WHICH CHARITY ORGANIZATION WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SUPPORT? WHY? What is GK or Gawad Kalinga?

Thats the question I asked to my Ate (older sister) when she incessantly talked about Gawad Kalinga. She was so passionate in sharing it with me because she personally met Mr. Tony Meloto at the International Research Conference on Globalization and Sustainability which was spearheaded by the West Visayas State University in August 2012. Gawad Kalinga was launched on October 4, 2003 at the first GK Expo in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City with GK777 as its vision of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years. In 2005, it became a nation-building movement. GK partnered with the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Department of Social Welfare and Development and 200 LGUs and launched a massive campaign to provide free land and build communities for typhoon victims. Likewise, in 2009, GK became the Global Model for Poverty Alleviation. It launched GK2024, a 21 year vision which provides the roadmap towards 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 countries in the World. But what is so special with this charity organization and my Ate becomes an advocate of GK? Gawad kalinga is being implemented in thousands of communities in the country 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 the willing sharing of any heavy load for the good of his fellowmen. 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. In addition, my Ate shared bits of information that the Global Model for Poverty Alleviation is the socalled Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is being popularized by Tony Meloto. With partners from the business sectors, the CSR is utilized as a vehicle for nation building and a stimulus for economic growth which can be translated to social justice: sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, building productivity and creating abundance for all. The resources are not dole-outs but are matched with the sweat equity of the community and the time and talents of our volunteers. And some of the business partners do not only give support to GK programs but they also consistently champion the communities that carry their corporate branding not only at the gates but also in the grateful hearts of the residents. The new bottom line then becomes profit with a bigger social conscience. And as I continue my story, my Ate, who is a graduate of West Visayas State University heard about Gawad Kalinga in 2009. Her chairman of the panel of examiners in her dissertation, Dr. Lourdes Morano is the head of the office of Gawad Kalinga as part of WVSUs extension program. She met volunteers and students from America and Europe but my sister never asked what Gawad Kalinga is. She knew it by name but not fully aware of its visions and advocacies. Only in that international conference when she learned upon it. And from there, she learned from Tony Meloto how grateful he is to the West Visayas State University particularly to his Manang Purit (Dr. Purita P. Bilbao, my dissertation adviser) and Manang Lourdes Morano in the development and implementation of the CSR model. Looking back, my Ate becomes an advocate of Gawad Kalinga because she believes in its vision. She believes in the sincerity of Tony Meloto and the people that he works with. She personally knew how kind-hearted, honest and caring they are. With GK, the Philippines would have a model community that is a faith community, a peace zone, a tourist spot, a productivity center, an environmentally healthy community, an empowered community and a secure community. Can other charity organizations do this? I doubt. Indeed, the charity that I would like to support most is Gawad Kalinga. Its not simply because I am the only sister of someone who is so passionate about it. But I truly believe in GKs unique Filipino way of caring and sharing to the poor.