Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation
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Gawad Kalinga (GK) ("to give care" in Tagalog) is a Philippine
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
known officially as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation. It describes itself as a "
poverty alleviation Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics classi ...
and
nation-building Nation-building is constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state. Nation-building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable. According to Harris Mylonas, ...
movement". Its mission is to end poverty for 5 million families by 2024.


History

In 1999, Couples for Christ (CFC) built the first GK house for the Adduru family from Bagong Silang, a
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
in which the organization had previously held poverty programs. The name "Gawad Kalinga", which translates in the
Filipino language Filipino ( ; , ) is the national language of the Philippines, the main lingua franca, and one of the two official languages of the country, along with Philippine English, English. It is only a ''de facto'' and not a ''de jure'' standard langu ...
either as "to give care" or "to award care," was coined in 2000.


Isang Milyong Bayani

On February 25, 2006, GK launched the Isang Milyong Bayani ("One Million Heroes", also known as GK1MB) program, where volunteers from various nations would donate 4 hours of work per month to assist in GK communities. The program includes an annual event called the GK1MB Bayani Challenge, a one-week national immersion/build activity, where volunteers within the program come together to build homes in a GK community for a week. The Bayani Challenge has been held in
Aurora Province Aurora, officially the Province of Aurora (; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the eastern part of Central Luzon region, facing the Philippine Sea. Its capital is Baler and borders, clockwise from the south, the provinces of Quezon, B ...
and Quezon Province (2006);
Albay Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
,
Camarines Sur Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
,
Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in the island of Luzon and ...
,
Marinduque Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac, the most popul ...
, and
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(2007);
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and
Lanao del Sur Lanao del Sur (; Meranaw and ; Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capital is the city of Marawi (th ...
(2008); and
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and
Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (; ; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; Sama–Bajaw languages, Sama: ''Lungsud Samboangan''; ; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city i ...
(2009).


Separation from CFC

GK began as a ministry of CFC, but as it grew into a national and now worldwide presence, disagreement within the organization grew regarding its alleged secularization. On February 20, 2007, Antonio Meloto and Francisco Padilla resigned from their posts in GK. Two months later, on Easter Day, Padilla released a statement alleging that Gawad Kalinga was responsible for alleged failures of CFC in its mission of evangelization. In this statement, he enumerated 18 points to support his conclusion, including involvement with
Mormons Mormons are a Religious denomination, religious and ethnocultural group, cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's d ...
, acceptance of donations from pharmaceutical companies that produce contraceptives, gradual secularization, and erosion of CFC's presence, and excessive acknowledgment of Meloto as "founder and father" of GK. However, what started as a conflict over GK led to division within CFC itself. The following months saw GK being criticized by Padilla and other CFC leaders (known as the "Easter Group" in homage of Padilla's article) for its failures until some bishops from the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (abbreviated as CBCP) is the permanent organizational assembly of the Catholic bishops of the Philippines exercising together certain pastoral offices for the Christian faithful of their terr ...
proposed that GK be separated from CFC. CFC stood by GK, and the Easter Group decided to convince some CFC leaders and members to separate from CFC, leading to the formation of the Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFC FFL). A resolution between CFC and GK was finally reached in 2009, when CFC Executive Director Joe Tale announced the major decision of the CFC International Council "to let go of the governance and corporate structure of GK" so the latter can focus on its expanding work within and outside the country as a non-religious organization. As a result of the departure of the CFC International Council from the GK Board, Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese instructed the clergy and lay people in his area to withdraw from GK activities, because through this development, GK has disconnected itself with the Catholic Church and opened itself up to ties with organizations whose policies contradict Church teachings. This call was similarly made by Father Gammy Tulabing, a priest writing for ''The Negros Chronicle.'' In response, Jose Tale appealed to Archbishop Cruz to reconsider the latter's instruction, particularly because of CFC's continued support of the now-autonomous GK and because of the remaining overlap in membership between the two organizations despite the change in leadership. Meanwhile, Meloto supported Tale's explanation; that there was no CFC-GK split as "no one has the right to remove Gawad Kalinga from CFC whose members have made heroic sacrifices to create this noble work that has transformed lives and deepened faith."


