Dutch Houses for a Cause

Building Together

2011-04-04T21:15:00.000+08:00

April 2, 2011 was a day of "building" in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Air France KLM colleagues in Manila together with participants from its subsidiary company, International Airline Services (IAS), trooped to the site of the Air France KLM Village early that morning . Some of us brought along family. Weeks before the build, it was evident that our excitement for this much-anticipated day was already building fast.


Residents in Village #1 opened their house to welcome their visitors.

This marker at Village #1 was perfect for a photo opportunity.

Our tasks included cementing the floor inside (10 units are currently undergoing construction) and flattening the pathway in front of these houses in preparation for pavement. As non-skilled workers (more precisely, not at all construction workers!), it was no easy job for us but it was certainly labor of love! The upbeat music that was played in the background while we were working kept the mood festive. In the end, it was not how many buckets of cement we mixed and carried, or how much floor area we covered, or the length of the alley that the boys successfully flattened that mattered most. More than that, it was the camaraderie and the interaction we had with the villagers -- both the young ones and the young once. We had been made richer by the the profound human experience we gained during our short stay at the village. We will always remember the warm welcome of cheering villagers that surprised us on our arrival. Many of us got goose bumps -- even became teary-eyed -- seeing the joy on their faces as we walked our way from the over-sized jeepneys we had rented from Jeepney Tours to the multi-purpose hall for the briefing. The day was packed with getting-to-know the villagers who opened their houses for us, building together with volunteers among the residents, playing games with the young children, applauding song and dance renditions prepared by the teenagers, kids harvesting vegetables from the garden, and in the end, sharing experiences as our colleagues, the Gawad Kalinga (GK) team and the villagers sat together to wrap up the day's activities. In one voice, we all gave thanks and praise to our Almighty God who made this day possible. It was team-building, and at the same time building bridges with our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Briefing shortly before taking our shovels and pickaxes.

Mixing cement was a new experience for most of us.


A human chain made it less difficult to transport buckets of mixed cement.

Ready with their pickaxes, the boys were tasked to flatten the pathway.

In 2009 when Air France KLM in the Philippines partnered with Gawad Kalinga, we were ready for 16 houses only. Immediately, the inspiration to be part of this cause started spreading. The generosity of friends living here and in Europe enabled more houses to be constructed. Today, there are 35 completely-built houses at the Air France KLM Village that are already occupied by families who used to live in shanties. By next month, 10 more houses will be ready to be awarded to recipient families.

The GK team prepared a cheer for us which is an adaptation of Gawad Kalinga's battlecry. It kept our spirits high throughout the day.

    Air France KLM, walang iwanan .... ooh-ah, ooh-ah!
    Air France KLM, walang iwanan .... ooh-ah, ooh-ah!
    Ooh-ah, ooh-ah ... Air France KLM, walang iwanan!
    Ooh-ah, ooh-ah ... Air France KLM, walang iwanan!
(The literal tranlsation of the Tagalog phrase "walang iwanan" is "leave no one behind")

As we bade goodbye to our ever-grateful hosts, tears were visible in the eyes of some villagers despite our assurance that we shall return!

Air France KLM,walang iwanan .......!

The Glory That is Rome (by Tony Meloto)

2011-03-16T19:39:00.001+08:00

It always feels good to visit the Vatican when I am in Rome. I need to be constantly reminded that the causes that are precious in my life come from God especially at times when the waves get rough. The sacrifice I put into Gawad Kalinga is meaningless if it is not anchored on a firm belief that it is not God's plan for my country to be poor and I have a sacred responsibility to help make it un-poor.

The Vatican is holy ground where sacred oaths are made by serious Catholics like me who mean to keep them.

I am here in Europe again after barely four months since my last visit in October in my relentless pursuit of a better life for our people as my highest aspiration, my greatest legacy to my heirs and the best exit strategy of a grace filled life.

I try to remain focused by not allowing myself to be distracted by enticing global events around me like the people power struggle in Egypt or the local drama ushering the painful birth of honor and courage in our country as we purge corruption out of our complex system of patronage politics and misplaced loyalties. I pray for Heidi Mendoza and those with guts and balls like her. I feel a deep spiritual connection with people who just want things to be better for their country whatever path they take.

