Day 6: Off to Boracay

Guess Where? Should be Easy


Would You Be Doing This NOW?


Beyond These Deck Chairs is a Paradise Waiting for You


Enjoying Every Minute


The customary Jump Shot of Boracay


Perfect Ending for a Perfect Week


Sun Worshippers Saying Goodbye


GK Saladmasters Pototan, Iloilo
GK Youth Build 2009

After such a life-changing week, comes a rewarding weekend!

Yes, the Saturday build was a dream come true in many ways. How many times can we be in the midst of close to a dozen mayors, a congressman and in the company of Gawad Kalinga founder, Tito Tony Meloto? Maybe a week ago, we thought it wouldn't be in this lifetime, but we didn't have to pinch our arms as we were able to work side by side with them and the Saladmaster executives from 8am to 8pm.

Of course, most of the activity past 4pm is eating and celebrating, it still is worth reminiscing.

So, the next day's activity was devoted to being on the road as early as 7:30 am to be able to be in Boracay before sundown.

Some of us were up at 5:30 am to catch the Sunday mass, some decided to sleep and celebrate the mass in Boracay. The trip from Iloilo to Aklan took us 5.5 hrs. Caticlan was another 30 minutes and we saw Boracay finally at 2:30 PM. Our first stop? The Hotel on top of the hill. What a sight! We could see Boracay's pristine waters from our windows. Truly majestic.

We went down to have our first meal of the day - milkshake and pizza at Jonah's- whereelse!

Then off to the 4:30 pm Sunday mass, which apparently was 4:00PM and we thought we missed it. Good thing there was a 5:00 PM mass pa, whew!!!

Perfect ending for a Perfect beginning.

Boracay can really soothe any tired body and now an enlivened soul. This is the life....

Day 5: 08 08 08 08

"Nation Builder" Pidoy Pacis of Saladmaster with the GK Youth Build volunteers


Saladmaster CEO Keith Peterson, joins GKYB Junnie and Mica, West Visayas State students in the Pasaload


Mayor Ito Perez, in a GKYB shirt, welcomes Tony Meloto, Pidoy Pacis, Keith Peterson and Congressman Art Defensor and fellow Mayors of Iloilo to the Build


GK Founder and Builder of Dreams, Tony Meloto with GK Youth Build co-founders Junnie and Marj


The GKYB contingent with their fellow youth volunteers from West Visayas State University and Mrs. Morano


The house is almost finished, as we paint it side by side with Saladmaster CEO Keith


Knowing the Iloilo loves football, GK Youths donated several soccerballs and a basketball to the village plus school supplies


GK Saladmasters Pototan, Iloilo
GK Youth Build 2009

Any GK advocate is crazy enough to think that we could build a nation from ground up. Crazier still that we could do it in our lifetime. But that's what drives people to do great and honorable work - the motivation that one's effort, and another one's zeal and excitement, and another's compassion - when mixed together - becomes the best formula for making great strides - for enacting change in the world.

Bono of U2 does it through his music. Lance Armstrong is doing it by racing despite having battled testicular cancer, while Gawad Kalinga advocates brave high seas, and territories known for strife and war to reach out to fellow brothers. GK full-time volunteers go through a lifetime dedicated to this great work for the poor and our youth skipping summer just to be with fellow youth to see the challenges that face them, to prepare them for battle and to equip them with the heart ful of compassion and Christian love.

We told them it is going to be hard. It is going to rain. The gravel and hollow blocks are heavy. The work to serve the poor will be hard. Yet, all 5 of them conquered a week-long of service. They did what they needed to do. They changed minds, including their parents and friends. They changed their hearts from fear to love. They transformed lives - both of the people they served and their own lives as well.

It was one week challenging them out of their comfort zones. They overcame it. And all of them want to be back next year!

Crazy.


Thus this line from the song of U2 is dedicated to this team of compassionate, courageous, cooperating youth full of Christian love.

"Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Divination that will listen to your boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
But change of heart comes slow..." - U2, "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"

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Day 4 : Around Iloilo

The children of Pototan - coming from school


Work continued on the houses while we visited the city


Miag-Ao Church's interiors


Special Guests at the Monthly Meetings of the Lions Club of Pototan


Pototan at Night, serene, peaceful and bucolic albeit pretty


We thought with all the food that we devoured last night, we were walking the Green Mile or in tagalog, "bibitayin na". It was just heavenly to have fresh seafood, fresh meat, fresh fruits and piping hot rice. We had to stay up for another 4 hours before we had to hit the sack.

Friday was spent to have a tour of Iloilo. We spent the morning on a running tour around the city, starting with a customary courtesy call with the Iloilo City Mayor in his office, on the third floor of a mall. Yes, the munisipyo can't be closer and any bit accessible to its constituents.

We proceeded with our running tour stopping of course at the Old Churches of Jaro and Molo but we never got in on both stops. Our first stop was getting our share of sinamay and Mama's Kitchen products. Good thing the stop was just in one go :) What a treat!

If last night's dinner was one for the books, we never realized that Iloilo still had an ace on its shoulder - Breakthrough. Yes, it was Tatoy's vs. Breakthrough but both our itinerary experts pointed to the latter. So it was. Sugba, kilaw and a lot of seafood, so who's complaining?

We then moved from lunch, surely 10 pounds heavier and thus on the way to Miag-ao we were like hit by the Gods of Slumber. No one was up for a game of M-G-G.

Miag-Ao, with its church made of limestone and egg white was- pardon me for recycling the word - but it was heavenly. The facade had intricate designs with such detail that you'd think the carvers really planned it to withstand 3 centuries without any sight of degradation. The palm tree design was so detailed you could see the separation of the palm leaves.


We had to rush back to Pototan by 5:30pm to prepare for an invitation by the Lions Club. Ok now, this time, we will be hung by our necks. This is our comeuppance after all those sumptuous meals. Haha. Actually no. We had more food waiting. We also had a grand time during the night. We laughed, we sang songs and we danced.
To top it all of, the Mayor of Pototan rendered a memorable song, a sort of harana to our newly engaged team members, Brian and Elaine. That steals the cake. That made our day and night.

We ended up hitting the sack at 12 midnight and tomorrow at 8am will be the big day. 08 08 at 08am to 08pm. With all the good times spent that Friday, I hope we wake up on time.

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Continue reading to Day 5.

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Day 3 : We Are Transformed, As We Help Transform

Breaktime - We ended work to spend more time with the kids

We dropped everything to be with kids
To Be with Kids - and to be Like Kids too
Time to Paint too
Visiting Other GK Villages

A GK Village is never complete without time with kids. No day with kids is spent without sharing them our time, talent and treasure.

Day 2 was spent learning new games, both from the kids and from the Youth volunteers. It was also spent learning new moves, again from us and also from them. It is the cycle of life.

We are transformed, as we help transform. This is the beauty of a GK build.

This is the beauty of being immersed in a GK village.

It is always 2-way.

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Day 3 allowed us to see other GK Villages within Iloilo. We visited the GK Village of Fiesta Filipina which was situated on a hill. Despite the lack of electricity, the beneficiaries, which included aeta indigents were all-smiles in welcoming us. The same can be said with the GK village in Ajuy. With a supportive Mayor, this village stands to be a model village in terms of solidarity between GK, the Local Government and the Kapitbahayan Team composed of CFC members.

The visits provided us perspective on the breadth and depth that Gawad Kalinga has provided to Filipinos. It also opened our eyes that GK is not just in providing houses and transforming lives, but also in bringing the best in Filipinos, the natural goodness of people in sharing what we can and whatever we have.

In Ajuy, as we were leaving, the villagers through a manang rushed to our contingent, gave us a plastic bag of a dozen camoteng kahoy - it could have cost them a day's profits from the market, just "camote" for some of us - but it was from the heart.

Nothing beats that.

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Continue reading to Day 4.

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Day 2 : Day with the Kids

We worked on what we started yesterday, but these tools take a backseat as it was a day for the kids


All smiles at work


Dance Dance, Mica communicating well with the kids through dance


From Toronto, with love. Remember these guys came with us in this trip?


What a sight! Pototan Kids having their heyday with simple toys



The GK Youth Build story starts and ends with building.

