Gawad Kalinga isn't merely a one-stop charity act. In fact, it proposes a long term vision to the adopted community. It is also a very powerful evangelizing tool, albeit the Roman Catholic version. This reply isn't meant to be a rebuttal of Glenn and Jeco's posts. It is intended to straighten out certain facts. I won't give out any thoughts about benevolence, since even after 3 years of SOA work, I'm still confused up till this very day.
I remember how two years ago, Gawad Kalingan wanted to adopt our Marikina Heights apostolate area as one of their project sites. They promised to provide livelihood education and projects, help in the educational formation of the kids in the community and the like. They've also got the spiritual formation of the people in the community since Jesuit brothers will be assigned to go there from time to time. Name it, they've got it covered when it comes to the needs of a community. For some reason, Gawad Kalinga didn't want to partner with our organization and wanted us to leave the area. I'm quite sure they've got good reasons, and as a disclaimer this is not to put GK in a bad light. I know quite a handful of GK and YFC people hehe.
Of course we felt sad that we have to leave the area, but we were mature enough to allow Gawad Kalinga to invade our territory. After all, it was the best option for the area. Our organization had planned to provide livelihood projects and scholarships to the kids in the community but it has since become a long-term dream due to lack of funds. But here is Gawad Kalinga that has the financial and professional resources to make it happen. This is an opportunity that cannot be passed up.
For some reason that I don't know, only one house was built by Gawad Kalinga on that community and we still continue to go to Marikina Heights up until this very day. I can only assume two things : a.) GK abandoned the area or b.) The elders in the community would rather have us than GK. I've heard that some of the elders told the GK people that they don't want us to leave since we were the first one to recognize and adapt their community. I prefer letter b, and to think that our community is the really poor kind in which some of the kids roam around the streets begging for alms or sell strands of sampaguita while a typhoon is ravaging the metropolis.
On foresight (and avoiding a direct argument with Glenn), I guess GK was practising what most of us humans have forgotten a long time ago. We are all ultimately responsible to the others. It is this belief that makes me want to propose a project to the ADMU administration. Imagine if we can get at least P1.00 out of each and every 7,000 ADMU student. That would be about P28,000.00 a month or roughly P112,000.00 a semester, more than enough to finance two bright and promising students on their studies. Or maybe to get more out of each student, they would be required to give P1.00 each week for every subject that they attend. We don't see protests when the administration announces a 7% tuition fee increase so I don't think there would be protests. I don't know about the feasibility of such a project but I'm thinking about it. Maybe you guys can help me out on this one. Ah yes, I agree wholly with Glenn on one point and that is we should see the world from their point of view. And yes Glenn, you can still volunteer for GK. GK is the evolution (a mini-evolution at that but an evolution nevertheless) you are looking for.
I won't assume that I completely understood the full meaning and implications of Jeco's post but one flaw (which I think Glenn was on the path to mentioning but didn't) is that Jeco gave out a consumable matter that happens to be on top of a human's needs. In my org which promotes education, we teach our kids in the hopes that some day they can stand on their own in this fierce land called the world. Ever seen the face of a Grade 6 kid that just learned how to multiply? That is my motivation for staying in Kaingin, never mind that the org also happens to have the highest concentration of hot/cute chicks among all socially-oriented organizations. While I know that my kids might still wallow in poverty in the future because of forces beyond their control, I know that they have a fighting chance to get out of their misery. Although I can't provide for all of my kid's needs, I hope that what his schooling has done to my kids is to let them know that they don't need to get everything from somebody. In the end, aside from we being responsible to the others, we are also responsible for ourselves.
xxx
Some interesting facts about Ginebra San Miguel (Taken from the Ginebra San Miguel website)
- Ginebra San Miguel is the largest-selling gin in the world
- In the Philippines, about 22 bottles of Ginebra San Miguel are consumed every second. Ginebra (Imagine how many students can finance their education with those 22 bottles per second hehe.)
- San Miguel is the first ever Philippine gin.
- It was first produced in 1834 after the abolition of the Galleon Trade.
- It was served during the Malolos Convention in 1898.
- National Artist Fernando Amorsolo designed the label (St. Michael) to finance his studies abroad.
- The round bottle was designed after the perfect packaging – the egg.
- It has been referred to as ‘stainless,’ referring to its pure, clear, and safe quality.
- The Barangay Ginebra Song was composed by Gary Granada to pay homage to his favorite basketball team. The melody eventually became GSMI’s corporate anthem
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