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Chapter I

Introduction

Gawad Kalinga Village is a free-housing program of Local Government Unit

(LGU) together with Non-Government Organization, which is intended for

homeless and low-income people or the so called poorest of the poor in 7,000

communities in the whole Philippines (Villanueva, 2010). This housing-program

is actually realised all over the country and enjoyed with the less fortunate

people in a particular city.

In Cairo, Egypt, with regards to housing, the government announced that it

would be only responsible for the construction of low-income housing, and the

private sector would have the primary responsibility for providing housing unit

(El-Batran and Arandel, n.d). To make things clear, government plays a vital role

to make life easier, in some ways, to the people in a particular country in the

world. According to Koegel, Burnam, and Morton, (1992), in recent days,

homeless families in a certain society increased its number and became

immovable societal problem, rather than a phenomenon, has placed pressure on

state and local government to take effective to end homelessness. Without a

formal shelter to dwell was obviously an indication of having low-income

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families, and was somehow a root cause of diseases (Gelberg, Andersen, and

Leake, 1998).

In Taguig City, Gawad Kalinga Poveda Village was built in 2007 in which

lightly lessened the poverty rate and people living in the slum areas in the said

city. According to Villanueva (2010), Gawad Kalinga envisions a slum-free,

squatter-free world by modelling change through daily heroism. This is to

emphasize that little by little Philippine government pays attention to the recent

situation in every Filipino society today.

In Panabo City, there were three Gawad Kalingas had built. First GK is

located at Barangay Nanyo; second is located at Barangay Southern Davao,

lastly, the place where I am residing Gawad Kalinga Village – Datu Abdul Dadia

that is comprised with 100 house units and is occupied by 81 families who were

the pure residents of the said city. This simple research is workable models that

address social inequality, landlessness, homelessness, and environmental issues

(Villanueva, 2010).

Nation-building is one of the aims of GK and it shows the rigid foundation of

relationship among different variation of cultures, people’s attitudes and

behaviors (Habaradas and Aquino, 2010). I really admire the makers of GK and

its private partners because they look at the welfare of every people who are in a

marginalized status in the society.

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Title of the Study: LGU-Panabo City and NGO’s Free-Housin Program for
Homeless and Low-Income People: A Gawad Kalinga Villagers Story

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to find out the marginalized family’s job title,

financial structure, and lacking of basic needs in which could be a factor of

having not owned and built their house as well as an indicator of the low-income

status in the kind of job they have.

Specifically, this study is conformed for the purpose of informing the less

fortunate group of people in a certain society that our government was doing

and creating housing-program that possibly lessened the informal settlers or

renters without home to live and have low income in a particular city.

This study might be answered in one of the social ills which are hunger,

homelessness, and low-income of the family.

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Research Questions

This study aims to describe the factors that may contribute to the

marginalized family who are distinguished as homeless and low-income people.

Specifically, this seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the job title of members of the family in the society?

2. What are the basic needs of the family that are necessary to prioritize?

3. Why these families cannot build their own houses?

4. How do these people utilize their resources in which could be somehow a

reason of having not owned a house?

5. How much did these families receiving salary annually?

6. Why did you decide to reside in Gawad Kalinga Village?

The above mentioned questions are already approved by the research adviser,

and are ready to be utilized in conducting interviews and focused-group

discussion.
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Theoretical Lens

This study is seen through the theory of on The Human Endeavour of

Intentional Community which links homeless and low-income people who are in

the marginalized level in the Filipino society, is seen through on the concept of

Villanueva (2010) that marginalized people, which are the causes of having not

owned-house that made them rent a house, reside in the squatter area, or live in

the slum area. Marginalized status is the socio-economic status of the family,

homelessness, and the kind of family financial structure.

According to Koegel, Burnam, and Morton (1992), homelessness and low-

income people are significant factors of increasing problems in the society today

which alarmed on the side of Local Government Unit (LGU) to make possible

solutions to these unstoppable phenomena.

Furthermore, H. Odivilas and F. Odivilas (1998) cited that the cause of

homeless and low-income of the family indicates to a combination of financial

structure and basic need factors. Financial structure factors include salary grade,

debts or liabilities, while basic needs are food or clothing.

Panol and Sison (2012) emphasized that “Gawad Kalinga (GK) evolved as a

secular foundation that builds homes and communities and includes livelihood

programs with a mission to end poverty of five million Filipino families” (p. 55).
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Importance of the Study

The findings of this study will be significant to the following:

Community. Through this study, the community will be provided information

with the use of this research, which in turn can disseminate possibly this free-

housing program of LGU together with NGO and can response promptly the

qualifications or requirements of this program.

Researcher. Findings of this research may serve for the future researchers as

reference in determining the extent of the qualifications or requirements of free-

housing program of LGU and NGO and will give them knowledge on how this

government program improve the quality life of the poorest among the poor

people.