Mine is clear: Gawad Kalinga - building sustainable intentional communities, protecting the environment, educating and raising healthy children and creating wealth at the bottom of the pyramid.

Nation-building is my brand of kingdom-building; being my brother's keeper is my peaceful strategy of bridging social inequity and creating heaven on earth. The thriving GK communities, with all their struggles and challenges, are my proof of concept of effective Christian stewardship, the visible and massive evidence of the power of 'loving neighbor' when practiced against all odds.

At this stage of my life, all I want is to be faithful to my vows, to do what is good for my people and to follow what is right for my country. No equivocation, with passion bordering on insanity when what is considered sane works against the best interest of the least and the oppressed.

Standing at St Peter's square without a soul in sight on this cold starry night somehow it felt right to seize this solemn moment of grace. I reiterated my vow not to accept the crime of poverty in my resource blessed country and not tolerate the sin of hypocrisy that justifies it. There is a scent of hope in our country with an honest President and many concerned citizens who are finally sick and tired of our stupidity and are determined to end our spiritual and material poverty.

Corruption, dirty politics and injustice that cause poverty are a scandal to my religion and a shame to my citizenship. They simply must end ...or at least I should die trying to end it... otherwise it is a shame to call myself a Christian or a Filipino.

I must show to the world that by following the path of Jesus who did not seek power for himself that I can gain the trust and work with the most powerful leaders to do the most good to the weak and the powerless.

The square was still that night - no multitudes that pushed and shoved like the last time I was there when the charismatic one reigned. I was told by my hosts and tour guide, great couple Michael and Linda Stockmann, that my present shepherd was probably still awake as the light was still on in his room. I simply had to pay homage to the Holy Father as a matter of respect and tradition as a Catholic, even from a distance and late as it was. One does not take chances on a serious matter as going to heaven.

The flight to Rome from Paris took two hours where I slept most of the way from sheer exhaustion after a whole day session with French business and engineering students - 37 as of the last count - who were eager to do a two month internship in GK communities in the Philippines July to August this year. I also met with the President of AISEC France who wants to add a hundred more.

Gawad Kalinga is an attractive proposition to young Europeans who are discovering our pearl of the orient seas as the exciting gateway to Asia. The east is no longer just an exotic destination for them but a continent of vast business and career opportunities with the rise of Asian economies. The Philippines is particularly appealing to students of top business schools in Europe and Singapore interested in our emerging model of social entrepreneurship using the GK communes as a massive platform for productivity to help rebuild the economy from the bottom-up with a new bottom-line - social investment in people and planet.

Air France KLM, my home in the sky, is facilitating travel and solidarity between Europe and Asia by building a Dutch village for the homeless north of Manila where Europeans can do humanitarian service.

Social tourism is exciting to those who are out to discover the world with the heart as their compass. Gk villages are particularly appealing to those who not only want to experience poverty but to learn what can be done to end it and experience in the process the happiness of residents who see hope after knowing so much suffering.

My first night in Rome was deep slumber in an old monastery, oblivious to the company of nuns from centuries past hovering around my dead tired body. Anyway, nuns are like guardian angels to me, whether dead or alive. I have the deepest appreciation for many of them because of their nature and calling to serve the least and the lost. They practice to me what many of us Catholics keep hidden, have forgotten or afraid to follow - the beautiful teachings of our church on social justice and peace.

I woke up peaceful and refreshed early morning to a bright sunshine and cool weather to face a hectic day in Rome before flying out to London in the evening for my session in Oxford. The sleep did me a lot of good to start me off hale for a backbreaking schedule of speaking engagements and meetings in 5 European countries in 10 days that would tire others half my age, depriving myself of simple joys like valentine with my wife and birthday with my son the following day. Again the energy is from a deep faith that I am doing God's work. My peaceful acceptance of the pain of separation from my family to pursue my mission is for me an act of gratitude to God for the gift of loved ones who have found grace themselves in sharing me with others.

I was in Italy briefly to be with grade school children and teenagers at the Deutch Schull Rom who raised funds for homes and scholarships for the poor in the Fiat village in Silay City, Negros Occidental. In this amazing German school where the children of elite Italians and expatriates study, they are taught compassion and stewardship early.

