Born on January 17, 1950 to a poor family in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antonio Meloto was raised with little but taught to give much.

At a young age, he was already exposed to the squalid living conditions of the poor, his home being near a shoreline squatter community where poverty was already very pronounced.

It was here that the spirit of ”bayanihan,” - the willing sharing of any heavy load for the good of his fellowmen – gave him the inspiration to become an ambassador for the world’s poor.

Today, better known as Tito Tony, the man from the slums of Bacolod leads an army of God called Gawad Kalinga - a global movement that builds integrated, holistic and sustainable communities in the some of the most impoverished corners of the planet.

Gawad Kalinga is now being implemented in almost 2,000 communities in the Philippines and in other developing countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. 

It has become a concrete manifestation of the healing of relationships in the Philippines, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, government and the private sector by simply bringing back what is uniquely Filipino – the spirit of ”bayanihan.” 

Driven by a strong commitment to faith, GK is able to bring out the hero in every person by giving him concrete opportunities to serve.

Last week, volunteers of the Philippine non-government organization Gawad Kalinga (GK) held their fourth Global Summit in Toronto, Canada.

Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Christopher Thornley, an ardent supporter of GK, was one of the keynote speakers during the plenary and workshop sessions on June 9.

On its website, GK said it launched in 2009 “GK2024,” a 21-year vision which provides the roadmap toward a First World Philippines.

“The emerging Asian model for development is unveiled to the world at the first GK Global Summit in Boston, with friends from India and Columbia in attendance to see how this Asian model for development can be adopted to end poverty in other developing nations in the world,” GK said.

Currently, Gawad Kalinga has nine offices spread across Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Europe, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore and the United States.

 It has housing communities in four countries: the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia.

At the summit Meloto urged solidarity among Filipino-Canadians as the Philippines is making headway as the fastest growing economy is Southeast Asia, second to China.

Citing the recent Philippines National Statistical Coordination Board report that the Philippine GDP grew by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of the year second to China’s growth, Meloto expressed confidence of the Philippines’ place in Asia as the next global market.

 He added that the Philippines has been projected to be the 16th largest economy in the world by 2050, with an economy that would “equal to that of Canada by 2035.”

Meloto, said the support that GK receives from corporations that include Sunlife and Telus International in Canada is an indicator that GK is being seen as the Philippines gateway to the Canadian market. 

At the dawn of the Asian age in the global market, the next generation Filipinos are facing the challenge of being producers instead of importers and of being the first patrons of Filipino products, Meloto continues that 99 percent of milk and 80 percent of chocolate products are being imported. “We should be creating world-class products with our proficiency in engineering, our honest government and our honest people,” he says.

He further urged Filipino expats to “rise above partisan politics and parochial interests as one people” extending the concept of family beyond blood relatives. He adds “We should see the Philippines as our home and not abandon nor bash it. We shouldn’t follow a path of conflict.”

GK Canada president Alfredo Pacis, originally from Iloilo, said “Transformation of values starts today with Canada supporting the initiatives of GK.”

GK Canada is hosting the 4th GK Global Summit where 25 percent of North American GK village sponsorships come from Canadian partners which account for 80 villages. GK Canada is expecting an increase in the visibility of the social movement not only to the Filipino-Canadian community, but to the mainstream community as well where Filipinos have become valuable members.

Meloto also announced that the next global summit will be in Paris, France where the GK head is a French man. According to the GK founder, France has recognized the economic gains of the Philippines and has so far sent 500 French student interns to GK villages in the Philippines.