RIYADH, 9 March 2005 — Care to help give shelter to homeless kababayans at home?
A group is inviting fellow Filipino groups and individuals to a fund-raising for a project dedicated to build homes for poor families in the Philippines.
The group is known as A Network of Communities of the Poor, and the project is called Gawad Kalinga.
“Gawad Kalinga, which means ‘to care by giving love,’ aims to restore the poor’s dignity as a people by giving them decent houses and communities,” said Eufemio Bantugan Jr., project director of Ancop in Riyadh.
Ancop is launching the project at the Philippine Embassy tomorrow at 3 p.m.
“This will be a historic gathering of concerned OFWs because everyone will be witnessing what is happening to the poorest of the poor in our country through video presentations and ‘straight to the heart’ talks,” said Bantugan.
Rolando Bermundo, one of the members of Ancop’s national executive board, said that the group aims to form a group in Saudi Arabia to build a “village” in the Philippines similar to what the Gawad Kalinga has established in Payatas Trese in Quezon City and Bagong Silang in Caloocan City.
According to him, the cost of materials to build one house is less than $2,000. Volunteers provide labor including the design of the house.
Lots are to be donated by government and private individuals.
Gawad Kalinga houses are built from a template design using affordable but sturdy materials. They stand in clusters and are painted in virtually all colors of the rainbow, called “the colors of hope.”
In Payatas Trese or the Blue Eagle Village, the residents were able to get their homes for free mainly because the materials were donated, while the Ateneo community added to the “sweat equity” of the residents.
The homeowners, though, will still have to pay for their lots. After completing the 20-percent down payment (payable in six months), they will also need to pay the city government 500 pesos a month for 15 years.
“Our country is in dire need of real heroes and leaders who have not only ‘brave hearts’ but also ‘big hearts,” Bantugan said, addressing the would-be donors.
He said he relies on every OFW’s “responsive leadership by moving their organization to further heights by bringing hope to our people especially the poorest of the poor.”
During the launching, the group will present ways on how to participate and help the project.
To spice up the occasion, raffle tickets will be sold with prizes such as laptops, desktops and mobile phones.
For further inquiries, the contact persons are: Bantugan at 05021-82909, Bermundo at 05079-73008, Mario Liberato at 05042-79783, Gerry G. Peradilla at 05027-07729, Francisco Sigaya Jr. at 05094-53252, and Renato Zulueta at 05041-72625.