Celebrating Patriotism

Mabuhay Festival 2009
Metro Toronto Convention Center


What will make you drive downtown to watch Mike Hanopol, Pepe Smith and the rest of Juan De La Cruz Band, or eat barbecue or listen to a spiel of how you and your youth members can join an immersion program in the Philippines and stay in a GK village for a week?

Nostalgia perhaps? Or craving for greasy food?

I know the answer. Your patriotism.

Yes it is that blood that runs through your veins, that same blood that was shed by countless heroes from Lapu Lapu to Rizal and the very reason for Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC-Toronto) why every year, every June 12th and every summer they have been producing this great event, a showcase and a celebration of Pinoy heroism.

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In 2006, we attended our first Mabuhay Festival in the same venue and with the same intention - to be with "kababayans" to celebrate our culture, our music and our food. It was also the same day that my wife and I decided to volunteer for Gawad Kalinga. Three (3) years after and 2 summers in the Philippines doing immersion programs and building houses for our brothers and sisters as part of GK Youth Build, the love for our motherland has strengthened and even with the new found citizenship and adoption of a nation for us, the ties has all the more deepened.

We now, with close to 8 million other Filipinos all over the world should really have that fire in the belly to solidify our thrust to help our country in any which we can.

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GK Youth Build was in the Mabuhay Fest to inspire the youth towards volunteerism. We know that there is always interest in giving back and the youth are the best sources for energy and excitement to help our country rise above.

We did not fail.

There were more than 20 signees to volunteer. And hopefully, out of these 20, there will be at least a dozen who will take up the challenge and be the driving force for GK youth in Canada.

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The manangs from Marinduque will be very proud of their efforts. In 2008, they created by hand more than 30 pieces of jewelry. Out of their desire to make this a part of their livelihood, one of our GKYB participants, Therese Cruz, taught them how to create masterpieces from donated beads coming out of the "Bag of Beads" program the youth designed. Our very own Elvie Tan, Maripi Leynes and Ryan Diongco, took turns in selling more than 80% of the jewelry.

We are ready to send the money to Marinduque, and who knows, out of the 20 who bought it, we might discover a possible wholesaler in the future and will order, not just 30, but 300 pieces regularly. Anyone?

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Lastly, the Mabuhay Festival has always been a crowd-drawer and this year's cast included Richard Guttierez, Rhian Ramos, Iza Calzado and Banana Q. Yes, those sugar coated yummeah merienda sold out fast even before it reached the display stand.

Oh well, that's one good reason to always go back and join Mabuhay Festival year in year out. But for me, banana-q or none, next year's event is already blocked off my calendar.

See you again next year!
For more images, including the jewelries created by hand our sisters in the GK Village in Gasan, Marinduque, please click here.

Seanna heads World Youth Alliance (WYA) in Toronto

Click image to be able to read article or read it here.. Picture was taken in a GK village that Seanna visited.

“In North America, many of our members identify culture-of-life issues as those with the greatest importance when it comes to promoting the dignity of the person here. In Africa, the dignity of the person translates more to improving community-based living, and life issues aren’t even an issue, as their culture has no debate on (them). The issues, really, come from the culture and it’s through cultural activities that we can identify what needs to be done,”, Seanna Magee, the newly-appointed head of the Canadian committee of the World Youth Alliance (WYA) said.

GK Youth Build fully supports this endeavor and is proud of Seanna who visited the Philippines in 2007 and was exposed to the transformation of lives and restoration of dignity of former slums turned into GK villages.

She participated in GK Youth Build Sharing testifying to a life-enriching experience as part of WYA in a GK village last March 2008.

We're proud of your achievements Seanna!

