Love blooms in GK
Eleanor Ann Chichioco and Jose John Bahoy Jr. are complete opposites, yet they found a common passion in Gawad Kalinga.
Eleanor, a Filipino-American, grew up in
Jong hails from Cainta, Rizal. He is a regular Pinoy who loves to watch “Eat Bulaga,” and likes to talk and text deep Tagalog messages to his friends. He is not bothered at all when friends tease him as “jologs.”
It would seem unlikely for the two to get together and fall in love but Eleanor and Jong, who come from different backgrounds, said they share the same goal: to rebuild people’s lives through GK and do their share in uplifting the lives of poor Filipinos.
Eleanor and Jong were married yesterday at the Mary Queen Parish in
“We have the same goals and we share the same love for God and country,” said Jong and Eleanor.
Eleanor met Jong in January 2006 when she came to the
Like other second generation Fil-Ams, she had a lot of questions about her nationality. Growing up in
“I had questions about Filipino nationalism, how come I don’t feel connected to the
In GK, she found that sense of nationalism she’d been looking for and the desire to retrace her roots.
“The whole GK program made me appreciate nation-building and love for one’s country. It’s the movement that offset all my doubts, “ Eleanor said.
Jong, for his part, got into GK as a volunteer in 2003. Together with his father, they joined a group of volunteers who built a house for a poor family.
Jong said his commitment to GK was sealed when he saw the heartfelt gratitude of the family they built the house for.
No sparks, initially
January 2006 was the first time Jong first caught sight of Eleanor at the GK office in Mandaluyong, but no sparks flew.
“The first time I saw her, she was wearing something formal and her hair was unruly. She was not speaking Tagalog,” Jong said.
“I was working closely with Issa and her team and there were instances when we run into each other. My first impression of him was he was very Pinoy. He was not speaking English. I thought he was intimidated to talk to me,” Eleanor said.
But because they worked together, Eleanor and Jong soon became friends, with Eleanor even becoming Jong’s confidant.
“We were in the same team and I think he had a crush on someone, so we would talk and from there we became comfortable with each other,” Eleanor said.
Jong even shared with Eleanor his thoughts of going into the priesthood and his share of heartaches, having been rejected twice. Eleanor is actually his first girlfriend.
In the course of their friendship, they found out that they share a same passion for badminton.
Once, they both went into a badminton tournament and when Eleanor saw Jong in his sports gear and playing, she began to see him in a different light.
Then Eleanor went back to the
Jong gave it a second thought and although he liked Eleanor, he was reluctant to court her because of their “cultural differences” and their friendship, which might get affected.
Eventually, Jong thought he should give it a try and the first thing he did was to offer to pick up Eleanor from the airport when she came back to the
Eleanor gave no malice to Jong’s sweetness although in hindsight, she knew he liked her.
“I felt weird that there was a sense of shift, it was not platonic anymore,” she said.
Jong first asked Eleanor out for dinner in October 2006.
At the dinner, Jong was nervous and speechless.
“I asked him why he was inviting me and he wasn’t saying anything, he was just staring at me,” Eleanor said.
Jong finally revealed what he felt and Eleanor said yes despite some reservations.
“I know we come from different worlds, but I liked him and I know it was worth giving it a try,” Eleanor said.
Jong said when he asked Eleanor to be his girlfriend, he was also thinking of marrying her.
“The reason why we entered this commitment is we know it would eventually lead to marriage, We were both aging, both mature, we have the guidance and the blessing of the community,” Jong said.
As they journeyed through their relationship, Jong commended Eleanor for completely being supportive and understanding of his work at GK.
Jong really appreciates that Eleanor is a GK worker too, and knows his commitment to GK.
“We see this work as a mission,” Jong and Eleanor said.
As they grew both in love, Jong decided that Eleanor is the girl he’d like to marry.
Before he proposed to Eleanor, he first wrote her mother about his intention.
On
Jong had made plans of making his proposal unique and grand. But it was not to be.
While waiting for a friend to pick Eleanor up at her condo, she and Jong were talking at the couch and having their regular relationship update type of conversation.
“And then he said: If I ask you to marry me, would you say yes? I was laughing and I thought he was just being sweet and then when I looked down, he was holding a ring and then he simply asked me again, will you marry me? I said, of course yes and I cried and we both hugged, “ Eleanor said.
GK Champion Tony Meloto, who stood as a principal sponsor at Jong and Eleanor’s wedding, wished the couple a blissful life ahead.
GK continues to attract volunteers
“There’s a new generation of people from the West who want to volunteer in developing countries. There is a global mood of people from the west who want to really help build a better world, a better
Streams of graduate students or professionals from the
Sixty-one Australian students/ volunteers from Melbourne and Sydney are coming and staying for GK. Nine students from Engineers Without Borders are also coming to the country.
“They promote GK, do advocacy work and when they go back to their country, they invite more people to come to the
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