni volunteers and funded by the Bayanihan USA Alumni Association, composed of former members of the world-famous Bayanihan Dance Company who now live in the United States, Europe and Canada.

The 1.5-hectare property was donated by Couples for Christ member Jing Warren, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lasallian Institute for the Environment.

UP alumni volunteeer Nitz Domingo said their goal was to develop a master plan for a GK village that would pursue and promote socio-cultural togetherness, ecologically sound practices and economic independence through productivity trainings and programs.

“Our observation is that we have seen many GK villages but they are not ecologically compliant. We had a vision of building a community that is ecologically friendly, complete with livelihood projects. What we did was to get volunteers from our alumni, then we brainstormed and came up with this masterplan, a template for GK villages, one that is self-sustaining but at the same time eco-friendly,” Domingo said in an interview during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Geraldine Santos, an urban planner and a volunteer for the GK Ecovillage project said that instead of building typical row houses, they’ll put up homes adjacent to one another with ample space to improve and foster the socio-cultural component of the community and improve the sense of community of the residents.

The village will include a Sibol pre-school facility, gazebo, a multi-purpose hall, nature amphitheater and a playground. There will also be a donor’s house for immersion programs for GK members and non-members, Santos said.

The beneficiaries will also have their own waste water treatment facility that will reuse water for gardening and cleaning purposes, a composting area for the installation of proper solid waste and a catchment area for the collection of rain water for gardening and cleaning purposes.

“We will also build a donors’ home that can be rented for a fee to add to the livelihood of the residents so that they can be economically independent,” Santos said.

They are still studying and checking the water quality of the stream nearby to determine if it’s okay to put up a fishpond.

Warren, for his part, said he was very pleased with the way the UP Alumni volunteers, the United Architects of the Philippines Cavite chapter and the Bayanihan USA alumni utilized the land he donated for the poor.

“This is what God wanted us to do. I guess we are guided. I’m happy because all the elements I wanted were there, for it to be eco-friendly and economically sustainable for the poor. This is a dream come true, I appreciate the work of the volunteers,” Warren said.

The renowned Bayanihan USA Alumni Association said they decided to celebrate their 50th anniversary homecoming this year by donating houses to the residents of the GK Ecovillage Munting Paraiso Bayanihan village.

“On our 50th anniversary, we said we want to celebrate that by giving back to the poor in our country, it’s our way of giving back. It’s our ‘Alay sa Bayan’,” said Inda Manuel Gage, Bayanihan USA Alumni’s project chairman.

Gage said Bayanihan USA alumni has raised $90,000 for 60 homes, $6,000 for the Sibol pre-school, $8,000 for the multi-purpose home and $10,000 for  the community development fund.

Bayanihan USA Alumni president Joey Omila said they started their fundraising activities in July 2006.

“Everybody in America knows about GK. After we became convinced that this is the perfect vehicle to help our poor countrymen, we started to spearhead various fundraising projects in California, Canada, Connecticut, Boston, New York etc. We have people instrumental in raising the funds like Leni Morales Encarnacion from San Francisco, Lita Iwata of Vancouver, British Columbia and Gage,” Omila said.

At Friday’s GK build, around 100 Bayanihan members picked up shovels and mixed cement while others used saw, hammer and brush at the worksite.

Philippine Women’s University founder and former senator Helena Benitez was also present at the groundbreaking ceremony. She lauded the concerted efforts of the UAP alumni, the Bayihan Alumni USA and all the volunteers in making the GK ecovillage a reality.

Bayanihan USA alumni ways and means chairman  Romy Go said they intend to increase the number of houses every year.

The Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company started in 1957 and traces its roots to the Filipiniana Folk Music and Dance committee of the PWU founded by Benitez. The company culled its name from the Bayanihan tradition, which means working together for the common good.