My whole day spent with them was one of my most refreshing experiences in my recent foreign travels. It was not just the 4500 euros that the kids raised from their allowance and various fund raising activities and the moment when all 150 of them proudly went on stage to present to me the huge mock up check. I was deeply moved when they kept still with avid interest while I spoke and nearly half of them lined up to ask me the most endearing and spontaneous questions coming from the purest and most innocent of hearts during the extended Q & A. One blonde boy asked me in German what a kid like him can do to help more poor children in the Philippines go to school. A small Italian girl with an arm in a sling was nearly in tears when the interpreter could hardly hear her faint voice, when all she wanted to know was if I was born in a hospital or in a home. What do the children in the village eat? What happens to them when it rains? Are they happy with their new home? They kept asking and went back to the long line to ask more after I answered their questions.

The session in the morning with the grade school reinforced my faith in the power of inclusive and universal love that Gawad Kalinga draws out in people all over the world.

Love has no language barrier.
It was expressed in German, Italian and English and the heart understood.

Love has no age limit. From the nine year olds who expressed their concern for others so poignantly to our interpreter Alliana, the President of the parents association, who could not hold back her tears while watching expressions of overflowing generosity and profound wisdom from children so young.

Love makes us one. We are one global family building a better, kinder and safer world together. Watching them, I was reminded of my grandchildren that I missed terribly. Somehow the impact of our cause on these foreign children made the pain of being separated from them worth it. After all this is about their future too. My six grandchildren are global Filipinos -- three of them British cappuccinos, one brown American, two attractive native hybrid; all of them will grow up loving the Philippines and caring for our people like their parents.

The afternoon session with high school teenagers was no less spirited or inspiring. They showed me great respect and deep concern for others in their quest for answers, convinced perhaps that my cause is noble and honest. I learned later on that many of them took a deep personal interest in our effort because of their affection for their Filipino domestic workers and know about their struggles with poverty at home. They were visibly touched when they realized that the work of Gawad Kalinga is urgent and aims to grow in scale to stop poor parents from leaving their children to seek work abroad. Three of them approached me after the session to say that they now understand my kind of evangelization as an act of love and justice relevant to them as Catholics in a suffering world.

Hearing them I realized that we have an attractive brand in GK to speak about faith with patriotism in a post-religious Europe to a mainstream non-Filipino crowd of various ages without being seen as leftist, ethnic or cultic. Faith is best expressed in loving without borders, in dining with landlords and squatters, with harlots and zealots to build a better world that includes everyone.

It felt reassuring to have the
presence of our envoy to the Vatican, good friend and GK builder Mercy Tuazon and our amiable ambassador to Italy, Romy Manalo. They kept me company the whole afternoon and honored our gracious hosts, from the headmaster and his deputy to the members of the board and the leaders of the parents association, the faculty and the students. Somehow their presence left no doubt in our hosts' minds that our government and church support our cause.

I left the place to catch my flight to London after a sumptuous Italian meal in a nearby restaurant full of pasta and hope. I just tasted the glory of Rome in the company of my new GK family in Italy who wish to share la dolce vita with my people.

It was simply awesome.

Sent by Heaven to the Philippines

2010-04-28T08:37:00.001+08:00

I remember that as a child, I used to draw several similar-looking houses. Any deviation in the design was either for a bungalow or a two-storey, or whether the house had a chimney or not. But the roof, the main entrance, and the type of windows (all with open curtains secured on each side) were practically the same. The pictures also showed a long pathway from the street to the main door, a huge garden around, a tall tree beside (often on the right side of the house), two mountains in the distance with the sun rising in between the slopes and birds in formation in the clear blue sky. I guess I drew quite a number of houses because eventually I was sketching a road plan of a village including a trail leading to a stream where children could picnic underneath a huge tree that provided shade, almost a copy of what my friends and I used to have in a playground inside the village where our families once lived. It had a tree house overlooking a narrow stream built especially for us by the father of one of our neighbors.

The drawings were a favourite thing to do during that phase in my childhood. It was sometime in 2004 that my former fascination for these drawings would be awakened while reading a write-up on Dylan Wilk which deeply inspired me. It was through his moving story that I first learned about Gawad Kalinga. With his permission and that of the author, I would like to share an excerpt from a narrative that was published in a book written by Antonio Meloto and launched last year titled Builder of Dreams. Dylan shares his story on pages 176-181, “More Precious than a BMW”, part of which I quote below.

