Gawad Kalinga: Changing communities

By Wein P. Gadian

From shanties to colorful homes; from the streets and into the classrooms; from poverty to self-reliance; and from a depressed area on to its way to becoming soon a peaceful community.

These are the changes that come with Gawad Kalinga, a nation-building program of the Couples for Christ.

These are the changes-for the better-that has been taking place at Veteran's Village in Iloilo City's Waterfront area.

Thirty-five families living in Veteran's Village are the identified beneficiaries of the Gawad Kalinga program.

They used to have cardboards for their walls and torn-down streamers for roofs. They used to sleep in a place so cramped that their makeshift toilets and sleeping mats are situated side by side. Some have no toilets. Poverty was like a huge dark cloud covering the rays of hopes from shining on the families.

But with Gawad Kalinga, flickers of hope dissipated the dark clouds.

Now at Veteran's Village, Gawad Kalinga has helped built 18 houses and a day care center. A drainage system is also being constructed.

What started out as two duplex houses built by the Police Regional Office six to house four families has now mushroomed into a model of change in the community.

With these developments, the once poorest families now live in a 20-25 sq. meter house with toilet and kitchen.

What's more, Gawad Kalinga will soon be sending to school 68 youths, 27 children and 33 pre-schoolers.

To maintain the momentum of changing for the better is the Kapitbahay Association that helps in the maintenance of the cleanliness of the community and the construction of a brick pathway from the entrance gate to the whole village.

Sparking change

Believe it or not, high-ranking police officials are behind the program.

It was Chief Supt. Marcelo Navarro Jr., then the region's police director, who brought the Gawad Kalinga to Veteran's Village.

Navarro was head of the Couples for Christ in Ayala, Alabang before he was assigned to Western Visayas.

City Director, Sr. Supt. Norlito Bautista, then head of the PRO 6's Police Community Relations, was the program's Project Director. He worked alongside four Program Managers who were also members of the CFC.

In no time, various groups pitched in to help, which are PRO 6, Lions Integrated, Rotary South, and the Bureau of Customs.

Lions Integrated donated a house and a day care center. Rotary South also donated a house. BOC sponsored the construction of ten houses. No less than Customs Commissioner George Jereos , his predecessor Commissioner Antonio Bernardo, and Regional Customs collector Atty. Ernest Urbano.

GK in a Nutshell

Gawad Kalinga is a Filipino phrase meaning "providing care."

The program has the vision of bringing Philippines out of its 3rd world classification.

It transforms individuals empowering the community. It is stewardship and not dole out by teaching beneficiaries the value of self -reliance and productivity through the various livelihood trainings and development. It is about uplifting the dignity of the poor by building their capacity to respond to the opportunities and enabling them to reach their highest potential. GK also initiates "heroism" in mobilizing volunteerism or bayanihan in the collective efforts between the beneficiaries and the volunteers.

GK has five core programs, namely: Tatag , which focuses on building houses and other basic infrastructures, and beautification of the community; Education , which has three sub-categories (sibol, a value-based education for children aged three to six years old; sagip, a tutorial and training program on creative arts for those aged seven to 13; and, Siga, a scholarship program for those who are qualified to pursue higher education) ; Health or Lusog, which addresses malnutrition and poverty by teaching parents the value of proper diet and nutrition; Livelihood or Sikap , which teaches livelihood skills, and provides the market, capital and materials for the products; and Kapitbahay , where the values of stewardship, accountability, unity and community spirit are inculcated.

Gawad Kalinga has evolved into not just a work with the poor but also a work of nation building from a simple but daring CFC initiative to a growing multi - sectoral partnership driven by the same spirit and vision.

It not only focuses on building houses for the poor but in dismantling the bias against poor people who live in depressed areas, and in into uplifting their dignity.