How much time would 7 different talented personalities take to break the ice? While we met for 3 hrs on Monday, it was as if we all knew each other for some time. Except for the fact that we had to be up early for an early morning flight to Iloilo, some of us still woozy, some still sleepy, we were all excited and raring to build.

Day 1 was spent forging our bond as a team. We had breakfast as a team. We checked in, we entered, we all prayed prior to the flight as a team. Seated in one row in the plane, we all found it funny that the ride will only be less than an hour, but in less than 10 minutes one of us would be knocked cold with the lack of oxygen. Don't ask who.

Upon arrival, we were met by Marge and Peter with Canadian flags to boot. Whisked to the Mayor's office, we had our first taste of Iloilo hospitality. Lunch was served and after a few exchanges of pleasantries - we got to clean up and prepare for our first view of the GK Saladmaster Village.

Had it been a week before - we could've been working with our feet under water. But that day was a blessed day. The sun was shining and we were able to work til sunset. We had our first collective sharing session and that was like what we finished that day - the foundations of a great team.

We have built a strong foundation - founded in a common objective of finding the gifts our Lord has given us, nurturing it and sharing it with our fellowmen.

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We were blessed with Day 2 being a whole day with the kids. It was a day of celebration as we send off our Tita Cory to her final resting place. While we bid her farewell, we welcome the new found friendships forged with the kids.

More stories tomorrow....

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Continue reading to Day 3.

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Day 1 : Building a Strong Foundation

GK Saladmasters Pototan, Iloilo
GK Youth Build 2009

"Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Divination that will listen to your boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
But change of heart comes slow..." - U2, "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"


Summer in the Philippines - 1 week
Time Spent Building 1 Duplex - 8 hrs
Time Spent Playing with Kids - 24 hrs
Time Spent Seeing the beauty of Iloilo - 16 hrs
Time in and around traveling - 6 hrs
Building Relationships with the people of GK Saladmaster Village - Priceless

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Continue reading to Day 2

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Welcome the 2009 Participants

We just finished our first day, the Orientation to Gawad Kalinga, a sort of GK 101 which went well and now we're ready for Day 1 of our immersion-build program in Iloilo.

The 6 participants include:

Helena - first got acquainted with GK while doing a research in Boston and met Peachy, Therese and Junnie during a benefit concert to start funding a GK Village. She is a native of Poland and hopes to make this, her 2nd sortie to the Philippines a productive stay. She has gone to GK villages in Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon. This is her first time to do a build in Visayas. She has spent 4 months in 2008-09 serving as a GK advocate while doing her research.

Butz - will be experiencing his first attempt to do a build for Gawad Kalinga. This 22-year old Pangasinense is excited about the prospects of experiencing sharing his time and talent to his fellow countrymen and share this with others.

Elaine - has had the most number of years of experience with GK. She has participated in other GK activities in the past as part of YFC and now as a SFC. She currently works in Fort McMurray in Alberta. She hopes to make this immersion-build experience shared to as many friends upon her return to Canada in mid-August.

Brian - is also from Fort McMurray, Alberta, and also moved from Toronto to Fort Mac. He is a member of Singles for Christ and hopes to make this first build as a way for him to give something from himself to the poor.

Michaela - or Mica is a sibling of 2007 GKYB participant, Therese and is the youngest of the delegation. Her youthfulness is shown in her desire to share her talents as a form of expression and a way to reach out to the youth of the Philippines. She is from Toronto and will be a spokesperson for the youth in her school and community after this stint.

For the third straight year, Junnie will be the team's Adult companion while Dondi will serve as their full-time GK worker. Their experience in handling the logistics and serving as the "big brothers" to GK Youth Build participants has been instrumental in making the experience of more than 30 youth participants in the past years worthwhile and the deepening of their desire to help the poor to be the outcome of this 7-day event.

This team has had tremendous help and support from the Core Team in Toronto and in Iloilo, with no less than GK Youth Build co-founder Peachy Forbes welcoming them after a 3-hr activity at the GK office in Mandaluyong.

Today marks the first day of the 2009 event and everyone is excited. God has paved the way for these youth to be the beacon to evangelize more youth to take on the challenge that Christ has started and that of loving the poor.

Continue watching this space for more updates!

Iloilo here we come.