A GK focused-journal of present day
heroes...
Gawad Kalinga is You and Me. Dahil bawat Pilipino, Bayani.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Gawad Kalinga is Called to Help Victims of Typhoon Reming
What with 1,200 people dead and missing, hundreds of ravaged homes, hopeless families, and extreme heights of fear, there is no doubt Gawad Kalinga is being called for duty.
According to the report of The Inquirer, Reming is the by far the strongest typhoon to ever hit the country. It has "unleashed avalanches of volcanic debris that buried more than 700 villages around Mayon volcano." This is a terrible grief experience to the victims this Christmas season.
Just watch this video taken by ABS-CBN Bandila News (courtesy of Youtube).
We hope that the tragedy turns into a call for the Gawad Kalinga servants to reach out to our brethren in the Bicol Region. This is a challenge for the Gawad Kalinga volunteers to go beyond the goals of the 777 movement, and simply consider the present need of the devastated communities.
For any donations or help you can extend, you may go to the CFC Center 349 Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong, MANILA.
Their story started when Joel Muceros and Agustina met in Manila. They were young, innocent and clueless on what lies ahead of them. And soon they married and started a family. But life never became easy for them. Joel is working as caddy boy but his income was not enough for their every day living. So Agustina decided to go home in Mindanao together with their children, in order for them to survive. But because Joel was failing to give them financial support for a long time, Agustina went back to Manila to check her husband. Agustina then learned that her husband was having an affair with another woman, living a comfortable life. And there was even a time that the mistress was giving Joel money just to send back Agustina in Mindanao. But the wife was really eager to save her husband and her family that she never quit fighting for him, loving him no matter what it takes.
It was only when the couple joined the Christian Life Program (CLP), Joel then, realized how important his wife for him and her love is different from any other woman. And so he came back to her, ready to face a new beginning and ready to rebuild his family again. But starting all over again means they have to sleep in a guard post, shed house and even under the tree just to save money to use as a fare, so their kids in Mindanao could join them in Manila, otherwise the DSWD will get their children from their custody.
But living together made their life more miserable, for they don’t have enough money for rentals and for their everyday expenses. And when they started to lose hope and did not know what to do was also the time they realized that God will never forsake them as they were one of the family chosen to be a beneficiary of Gawad Kalinga.And now the couple together with their four children is now a happy family as God is their center........
A Family that was once nearly broken is now given a second chance by God through Gawad Kalinga.
written by Kaye of SFC-Villamor, PMG worker for Ancop Canada
As our country is seeing hope out of poverty, we would like to involve everyone to become the heroes of today and participate in nation building. With that we are inviting you and all your close associates (friends, family, officemates, schoolmates) to join and empower our poor brothers and sisters through the work of Gawad Kalinga.
Every Saturday at Cubic Side, Merville, Paranaque, the GK team takes care of the children of the village. We give art activities, tutorials, film showings, health awareness campaigns, etc. For the adults of the community, we assist them in various livelihood projects. The site has already housed all the families. At this point, the village is waiting for the completion of its multipurpose building to serve as a venue for its activities.
We are striving to look for government/corporate/school partners, as well as volunteers who are willing to help in the formation of the youth. A school, playground, library, health clinic, and educational programs/tutorials will surely benefit them.
Gawad Kalinga is a holistic movement for genuine nation building. We aim to touch every aspect of community life, such as shelter, livelihood, education, health, and values formation. It is our desire to make every Filipino a hero.
This is our opportunity to lift our country out of poverty and plant hope for the future.
Should you have any questions regarding the help that you can give, just contact us at gk_blog@yahoo.com. You may also text/call us at 0927.839.2714.
May this ignite the spirit of nationalism in all of us. God bless us all!
Respectfully,
Romela Iane R. de Leon PMG - GK Cubic Side Village
Reyson S. Torres GK Caretaker Team Head GK Cubic Side Village
We are asking everyone to have this GK-Blog button posted on your websites. Please link it up to us at: http://gawad-kalinga.blogspot.com/. With that, more and more people will be aware of what Gawad Kalinga does for the resurrection of our country. We hope that this modest step will awaken the hero in you, and create heroes in our fellow Filipinos as well. May this awareness campaign encourage every Filipino whatever social class they may be, to stand up and reach out to the growing GK communities in the land.
