Gov Ed Adopts GK As a Pillar of His Vision
Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto (center, in white shirt), Inquirer columnist Boy Montelibano (in dark red shirt), and GK's Bobby Rodrigo (between the ladies on the right) are shown with the US-based officers of the Filipino United Network at a Greenhills coffee shop in San Juan, Manila, December 14, 2007, where the potential partnership between GK and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio was entertained.
Yesterday, the GK leadership received a contingent of Among Ed supporters from KMI or Kapangpangan Marangal Inc., including Archie Reyes who now serves as the governor's chief of staff. After the announcement last December 27, 2007 at Macabebe, Pampanga, in a gathering at Villa Magdalena, that Among Ed (Gov. Panlilio) is adopting Gawad Kalinga as a pillar of his vision for the province, the coordination work between the two groups has been a regular activity despite the holidays.
On the suggestion of Tony Meloto, the Pampanga contingent visited the Gawad Kalinga villages in the heart of Taguig so they could appreciate what urban development for the poorest of the poor can look like. Risa Velez of KMI, herself an interior designer, commented that the Gawad Kalinga units would be considered "first class" in Singapore and Hing Kong where space is very limited. The visiting group also interviewed the Gawad Kalinga residents of the Poveda and Fuji Xerox GK Villages and learned about the bayanihan format of building a village - donors and residents and volunteers from various groups working together with the active support of Taguig mayor, Freddie Tinga.
Another trip to Gawad Kalinga, this time on a rural setting, is being scheduled by the Among Ed staff and supporters. Meanwhile, Gawad Kalinga will meet with Among Ed in Pampanga, preferably in an existing GK village, to show how the governor can immediately weave into the Gawad Kalinga program in his province. It is anticipated that Pampanga will host at least 20 GK villages by year-end. And if Among Ed will be able to allocate local funds as the province's counterpart to what Gawad Kalinga is raising abroad, there is no reason why every barangay in Pampanga cannot host a Gawad Kalinga village in the foreseeable future.
There is strong support in North America for Among Ed and his provincial administration. This strong support combines with the strong support that overseas Filipinos are already extending to Gawad Kalinga. A Gawad Kalinga alliance with Among Ed promises a bright future for the landless and homeless in Pampanga, the perennial poorest of the poor who are the priority of both icons of the marginalized. The alliance will all the more be a powerful one in the battle against poverty because Gawad Kalinga's program is multi-sectoral where each well-meaning citizen or organization is welcome to contribute time, talent or treasure.
-- (J. L. Montelibano 1-2-08)
