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.

Guess Who Joined Us For This Flight?

Toronto to Manila
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"

"Sir, are you bringing cars to Manila?", said the Airport Baggage Personnel.

"Uh-huh", I said, "..and also a Panda Bear, a dinosaur, an engine truck and a lot of goodies (I whispered to myself, as I looked at the xray of what the man was seeing in his xray).

Yes, we are packed and ready to fly, in fact as I type this we are 2 hrs away from Manila. We are in Taiwan, where Hello Kitty was waiting for us at the gates. "Was she supposed to be in Japan?".

Yes, we are excited to share our time, talent and Monsters from under our bed, a Kung Fu Panda, and a contraband of cars.

Manila here we come!

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Thank you to those who donated toys, books, crayons for the kids of Iloilo. Surely we are not alone in this flight and trip to Iloilo, we are taking a part of you to be shared to the lil ones of Pototan, Iloilo.

Watch out for updates on this space. For now, we are excited to be in Manila soon!

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!