The GK Global Summit 2009

Ancop-North America, Ricky Cuenca declaring 100% support to GK


The Builder of Dreams - Tony Meloto

GK Global Summit
2009

"The difference between a rich and poor country is the citizens’ love for the country. If we love our country, we will bring it out of the Third World even before 2024. We believe by 2010, we can do that because of our partners, our target now is to get land for 5 million families by 2024." - Antonio Meloto

We just came from the bastion of education and learning - that is Cambridge, Boston, Massachusetts to represent the GK Youth Build-Canada. Over the weekend, those who know had to unlearn and relearn, those who were well-fed were nourished, those who had homes, sacrificed to be far away from them. Close to 600 GK advocates from all over the world assembled in what could be the biggest gathering of modern-day patriots to unveil the time line toward a slum-free Philippines by 2024.

It wasn't coincidental that it was held on June 12. That was planned.
Was it also coincidental that our bus from Toronto to Boston was bus number 777?. Our guess was more like providential that for 3 days all of those who were educated, the well-fed and those who had homes were there to plan for those who need and lack education, those who were hungry and Filipinos who remain to be homeless in their own motherland.

Related Links:
o No More Slums
o GK Youth Build
o Pictures from the GK Boston Summit 2009

Hopefully by the next GK Summit, results in number of villages built, the number of families given livelihood and those who are and remain impoverished will be alleviated. The collective support of everyone is indeed needed.

See you all in the next GK Global Summit in Singapore!

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Template for a hungry-free Philippines, at least the start of which can be found at Bayan-Anihan.com

Watch these two videos to understand their noble task:



This is a sad reality, but it can be solved.

GK Youth Build committed to send 1 Youth to the Philippines for FREE

Yes, that's true.

We may have received few nominations since we started last year. The search isn't over. We will make true our promise to a hero in our midst. GK Youth Build is committed to send someone who is 14-35 years old to the Philippines this July to August to help build houses for the poorest of the poor.

To do this,we are making the mechanics simpler.

From May 1 to 15, 2009, we will be opening up email nominations of your hero in your community, your parish or your workplace. All nominations to gkyouthbuild@gmail.com should include your nomination and 500-word write up of the hero.

We will inform all nominees of their inclusion in the search.

From May 16-30, 2009, we will publicize the finalists in Facebook and will open the voting of the winners to the public using the Facebook Fan Page. The write up and picture of the nominees will be part of the Facebook fan page. The finalist with the most number of fans will go to the Philippines from July 24 to August, 2009.

Simple? Come on let's do the nomination.

While thinking, watch the Spot A Hero dance from You Tube.

No More Slums - Come Join Us

GK Youth Build is partnering with Breakfast Television and City TV host reporter Kris Reyes in her personal project to build a village for the people of Looc, Calamba, Laguna.

From her program's website, "..the town of Looc in Calamba was devastated by Typhoon Milenyo. More than 12,000 people were left homeless and thousands of homes destroyed. Even before the typhoon, the village was full of squatters. The dream now is to rebuild and to rebuild BETTER. Looc already has a working partnership with GK, as well as the government of Calamba. The land has been secured for homes. All they need are the funds. That's where our help comes in."

Come join Kris and GK Youth Build in this project. The money that will be raised will be sent to GK and participants in the GK Youth Build this summer in the Philippines will help build the houses.

Here's how to help.

Lent - the Season of Giving

"So I decided to a 6-month mission trip to the Philippines where I would donate and devote my time for Gawad Kalinga, an organization that revitalizes family and communities while bringing people out of poverty."

"To give of my time for a lengthy period is far more valuable than any cheque I could write."

"Furthermore, it is an opportunity to get in touch with my ancestry and to give those less fortunate a chance at obtaining all that we have been blessed with here in Canada."

Click image of the newspaper clipping to read from a bigger pic.

Darryl Wilson, 24 hails from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He is a Gawad Kalinga advocate and GKYB member/friend in Facebook.


We are so proud of you Darryl!

Source: Catholic Register, Youth Speaks, Pg 6, March 15, 2009 Issue

GK Youth in Balita:

Here is the article of Lori Canlas in the January 1 issue of Balita:

Excerpt:

"I had a chance to be a youth volunteer for Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines and it is an experience I cherish so much and take pride in..."



Click the image to view a larger pic and read the great article

I hope the youth of today will feel the call for youth volunteerism in 2009!!!