Unsung heroes

"There was a man named John sent by God who came as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all men might believe…" (Jn. 1: 6-8, 19-28).

That lone figure of John the Baptist has been re-incarnated and multiplied over and over again, throughout the centuries, till this very day. Countless women and men, who through their very lives and work are living testimonies to the very meaning of Christmas and the person of Christ. They do not baptize with water as John did, but they "baptize" by their very acts of human compassion toward those who need them most.

One such group of people are those who work for non-government organizations (NGOs) - fully involved in social work and development. They are a major saving force in our country. Without them, many of our people would be in a much worse socio-economic condition. According to a study, the Philippines is indeed a small country, and yet has the greatest number of NGOs when compared to other countries in the world.

Several days ago, the National Council of Social Development (NCSD) commemorated their 56 years of commitment to social development! This umbrella organization has at least 120 active member-organizations all over the country — from Abiertas House of Friendship in Quezon City to Concern Group of Streetchildren in Naga to Bidlisiw Foundation in Cebu to Minsupala Economic Development Foundation in Cotabato. All these and more are the unsung heroes of our country today. Many of them continually breakthrough and reach out beyond the boundaries of region, religion, and social status.

Some are dedicated to children’s welfare and family life, including local and intercountry adoption services, like the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF). Others focus on the welfare of the youth, like the Foundation for Adolescent Development and the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation. Then, we have those that involve the business community, like the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), whose programs are geared towards helping the Filipino poor, landless rural workers, sustenance fisherfolks, marginal upland farmers, urban poor and indigenous cultural communities. Still others are committed to specialized needs, like the elderly, the lepers, the blind, the handicapped.

Needless to say, the various religious denominations and churches have their own programs and projects for social development. Be they Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, or others.

Let me single out an amazing social development program of quite recent origin - the Gawad Kalinga Communities. GK 777. Building 700,000 decent homes in 7,000 peaceful communities in 7 years. As of today, there are already 570 GK sites all over the country and more than 12,000 homes built in the last two years. One significant dimension of the program is that it is not a dole-out system. It is people empowerment. The Filipino bayanihan system. Second is its wholistic, integrated approach. Shelter, health, education, livelihood, moral formation, and community building are all addressed, one step at a time.

Just several weeks ago, one of our very apostolic leaders in the Marriage Encounter Community celebrated her 70th birthday anniversary. She is called Aya by her grandchildren. As a surprise gift on this momentous occasion, her equally apostolic children — supported by their apostle-father, presented her with the launching of a Gawad Kalinga Community Build, to be called "Aya’s GK Village." This will ultimately house 76 families in a squatter community in Parañaque. The initial goal is to build 10 homes at P50,000 per home.

One of the many inspiring testimonies to the light of Christ. Amen.