“My journey towards Gawad Kalinga began with my grandmother who was an orphan and refugee from Poland and worked as a housegirl from the age of five… She fled to the UK at the end of World War II. She was also a devout Catholic. Following her example, as a teenager I had a strong faith in God and considered becoming a priest, but eventually started a business in computer games instead. I never lost that faith in God but in building up the business, I spent several years ignoring him. Like many, I stopped practicing my faith and became consumed with the things of the world.”

“After about four years, I started to question the direction life was heading – why were all the rich people I knew still dissatisfied and sometimes even depressed? Even though I was already one of the richest people in the UK of my age, I could not understand why my thirst for money seemed unquenchable. Lying awake one night in the Beverly Hills Hotel, with a Ferrari, a Porsche and several BMWs behind me and with millions of dollars in the bank, I realized I was trapped in a life of pleasure. Whatever I bought would never be enough. My life of pleasure was becoming a life of boredom and emptiness. Pleasure is different from happiness. Pleasure is a fire that needs constant fuelling with new clothes, new cars and vacations. Happiness comes from somewhere else – it comes from relationships and from knowing that you are fulfilling God’s purpose in your life.”

“After this realization, I started thinking about God again and started to pray and ask, “Lord, why am I rich? Why did you bless me like this?” I left the business and traveled the world looking for charities to help. After seeing many, I became disappointed that nobody was able to show me a solution to poverty.”

“In 2002, a Filipina friend came to the UK. She told me she felt guilty about coming because the price of her plane ticket could have built two houses for the poor through GK in the Philippines. I was skeptical. “What kind of house is this that costs the same as a handbag?!” So I went to the Philippines to see GK. … When I arrived, Manila looked like hell to me. How could the only Christian nation in Asia look like this – shanties, street children, beggars everywhere, while others roared past in sleek cars without even noticing?... I spent ten days feeling horrified and trying to get hold of Tony Meloto on the phone. Finally, on the last day of my trip, he showed me around two GK sites. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at these little pieces of heaven in the midst of a city that seemed like hell. I could not understand how this man was so peaceful and positive in a sea of suffering until he started talking to me about his faith and his beautiful vision of what this could become. I finished the tour, went straight to the airport and caught the next plane back to England, having just been through the most life-changing experience of my 28 years.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat without feeling guilty. I felt sick looking at my brand new BMW that was the equivalent of 80 homes for 400 Filipinos. After two days I sent an email to Tony Meloto telling him I wanted to send $100,000 and asked where to send it. I got another life-changing answer – “Please don’t send your money. If you’re really interested in helping us, please come back and show us how you would like us to use that money.””

“I suddenly remembered an experience I had as a teenager where I had prayed fervently for a family member who was in the grip of alcohol and drugs, “Lord please don’t send her to hell! Put me there instead!” Since that time, God had healed her and it was as if through this memory, he was asking me “See? I took her out of hell as you wanted. Will you now trust me and follow me there instead, as you promised?”

“After selling the BMW, I returned to the Philippines in April 2003, planning to stay for just 6 weeks. The last thing I expected was to fall in love with the Philippines.”

“The more I saw, the more I fell in love with GK, with the Philippines and with Anna Meloto, eldest daughter of Tony and Lyn. We were married in July 2004 and today we have two beautiful daughters, Ariel and Chloe – the special fruit of following where God leads.” (N.B. Dylan and Anna now have a new addition to their growing family – a baby boy named Wolfgang Anthony.)

“My first year in GK was a very heady one. 2003 was the year we launched GK777 – a vision to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years and an articulation of the deepest dreams of all Filipinos that the country can change, rapidly and on a massive scale. It was incredibly audacious, especially because a highly respected group had dared to stake its entire reputation on something so huge that everyone thought was impossible. But it turned out that the simple articulation of the dream was what was needed to inspire people to go beyond what they had ever considered doing before.”

“My role became international partnerships – traveling to the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and beyond to share the good news that the Philippines was starting to change and that something was working on a huge scale.”

“In the beginning, we were excited when people would give one house. But with the launch of GK777, people started giving entire villages or even several villages.”