GK has now taken bold strides in rebuilding our nation by involving all sectors of the society: government, civic, academe, and the corporate realm.
The Gawad Kalinga - Partnership Management Group (PMG) has expanded its line of service by taking on the role of marketing. GK-PMG was once confined to the job of accounts management, which the group has preferred to call as "Relationship Management" instead. This aspect of the PMG involves documenting about the demographics and progress of the Gawad Kalinga sites, and reporting them to the various partners of GK. Now, PMG is stepping up to take a broader scope of responsibility by promoting the Gawad Kalinga movement to various corporations and groups.
This initiative is based on the principle of "bayanihan" where everyone, regardless of social class or affiliation takes part in the work of the community and nation. Gawad Kalinga - PMG is calling our working professionals, businessmen, academic and civic groups to participate in the GK work of the nearest Gawad Kalinga site in their area.
To ignite the noble undertaking, this blogsite is asking all the bloggers and webmasters as well to help spread the good news of Gawad Kalinga. Have the button posted and link it up to us. We'll gladly link you here, as well. For more details, email us at: gk_blog@yahoo.com
People join the Gawad Kalinga movement for various reasons but the most prevalent one is that of the search of self-fulfillment. There is greater joy in giving and serving others rather than being consumed of the desire to accumulate for oneself. This has been the experience of many professionals who were once fully preoccupied in furthering career. The same goes to many who live the life of party and celebration. Now, all has come together to serve and pursue the goal of nation building. Many have seen the greater purpose of taking part in Gawad Kalinga to help our poor brothers and sisters.
But there is a greater calling that we all have to see beyond self-fulfillment.
While it is amazing to have found an inner satisfaction and purpose in serving others, it must not be the sole driving force of all our efforts. Gawad Kalinga reminds us that our focus is not on ourselves, but on others. And to search for mere self-fulfillment makes it all a bit superficial. Gawad Kalinga is offered to everyone who wants to take the first call of all human beings – that is to obey God… to obey Him, and to love our neighbor.
Singles For Christ-Villamor enjoy helping in the arts and crafts session of the Sagip Kids of Ancop-Canada Cubic Side GK Site.
Gawad Kalinga shoots two birds in one stone. It is life giving to both the volunteer and the beneficiary. But more than anything else, it provides us an opportunity to go not just after self-fulfillment, but to please and obey our God. And that brings the highest level of satisfaction and inner peace.
Bayanihan is a Filipino term pertaining to the joint effort of the people of a community, town, or nation in achieving a particular goal.
The Filipinos are well known for this social trait even before the foreign conquest of the land. Common folks would group together in carrying a bahay-kubo when a soon-to-be neighbor is about to transfer in the community, or when one is building his house.
Today in the modern age, the manifestation of the bayanihan spirit is quite less noticeable. What with the advent of all sorts of technology, more and more Filipinos are less likely to get out of his way to help his neighbor. Individualism at its finest. When a man has access to all that he needs in this fast-paced, urban-oriented society, asking for help is not much of an option anymore.
But the plight of the needy remains.
The Philippines has 49% of its population below the poverty line. This is the grandest call for bayanihan today. Gawad Kalinga, in its effort of uplifting the dignity of the poor by transforming a community into a value-laden and economically sustainable environment, the Filipino people are now returning to the roots of their history. Gawad Kalinga and all of its volunteers are now answering the call of bayanihan.
On November 25 to 26, 2006, there will be a massive GK build at Tarlac. This is a project of the Singles For Christ community involved in Gawad Kalinga. Together, they will keep the fire of bayanihan burning to serve our countrymen, to serve our God.
Now you have something bright and colorful to don your worktable...
presenting the 2007 GK Calendar!
The Partnership Management Group (PMG) of GK- South Sector is pre-selling its creatively crafted 2007 Gawad Kalinga Calendar to its dear partners. Each month, the calendar displays the company logo of a major partner along with some fresh information about the work of Gawad Kalinga.
Aside from its functional role, the calendar will serve as an invite for people in the workplace to come out and participate in nation building through Gawad Kalinga. Publicity-wise, it serves as a good advertising medium for corporations involved in GK. Proceeds of the project will benefit the Child and Youth Development Program of the Gawad Kalinga South Sector.
Take hold of the life-giving GK calendar for only Php150. For your orders, just contact Tita Doris, Mobile: 0920-260-7898
