Gawad Kalinga / Pundaquit Festival / Award for B. Lumbera

For some inexplicable reason – and to my eternal shame – I had not known of Gawad Kalinga until Jill Beckingham, wife of British Ambassador Peter Beckingham, told me about it the other week.

Jill, a former school teacher involved in social work back home, visited a Gawad Kalinga village which left her greatly impressed and brimming with enthusiasm. When I expressed interest in the community project, she graciously sent me materials from which I am herewith drawing.

An interview conducted by Bo Sanchez of KERYGMA tells the incredible-but-true story of Dylan Wilk who became the ninth richest man in Great Britain before he was 30. He was enjoying every luxury money could buy yet felt empty inside. When a Filipina friend visited him, she confessed feeling guilty because her plane fare could have built two houses for the poor. That set Dylan thinking.

He sold his computer company for millions of British pounds and flew to the Philippines were GK Director Tony Meloto showed him around different GK villages for the poor. Dylan said: "I saw hope. More than newly built houses, I saw transformed lives. We were entering rather dangerous slums, breeding ground for thieves and kidnappers – yet in the middle of that was an oasis – the GK village. I saw people smiling, men working, children laughing." Dylan had never seen anything like it in other projects in SE Asia or in the rest of the world.

He returned to England, sold his BMW which could build 80 homes for 600 poverty stricken people, then decided to stay in the Philippines and work for GK for seven more years. He may just live here permanently: He married Tony Meloto’s oldest daughter who, having always been involved in GK, leads Dylan to say, "We’re totally one in our mission. And yes. I’ll be having Filipino children. The best way I can secure a future for my kids is to continue to help raise this country from poverty. Instead of building high walls in an exclusive subdivision to protect us from thieves and kidnappers, I will go to their breeding ground and help transform their lives."

What is so heartwarming about Bo’s interview is Dylan’s faith in the Filipino – he is hardworking, always laughing, always singing even in his problems. He’s loyal and honest. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally, that’s been Dylan’s experience.

If Dylan, a Britisher, can believe so much in the Filipino, can we believe less in ourselves? Jill Beckingham, another Britisher, recalls the sincerity and dedication of those behind the GK movement, adding that they often spoke with tears in their eyes.

Gawad Kalinga means to give care; to Dylan, it means "God’s Kingdom". Indeed, during our national crisis, an unfolding miracle is rebuilding our nation and restoring the faith of the Filipino in himself. Shanties are being rebuilt to colorful homes, sickness being transformed to health, poverty to self-reliance, and a nation in despair to a nation to full of hope.

Almost 8,000 homes were built by October 2004 in 330 sites in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each home, 20 to 25 square meters, with bathroom and kitchen, is brightly painted and landscaped to get rid of slum mentality and to teach First World standards of excellence to the poor. Actually, the target is to build 700,000 homes by 2010 to provide dignified living to more than four million Filipinos.

At the heart of Gawad Kalinga are thousands of caretakers and volunteers from Couples for Christ who are putting their faith into action. GK was born as a response to the call to build communities where the poor are restored in their dignity as sons and daughters of God, and are empowered to live productive lives.

GK’s education programs, values-based, aim at ending crime and repairing broken homes, relationships and communities, as well as teaching traditional subjects. "Sibol" is for children aged 3-6; "Sagip" is for children aged 7-13; "Siga" is for aged 13 and over, and out-of-school youth. These give children a real chance of breaking the generational cycle of poverty and building skills for a happy and successful life while attending workshops and livelihood training centers rather than joining gangs or begging.

Livelihood programs include microfinance, agriculture/farming, food sufficiency, entrepreneurial workshops, computer skills, etc. GK residents join a "Kapitbahayan" neighborhood association in their GK site to learn stewardship, accountability, team effort and cooperation, unity and community spirit.

"The Philippines has hope because there is Gawad Kalinga," asserts former President Cory Aquino. Like Jill Beckingham, Solita C. Monsod urges us to visit these GK communities, saying, "To see is definitely to believe."

Donors include Senators Drilon, Angara and Villar, Mayors Sonny Belmonte and Lito Atienza, Jun Tambunting, Mikee C. Jaworski, Boy Saycon, Gary Valenciano, Kuh Ledesma, The Ambivalent Crowd, Apo Hiking Society, Metrobank Foundation, Wyeth, McDonald’s, Selecta, Prudentialife, educational institutions, etc. etc.

Why not write a check today in favor of Gawad Kalinga, 349 Ortigas Ave., Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City 1554, and be a part of nation building?

Pundaquit Festival

After its resoundingly successful Holy Week opening, the 12th Pundaquit Festival continues tomorrow, April 3 at 6 p.m., at the Center for the Arts in San Antonio, Zambales. The Metro Manila Community Orchestra under Josefino "Chino" Toledo will render Beethoven’s Consecration of the House, Gershwin’s Promenade, Bernstein’s Candide Overture and a medley of Henry Mancini favorites.

The Miriam College-based ensemble, a project of the Orchestral Development Institute, provides orchestral experience to musicians, ages 11 to 48, with no conservatory training but with a passion for music.

Violin virtuoso Alfonso Bolipata, Pundaquit Festival founder-artistic director, introduced its program in 1994 to expose Zambaleños to various cultural forms, especially classic music. For further information, call 9038657/9332392, or 0920-9610320.

Award for B. Lumbera

The Helenica Foundation, jointly with De la Salle University, will confer the Apolinario Mabini Cultural Award on Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera this afternoon at DLSU. Speakers are Dr. Janet Tauro-Batuigas, Dr. Remedios Z. Minciano and Dr. Carmelita I. Quebengco.

Eduardo G. Fajardo, Helenica Foundation head, will explain its donation to be received by Br. Andrew Gonzalez, Presidential Adviser on Academics and Research. Nina G. Fajardo and Br. Gonzalez will confer the award on Dr. Lumbera. Dr. Isagani R. Cruz, University Fellow, will give the closing remarks. Ernesto Carandang II, of the Bienvenido Santos Creative Writing Center, will emcee.