“I felt God’s call to stay and raise my children in the Philippines very strongly. The GK villages now look like the promised land. GK is a vision of what this country can become: beautiful, peaceful, the wickedness and vices driven out, a light to the country and to the world. I am offering everything I have – my country, my family, my prosperity, my children – and clinging to God’s promise that He WILL make this country a light to the world and He will bless my children in the land He brought me to. He will show us how to raise our children to be a nation of heroes that will bring prosperity to our people and guide many other nations out of poverty too. I offer this all for the glory of God, our loving Father, who sent me to the Philippines to become a servant to His beloved Filipino people.”

Dylan Wilk is a global GK advocate and a pioneer in social enterprises for poverty reduction and environment protection.

“Builder of Dreams” is a book authored by Tony Meloto, Founder and Chairman of Gawad Kalinga, that tells how the GK movement began and stories about people of faith and action in dreams of transforming the poor into citizens with self-dignity by working together and inspiring others.

The Story Behind House Number 47

2010-04-01T02:12:00.004+08:00

Three more dutch-design houses are currently being constructed. A total of 30 are expected to be completed before February 2011. The first four houses that already exist are now occupied by families who were awarded their new residence through Gawad Kalinga’s usual selection process by raffle. Before these families were pre-selected to participate in the raffle, they had to undergo a series of values-formation and community-building activities.

The houses being built in the Air France KLM Village will replicate the façade of delft blue miniature houses that are given to Business Class passengers flying on KLM intercontinental flights. These ceramic house-shaped souvenir items are actually filled with Dutch gin. Since 1952, KLM had been distributing these unique coveted souvenirs. When the airline celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1994, it decided to produce 15 new house designs making it a total of 75. Since then, one new house was designed every year for KLM’s birthday. Currently, there are 90 unique KLM miniature houses representing 90 years of aviation history. Most of the designs are modeled after existing buildings while some are inspired by Dutch architecture.

KLM miniature house number 47

Among the famous miniature pieces is the Anne Frank house, or house number 47. I find this the most interesting because of the story behind it. Many of us who have read about Anne Frank know her as the young Jewish teenager who wrote a journal about her life inside the secret annex of their house in Amsterdam during World War II. Her diary was first published in Dutch in 1947 entitled Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex) and translated into English as “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl”. The book was popularized in a stage play that premiered in New York in 1956 with the Queen of the Netherlands in attendance. The Diary of Anne Frank later won prestigious awards including the Pulitzer for Theater, the Tony Award, and the New York Critic's Circle Award for Best Play.

Born in Germany in 12th June 1929, Anne Frank later fled the Nazi rule together with her family and moved to Amsterdam where they hoped would be a safe refuge for them. However, as the war spread, Germany attacked the Netherlands and vowed to capture all Jewish Germans. For two years, the Franks and a couple of trusted friends lived together in a secret annex concealed by a movable bookcase until they were discovered by the SS officers in 1944. The family was forcibly separated and Anne was sent back to Germany and transferred to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.

The Secret Annex

When I first read The Diary of Anne Frank in high school, it brought a chilling revelation about a life of terror the Franks had endured while evading Nazi arrest. Visiting the Anne Frank museum with my sons in 2005 gave me a deeper insight into the kind of life in hiding. As we entered through the bookshelves that inconspicuously opened like a door and revealed their dwelling area, the feeling was a bit tense being in the same place where their family and friends hid as they tried hard to avoid any suspicion by the Nazis. Yet the visit was fulfilling to have relived, within a span of one hour, a piece of the life of this young girl who expressed in writing details of her thoughts, feelings and experiences inside that Secret Annex.

The Anne Frank Museum today

On May 3 this year, the Anne Frank House will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The museum attracts roughly a million visitors each year. The place is easy to reach as it is located in the center of Amsterdam. It takes around 20 minutes to walk from Central Station to the museum. You can find extensive information in the official website of the Anne Frank House. The Online Secret Annexe even allows people to make a virtual visit of the museum.