Marginalized people. In conducting this study, this research may become their

basis of having equity and the quality of life they deserved to eradicate the poor

socio-economic status of every family in the present Filipino society.

These are the beneficiaries of this study which could be helpful in

disseminating information that LGU-Panabo City and NGOs are working hand

in hand to alleviate poorness and homelessness in the city.

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Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research will cover the marginalized families of Panabo City, Davao del

Norte of estimated year 2010-2020 who are identified and qualified by the LGU

and NGO as homeless and low-income people. The participants are the homeless

and low-income people who are usually renting a house, residing in a squatter

land, or living in slum area.

This research is intended only those families who reside in Panabo City and

do not include family in neighbouring cities of the estimated year 2010-2020 and

those families who are qualified in the free-housing program of LGU and NGO.

As far as the topic is concerned, the investigation only focuses on what is in

the financial structure and basic need of the participants and does not include

about how their wealthy kinship help them whether in kind or in cash.

It is important to indicate the scope and limitation of this study so that the

future researcher, community, and marginalized people will not confuse about

the content and to what extent of this topic may utilize.

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Definition of Terms

To provide common and basic understanding of the key words in this study,

the terms are defined conceptually and operationally.

Homeless. The term homeless refers to the growing and intransigent social

problem, rather than a temporary phenomenon, has placed pressure on the Local

Government Unit to take effective action to end homelessness (Koegel, Burnam,

and Morton, 1992). In this study, homeless pertains to those families who are

renting house, residing squatter land, or living in a slum area.

Low-income. It pertains to population of people who are less to have bank

accounts, no savings or investments in banks, and expose to too much lending

activity (Zhan, Anderson, and Scott, 2006). In this study, low-income refers to the

family who are in marginalized status in the Filipino society, and this includes

the job title, poor financial structure, lack of having basic needs.

Gawad Kalinga Village. The term Gawad Kalinga or GK (Filipino for ‘to give

care) is a community-building, humanitarian movement that started in 1995.

According to Panol and Sison (2012), GK aims to eradicate through volunteerism

following the Filipino bayanihan way. Moreover, national and global

implications of this free-housing program of social unity sample of nation-

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building through society progress, less poor, and removing slum areas

(Villanueva, 2010).

These key words help to understand in conducting the study and may utilize

by the future researcher as reference.

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Organization of the Study

The aim of the study is to inform the marginalized people in the society that

LGU-Panabo City and NGOs join together to somehow lessen the burdens of

poorest of the poor to have the rights to live in equity and quality life as part of

the Filipino society.

In Chapter I, an overview of the family background, financial structure, and

lacking of basic needs of marginalized people in the society is discussed because

these are the qualifications to avail the free-housing program.

On the other hand, Chapter II involves related literature of this study as well

as the history of Gawad Kalinga (GK) on how it was started in building the

program which aimed to eradicate poorest of the poor in the Filipino society.

Furthermore, Chapter III pertains to qualitative research with ethnography

approach to study. This chapter also involves research participants and how the

researcher gathers data.

This is better show that in conducting this study, and the information

provided in this research is organized and has proper utilization of the data

resources.
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Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Non-profit housing program of LGU-Panabo City and NGOs is giving a

sustainable way of life of poorest of the poor people in the Filipino society, and

this is greatly gleaned on the research study of The Human Endeavor of

Intentional Communities: The Gawad Kalinga Movement (Villanueva, 2010).

In this kind of community, all families who lived in Gawad Kalinga agreed

that bayanihan will be always observed in every activity and celebration as part

of Filipino society’s tradition. Through this, International Public Relations and

the Circuit of Culture: An Analysis of Gawad Kalinga (Panol and Sison, 2012)

adheres that Gawad Kalinga reveals the importance of understanding cultural

values in communication campaigns.

Gawad Kalinga community is chartered in every Local Government Unit of

the Philippines in cooperation with Non-Government Organizations; it is seen on

Chartering Gawad Kalinga Communities: A Case of Development in Eastern

Samar, Philippines (H. Odivilas and F. Odivilas, 1998).

It is, indeed, formulated through the initiative of LGU and NGOs to make

innovations that could be the key to eradicate homelessness and lessen the

numbers of poor families in the Filipino society (Habaradas and Aquino, 2010).
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Chapter III

Methodology

Research Design

This research is utilizing qualitative type of research and the strategy of

inquiry or approach is ethnography. According to Amorado and Talili (2017),

ethnography is the description and systematic study and documentation of

traditions, mores, norms, and behaviour of people and culture.

Since Gawad Kalinga villagers comprise different kinds of people, culture,

religion, and political views, ethnography approach of research is utilized

because it has a broader coverage design in population and needs to be

immersed in the society and interacting with the respondents for long periods of

time (Talili, 2017).

Research Participants

The research participants of this study are those who are marginalized family

in the Filipino society which includes homeless and low-income people renting a

house, residing in squatter land, or living in the slum area. There are thirty

participants in this study to gather data, and is exact number basis in conducting

interviews (Villanueva, 2010). They are chosen as participants because this study
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is utilizing purposive-sampling technique, and is best fit in gathering data

(Amarado, 2017).

