this story originally appeared in the philippine daily inquirer on July 5, 2005.
The minute my taxi left the Frankfurt International Airport and entered the highway, I let out a long, deep sigh. I couldn’t believe that I was seeing such a wonderful countryside, a scenery that I had till then seen only in paintings or pictures. I was awed by the combination of colors. Had the driver not been going at the minimum speed of 150 km/hour, I would have opened the car window to smell the fresh flowers on the side of the road.
In some small towns we passed, I admired the combination of modern and old Tudor-type houses built to last for generations. One house dated back to 1768 as indicated by the carvings in front of it.
The roads were spanking clean and free of litter. No wonder people like to live in Europe, I thought.
As my eyes feasted, my heart ached. I realized that the things I was admiring were the exact opposite of the sights that would greet me whenever the plane landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Apart from the crowded city streets, houses of different types have mushroomed all over Metro Manila, more than half of them tiny shanties that serve as dwellings for my underprivileged countrymen. The sight changes a little as I ride through Baclaran and go toward Roxas Boulevard, Port Area and finally my favorite place, Balut in Tondo. Most of the houses I see are made of used plywood with rusty tin roofs. Some have old rubber tires on top to keep the roofs from flying during storms.
The people who live in these slum areas earn less than P100 a day. In these times of hardships and skyrocketing prices, only a few of them would be lucky to eat twice a day. Because of this, I am not surprised that so many people resort to committing crimes. In this jungle of expanding scarcity, it is becoming very difficult to put food into one’s hungry mouth. Sometimes this can only be done at the expense of hurting other people.
Unfortunately, the metropolis is not the only one place plagued by poverty. Statistics shows that 70 percent of Filipinos are living in such humble, pitiable condition. The fact that we are among the countries with the fastest population growth rate makes the future look even gloomier, unless something is done quickly to overcome the crisis.
I do not need to elaborate. I’m sure that every Filipino is aware of this grim situation. And this leads me to ask: My dear Motherland, where are we heading for?
If I may say so myself, I am one of those young Filipinos who are eager to contribute and help in rebuilding the lives and uplifting the living conditions of our countrymen. However, I am one of those who feel lost and puzzled over what we should to do first. I know that there’s little chance that a single person can bring about the needed changes. I believe that in this dire situation, only our collective efforts would bring about the transformation needed to eradicate the root causes of the problem.
Now I think I have found a solution, a way to contribute to nation building. The answer to my question is made up of two words: Gawad Kalinga.
In English, it means “to give care.” But Gawad Kalinga has been doing more than that. It has revolutionized the meaning of nation building by involving Filipinos from all classes and backgrounds to contribute and help in the task of improving other people’s lives.
Gawad Kalinga is a non-sectarian and non-profit organization that provides housing and eventually sources of livelihood to our needy brothers and sisters. In the process, it intends to bring about necessary changes in the values of the disadvantaged members of Philippine society. And it does this without regard for one’s class, religion or ethnicity.
Gawad Kalinga has one very ambitious vision: to build 700,000 homes in 700 communities in 7 years.
We are still very far from achieving this goal. But with the heroes coming from across the world and its partners working together, the goal is beginning to look possible! We have a strong faith that no task is insurmountable when God is behind it.
I once told my friends that true heroes do not only pray to God for things to happen. True heroes make things happen through relentless action and unflagging perseverance. True heroes stand up, work hard and contribute to achieve a common objective. True heroes used courage as their armor, determination as their shield and strength of heart as their sword. These are the heroes I’ve been blessed to know through our work in Gawad Kalinga.
I am not a hero and I don’t aim to be regarded as one. But I have made a resolution that it would not be enough for me to watch and simply sympathize with my countrymen who suffer. I have to help them in whatever way I can. (Which may be quite ironic since our family doesn’t have a house of our own.)
If citizens of other countries are sharing their resources to help people like us, the more I have to help, too.
Three simple reasons drive me: I love my God, I love my fellow Filipinos and I love my country. It would be a shame if I did not play a role in pushing a great cause that will provide renewal and redemption to my beloved nation. What could be more beautiful than the hope of someday seeing “no more slums, no more violence, no more poverty”?
Someday after all the Gawad Kalinga houses shall have been built, when my plane lands at Naia, I will look in wonder not only at brightly colored houses but at beautiful smiles painted on the faces of my countrymen. And I just know deep in my heart that it will make me feel good, like nothing else can.