An Artist's Partnership with a Builder of Dreams

2010-03-07T22:48:00.015+08:00

During the past few days, I was thinking of what best to write for this blog. So yesterday I did research on the people who were inspired by Gawad Kalinga, and the lives of these people who have also become an inspiration to others. In my research on the internet, I came across news articles, reports by the Asian Development Bank, some sites dedicated to certain groups’ undertaking with GK and a very interesting blog of a man from New Zealand whose life had been deeply touched during the 20 months he was working as a GK volunteer in the Philippines. It is the blog of Jonny that led me to know more about Joey Velasco, a painter whose art had inspired GK founder, Tony Meloto. His painting titled Hapag ng Pag-Asa ("Table of Hope", his version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper portraying hungry street children and scavengers seated around Jesus) was replicated in a gigantic billboard that was displayed along EDSA, a major highway of Metro Manila. It immediately caught the attention of many, including some who have become desensitized by the trappings of worldly pleasures. People were reflecting on the underlying message of the image, including Tito Tony, who grew curious about the artist because the painting depicted the mission of Gawad Kalinga. Coincidentally – well not really because nothing happens by chance -- Joey was, at the same time, finding a way to connect with Tito Tony to write the foreword of his book. The two were meant to know each other, and later on work together towards achieving a common vision. Soon Joey was invited to Tito Tony’s office which became the cornerstone of a partnership that was already made in heaven even before they thought of each other.

I had a chance to meet Joey Velasco in May last year when Tito Tony took me around the northern part of Metro Manila searching for a possible site where Air France KLM could build Dutch-design houses for the poor. That day coincided with the inauguration of several apartment houses that Joey had built for families of street children. Tito Tony was his guest of honor. Even before I was introduced to his artist friend, Tito Tony had already briefed me a bit about him on our way to the place. After a simple turnover ceremony in the presence of the intended residents, I had a moment with the painter of an art piece I had no knowledge of even when he handed me a copy of his book. In fact, the painting shown in a page in black-and-white stirred little interest at first until a background of its creation was related to me. I learned that the subjects in the painting were real-life street children who Joey had personally met, and that they have been given an opportunity for a better future in life through the mission of GK eversince that providential meeting of painter and builder of dreams. The next time I gave thought about the painting was when I read Jonny’s interview with Joey. Learning about it the second time around, the impact was different. It was the story of Joey’s epiphany and transformation into becoming an artist during the bleakest phase in his life that kept me glued on the internet until the wee hours of this morning. It was when he was creating Hapag ng Pag-Asa that he began to rise from despair. His eventual connection with Tito Tony’s vision for GK gave him a renewed purpose to live through the mastery of his strokes on canvass.

As I read on, I was convinced that I wanted to share their story. I was thinking that I would have to ask Tito Tony how I could meet Joey again for a future event perhaps.

Shortly before starting to write, I visited Tito Tony’s notes on Facebook to read his latest. First on the list was an entry “The Filipino Artist as a Struggling Saint”. The first paragraph confirmed my hunch that it was about Joey. It read: “Yesterday I held the hand of a dear friend who had just lost both kidneys. They were stuck to a malignant tumor as big as a man’s fist that had to be removed. His grip was tight and his eyes were hopeful despite the possibility of a lifetime dialysis to communicate to me a firm resolve to honor a vow we made to each other last year.” Joey’s life is once again threatened by a serious illness. His commitment to help GK fulfill a dream of bringing the Philippines out of the third world by 2024 is likewise at risk. We need Joey to be strong again for him to be able to continue to touch others by his hard-work, his honesty, his paintings and his dedication to a long-term mission of emancipating the people from an impoverished state. He is surrounded by generous people who have been giving spiritual and financial support. However, he still needs a kidney and the medical attention to survive.

Before reading Tito Tony’s appeal on Facebook, I didn’t think that I would be mentioning about Joey’s life now hanging on a thread. Just this hour, I researched about his other paintings and realized that the profound message of his art are a reflection of his personal story.

Read recent articles about this Filipino artist:
- The journey of Joey Velasco continues
- Joey Velasco’s light and shadow

A Toast for 30 Houses

2010-02-22T21:08:00.010+08:00

On 18 February, AIR FRANCE KLM executives from headquarters in Paris travelled 35 kilometers north from Makati City to visit the site of the ongoing GK project in Bagong Silang. It was the first time for Marnix Fruitema, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, and Bruno Georgelin, Area Commercial Director for Asia Pacific, to undergo an immersion during a tour of the community led by GK Founder and Chairman himself, Tony Meloto. Inspired by the vision of Gawad Kalinga and its social impact, Fruitema committed to have 30 houses in the village by 18 February 2011. Witnessing this announcement with a toast for success were colleagues from the local team headed by Cees Ursem, General Manager for South China Sea, as well as the ambassadors of Air France and KLM and a GK representative.

