The spirit of volunteerism, a Filipino tradition of extending help to neighbours, lives on among Filipino Canadians in Metro Vancouver and all across Canada through a worthy and charitable project like Gawad Kalinga (GK).

Gawad Kalinga means “to give care” that has become a popular and effective alternate solution to the blatant problem of poverty in the Philippines.

GK Community Foundation Executive Director Antonio “Tony” Meloto recently visited Canada to meet Filipino communities and supporters in Vancouver, Richmond, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and several other smaller centres to provide updates of the ongoing GK projects.

In Vancouver, the meeting was held at the Flamingo restaurant along Fraser Street and was organized by the local-chapter of Couples for Christ (CFC), a Catholic organization intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life, and a group called ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor), the official international fundraising and sponsor-relations arm of GK.

ANCOP western Canada regional head Nick Borja said that Filipinos in Canada are “fully supportive and committed” to extending help for the poor communities in the Philippines.

“We are encouraging more Filipinos in Vancouver and other areas — through annual events like the GK Walk being held in September and the GK Awareness Month — to join us in this worthy endeavor,” Borja told The Asian Pacific Post.

In his speech, Meloto lauded the “bayanihan spirit” of all Filipino Canadians in Vancouver led by appointed Ambassador of Goodwill and popular Filipina singer Joey Albert, who uses her gift of music to touch the hearts of Filipinos in Canada to share blessings with the less fortunate back home.

“I am happy to announce that about 500 (Philippines) mayors have committed to donate at least three hectares of land each to the GK foundation,” says Meloto. “For every town, we are targeting to build 100 homes in one hectare of land and the remaining two hectares would be allocated for food production because GK is now going for sustainability process.”

Meloto added that GK has now become a global advocacy and a “template for nation building” as it will also branch out in helping other poor countries around the Asia Pacific rim.
GK started in 1995 as a daring initiative by Couples for Christ to rehabilitate juvenile gang members and help out-of-school youth in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, then the biggest squatters’ relocation area in the Philippines.

Together with its partners, GK is now in the process of transforming poverty stricken areas with the goal of building 7,000 homes in seven years (2003-2010). 

To date, GK is established in over 1,500 communities all over the Philippines and in other developing countries.

“I could not accept that the country that I was blessed with – the only Christian Catholic country in Asia – is the poorest and most corrupt,” adds Meloto. “ It is not a legacy that I want to pass on to my children.”

Meloto said also that the Philippines globally should not be defined by poverty, street children and scavengers because it is “an insult to our creator and I believe that Filipinos are designed for greatness and excellence.”

“In our country we keep on blaming and bashing one another and we never find the solution and by doing so, we became a part of the problem. In Gawad Kalinga, we just simply honour every act of kindness and generosity,” says Meloto.

He further explains that poverty in the Philippines is a failure in “discipleship” as Christians.
“Poverty is the consequence where we do not ‘walk our talk’ and hypocrisy is just our way of justifying it.”

GK’s vision for the Philippines is a slum-free, squatter-free nation attained through a simple strategy of providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless, food for the hungry and as a result providing dignity and peace for every Filipino.

For more information visit www.gawadkalinga.org or the GK local chapter www.ancopcanada.org .