Development Programs

Community Infrastructure: The GK Community Infrastructure Program (CIP) builds homes and facilities (such as clinics and school buildings) for impoverished people using labour paid for by charity and the future residents of the houses themselves. Child and Youth Development: The GK CYD program aims to develop the skills and talents of the children and youth in the GK communities by inculcating values that bring out their full potential. SIBOL, which means “to grow,” provides value-based education to pre-school children, aged 3 to 6 years old. SAGIP, which means “to save a life”, is a support program for children aged 7 to 13 years old, which consists of free academic tutorials, sports and creative workshops, and values formation classes. SIGA, which means “to light”, empowers teens to become productive citizens through sports, creative activities and mentoring sessions. Community Building: The GK Community Building program provides GK villages with mentors who try to instill a sense of community within the villagers. This includes GK Enchanted Farm, a community meant to encourage the growth of social entrepreneurship. Environment: The GK Environment program aims to create "green" model communities. The program operates under a tagline of "Save the poor, save the environment", and partners with environment advocacy groups and government agencies to provide seminars and environment-friendly programs for community members. Bayan-Anihan: The GK Food Sufficiency program (or Bayan-Anihan, lit. "community harvest") is a program which aims to provide sustainable farming for its beneficiaries. In this program, families are provided a 10 sq. meter garden, and basic agricultural education by Agricultural State Universities. GK Kalusugan: Kalusugan ("Health" in Tagalog) is a community health program with the goal of improving health among impoverished people by educating them about first aid and nutrition, as well as connecting hospitals and medical professionals to needy communities. Center for Social Innovation: CSI (Center for Social Innovation) tries to encourage entrepreneurship and connect would-be entrepreneurs with experts and volunteers from fields necessary to build successful enterprises.


Awards and recognitions


2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award

On August 31, 2006, Gawad Kalinga and Antonio Meloto, GK Chairman, both received the 2006
Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, ...
for Community Leadership in relation to their work in poverty relief in the Philippines. Francisco Padilla, former CFC Executive Director and GK Chairman, received the award for GK.


Paraiso: Tatlong Kwento ng Pag-asa

In 2006, GK began collaborating with some Filipino actors to produce a film about the program. The production, which translates to English as "Paradise: Three Stories of Hope", is a compilation of three films, each with a different cast. "Paraiso" is produced by Butch Jimenez, Tony Gloria, Tony Tuviera, and executive produced by Bobby Barreiro. ''Umiyak Man Ang Langit'' (Even If Heaven Cries, directed by Jun Lana) is based on the life experiences of Jocelyn Llorente (played by
Maricel Soriano Maria Cecilia "Maricel" Dador Soriano (born February 25, 1965) is a Filipino actress and television personality. Known for her intense acting style and versatility, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in films and telev ...
). Llorente, along with her husband and six children, were victims of the mudslides in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte in February 2006, in which one of her children died. The movie follows her and her family through their recovery from this incident. ''Ang Kapatid Kong Si Elvis'' (My Brother Elvis, directed by Joel Ruiz) is a story based on events in Southern
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
. The story centers on a boy named Michael (played by Paulken Bustillo) who suffers from rectal prolapse and compulsively eats stones. On April 7, 2002, Dr. Jerome Paler (played by Michael V.), a GK worker in the CFC Medical Mission Foundation, visited the area where Michael lived. Upon learning of the boy's condition, Paler brought Michael to the hospital for treatment. He convinces his wife (played by
Carmi Martin Carmita Martin (born August 9, 1963) is a Filipina actress, model, and comedian. Martin has acted in many film and TV projects over the years. She reached new audiences in the 2010s and 2020s with roles in the films '' In the Name of Love'', '' ...
) and son, Pepe ( Gian Bernabe), to adopt Michael as their own, where they raise and treat him. ''Marie'' (directed by
Ricky Davao Frederick Charles Abiera Davao (May 30, 1961 – May 1, 2025) was a Filipino actor and television director. Career Davao began his career in the entertainment industry in 1978 as a dancer for the Vicor Crowd group. Later in the year, he had h ...
) tells the story of Ruby Abad, (played by
Cesar Montano Cesar Demontaño Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), known professionally as Cesar Montano (), is a Filipino actor, film producer, film director and aspiring politician. Montano started in show business as a commercial model.Lexi Schultz) in the
September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. Disraught, Rudy sets out to fulfill Marie's vow of helping impoverished street children in the Philippines on her behalf. Abad, a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, meets his former classmate Mike Goco, a GK volunteer, and Abad begins to realize that Marie Rose's dream can be fulfilled by dedicating an entire GK site for her. This site is now the Marie Rose GK Village in Baseco, Tondo, Manila. The movie premiered on June 12, 2007, at the SM Mall of Asia, and was made available for local showing on July 4 of the same year.


See also

* Couples for Christ


References


External links

* * http://gk1world.com/ph
''Paraiso: Tatlong Kwento ng Pag-asa''
at the
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{{Authority control Foundations based in the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay Award winners