Job Title

The residents of Gawad Kalinga village are mostly having a blue-collar job in

their respective field of work. Since they are having this kind of job, most of the

time, their salary rate is not enough to sustain the basic needs of the entire

family.

Pait kayo ang kinabuhi sir bisag naa mi dari nagpuyo. Wala tuod miy

bayad sa arkila sa balay, apan galisod gihapon mi sa pagsustenar sa among

adlaw-adlaw na panhinahanglan.

This made me realized that how lucky I am to live in this village without any

hard time to find money because I am a teacher, and opportunity never gets

away from me. The reason why I lived in here is that my mother applied the slot

in the LGU under the authority of DSWD.

Basic Needs

This pertains to the daily sustainable needs of every Filipino; this includes

food, clothing, shelter, etc. I may notice that every table of these families in the

village has no enough food for their children, and you may also notice it through

the physical body of their children.

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Mao rajod tawn ning among saluhan sir karong pamahawa kay gabadget

tawn mis among pagkaon para unyang paniudto ug panihapon.

Even this kind of living is not so abundant, but the good thing in there is

Filipino people are striving daily because they know that in every dark days of

their lives there is always hope to see the lighter side of life. They are not having

an additional problem to pay house rentals as well.

Homeless

These families who reside in GK village - Datu Abdul are purely classified as

marginalized family in Panabo City. They are all undergone with the screening

of DSWD – Panabo, and passed all the required papers as documented evidence

for approval.

Wa jod miy chansa sir na maka-balay mi kay sa sitwasyon pa lng namo

karon, ultimo pangkaon gani maglisod pa. Malipayon mi gihapon tungod

kay ang lokal na gobyerno og tabang sa mga NGOs nahatagan mig balay na

wa namo damha. Tuod, dili ni maamoa gyud apan dako nanig tabang sir

para dili name mangarkila og dili name mabasa sa ulan og maiinitan sa

adlaw.
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In acquiring the free-housing program of LGU and NGO, the qualified families

are subjected to gain two-hundred (200) points by doing bayanihan, and are

needed to be recorded by the assigned personnel in GK village. After

accomplishing the 200 points, the qualified families are invited to come the turn-

over ceremony program and allowed to live in the house.

Gawad Kalinga Village

The kind of community which could be somehow resolved the increasing rate

of poverty, and eradicate the number of homeless families in the Filipino society.

This initiative of LGU and NGO is breaking the gap between poor and rich

people in the Philippines.

Working hand in hand creates good relationship to every members of the

Filipino society, and it promotes values which strengthen the ties of Filipino

spirit and oneness to build better Philippines.

Rules and Regulations

The village imposed curfew hours from 10pm to 4 am. There are do’s and

don’ts being implemented in this village like no smoking and drinking alcoholic

liquid. There will be no spreading gossips in the entire village. If these prohibited

acts are violated, the personnel together with the residents will file a petition for

evicting and annulling your rights to stay and live in the village; however, you

are given a warning first before the said sanctions become effective.
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References

Amorado, R., Talili, I. (2017). Qualitative Research: A Practical Approach. Malabon,

City, Philippines: MUTYA Publishing House, Inc.

Gelberg, L., Andersen, R., Leake, B. (1998, July 23). The Behavioral Model for

Vulnerable Populations: Application to Medical Care Use and

Outcomes for Homeless People. Health Access and Utilization, 140 (12):

1274-5

Habaradas, R., Aquino, M. (2010, August 01). Gawad Kalinga: Innovation in the

City (and Beyond). DLSU - Angelo King Institute, Retrieved from

http://aki.dlsu.edu.ph

El-Batran, M., Arandel, C. (N.D). Informal Settlement Expansion in Greater Cairo

and Government Responses. Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 10, No. 1

Odivilas, F., Odivilas, H. (2015, August). Chartering Gawad Kalinga

Communities: A Case of Development in Eastern Samar, Philippines.

European Scientific Journal. Volume 11, No. 23, ISSN: 1857-7881 (Print) e –
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1857-7431

Panol, Z., Sison, M. (2012, November 18). International Public Relations and the

Circuit Culture: An Analysis of Gawad Kalinga. Asia Pacific Public

Relations Journal. Volume 14, No. 1 and 2 Retrived from

http://deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/apprj

Villanueva, R.H (2010). The Human Endeavor of Intentional Communities: The Gawad

Kalinga Movement. Arizona, U.S.A: University Libraries

Zhan, M., Anderson, S., Scott, J. (2006). Financial Knowledge of Low-Income

Population : The Journal Sociology and Social Welfare, Volume 33. Iss. 1,

Article 4.
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The Entrance of Gawad Kalinga Village – Panabo City

Block 1
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Block 2

Block 3
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Block 4

Block 5
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