A HOME-GROWN humanitarian movement that has caught international attention by building homes and communities for the poor envisions the end of poverty in the Philippines by 2024.
Tony Meloto, founder of the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation, said the nation-building movement is committed to end poverty by 2024 and needs all sectors to lend a hand.
He said GK has built 50,000 homes across the country, with the help of various agencies and private partners.
“We seek to transform the lives of the poor and create a massive community-based platform for productivity,” he said, adding that they do not just build houses but also help attain food security and “restore dignity” among the poor.
CamSur
Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr., who supported GK projects in every town of the province, said the foundation has helped transform CamSur and the Bicol region.
“Before, what came to people’s minds when they heard of CamSur was that it is a typhoon-prone area and infested with NPAs (New People’s Army), but now, when you Google CamSur, it’s all about tourism,” he said.
Meloto and Villafuerte were in Cebu yesterday for the GK Builders’ Night.
In a press conference, Meloto explained he declined a Cabinet position as head of the housing council, because he wanted to impress the idea that the government doesn’t hold all the responsibilities or all the answers.
For the Global Bayani Challenge in April, GK will need at least 5,000 volunteers to help rebuild 160 homes wrecked by a storm in Bantayan Island.
In his province, Villafuerte said, all sectors are involved in GK projects, even the Church, which donated five hectares of land to the foundation.
“With GK, we are able to release the poor from the mindset of hopelessness and develop in them an attitude of ‘Yes, we can’,” he said.
Hope
GK Singapore head Aileen Ong, who gave up her 30-year career as a music teacher to become a volunteer of GK, said building villages for the poor has given families hope.
“I had spent four days in a slum in the Philippines and realized Singapore is so blessed. It is a great honor to be able to participate in this movement,” she said.
She said corporations in Singapore are looking for credible partners, and the Philippines could become one of them with the help of GK.
“Addressing poverty should take the bottom-of-the-pyramid approach. Such approach will create sustainability,” she added.
Jerome Awit, head of GK Cebu, called on Cebuanos to join in the “journey” of nation-building.
“Everyone should be a part of nation-building,” he said.
Currently, he said, there are 11 GK sites in Cebu, one of which was started in Dumanjug with the help of the J.P. Garcia Foundation.
Beyond providing shelter, Meloto said, GK has become a bridge for foreign investments.
“Through our projects, we show that Filipinos can be trusted, because the main problem investors from Singapore, Hong Kong and European countries have with us is trust,” he said.
He added 400 mayors and governors have worked with GK and not one of them has been corrupt in dealing with projects of the foundation.
GK sites, he said, are the “safest” and can also be found in certain territories where the Abu Sayyaf operate.
“When you restore human dignity, you also bring peace and order,” he added.
Model
Villafuerte said he believes GK should be a model for development in the country. He considers it the single biggest investor in CamSur, considering it has built 5,000 homes, estimated at P80,000 per home.
The province rose from being the 39th poorest to 10th richest province in the country, he added.
“GK is good politics. You can’t go wrong with GK,” the third-term governor said.
Meloto said the country is now in a “new season of hope,” with President Benigno Aquino III—who has also called for greater public-private partnership—enjoying record-high trust ratings.
“We don’t want to squander the next six years.”(RSB)
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