Plans of involving other AIR FRANCE KLM establishments in the project are brewing. The company can be a conduit to communicate about Gawad Kalinga in countries where the two airlines operate. The potential to also involve Filipinos living abroad in GK activities is enormous. It is estimated that there are approximately a million Filipinos based in Europe, majority of which are living in Italy, Spain and the UK. The airlines' inflight magazines - KLM Holland Herald and Air France Magazine will also publish articles about GK and its community-building programs with which the company's CSR initiatives in the Philippines are at parallel.

Currently, ground is being prepared for the next four houses to be built. This time, volunteers from outside GK communities can also participate during the latter phase of construction. Such was not the case with the initial houses. Torrential rains during August until October last year inevitably hampered build timelines. With the rainy season now behind, good weather will allow more volunteer activities at the site.

Inspiring Others

2010-01-31T22:33:00.008+08:00

Just last year, KLM celebrated 90 years of inspiration. The airline was officially established on 7 October 1919 as the Royal Dutch Airlines. Fourteen years later, Air France was founded on exactly the same date. Seven decades followed when on 5 May 2004, as though destined for one another, the two giant European airline companies merged to form the AIR FRANCE KLM group.

To celebrate its birthday in a meaningful way, AIR FRANCE KLM in the Philippines chose to partner with Gawad Kalinga in building houses for poor Filipino families and give hope through community-building projects.

The idea began during the last quarter of 2008 when preparations were being made for the year to come to mark a momentous event in KLM's history. By May 2009, a site for the AIR FRANCE KLM-Gawad Kalinga Village was finally determined. It was going to be in Bagong Silang in Caloocan City.

Bagong Silang is the birthplace of GK. It was formerly known as "toilet village" in the 80's and early 90's, a lair for criminals in the northern part of Metro Manila, where abandoned families lived in ghetto-like existence. In 1982, it was initially intended to be a relocation site for some 2,000 poor families who were evicted from their squatter situation in another part of Metro Manila. Over the next couple of years, its population grew and the place was practically left ungoverned by law and resistant to peace and order. Then in 1999, Gawad Kalinga started its first-ever housing project in a small part of Bagong Silang with an ambitious vision of transforming the physical structure of the place, and above all, rehabilitating its residents. Described as the largest slum in Manila with one million dwellers, Bagong Silang's number of transformed-and-reformed inhabitants continues to grow with more corporations and private individuals finding inspiration in giving hope to less fortunate Filipinos. As of today, more than 2,000 houses have been built by Gawad Kalinga and its partners in this once notorious dumping ground for corpses of crime victims and "salvaged" criminals. During his 60th birthday celebration held recently at Bagong Silang, Tony Meloto declared that crime rate has dropped significantly with the growing number of families who are already integrated into GK communities.

At the time the site for the AIR FRANCE KLM Village was selected, the long strip of land was lined with a row of shanties where families with an average of six children lived in dismal conditions.

Some of these houses were later stripped down to give way for the official ground-breaking held on 6 August where the first few units would be put up soon after.

The plan was to have the first four houses built and ready for occupancy by October in time for KLM's celebration of 90 years of inspiration, together with Air France's 76th anniversary. However, a series of typhoons that hit the country and the continuous downpour that inundated major cities in high water levels hampered the project's construction timelines. GK had focused its energy in helping thousands of families that were affected by the terrible floods Metro Manila had experienced in 40 years. Thus, it was only by mid-November when construction finally kicked off. Before the Christmas holidays, four houses were already half-way completed.

AIR FRANCE KLM has been inviting friends and business partners to join hands in giving a better future to the families of Bagong Silang. Since its ground-breaking in August last year, generous donors from here and abroad have brought tremendous blessings to the project. Volunteers with big hearts have also signed up to take part in different phases of the construction. The project is not all about building decent houses to provide shelter for poor families. In fact, the plan now includes building a library in the proposed eco-park nearby. Equally important is that AIR FRANCE KLM shares GK's holistic approach of incorporating soft programs which are relevant in building strong communities, providing practical education and restoring human dignity among its residents, both young children and adults.

AIR FRANCE KLM on Corporate Social Responsibility

2010-01-31T22:31:00.013+08:00

In the first Global Summit held in Boston, Massachusetts on 12 June 2009, over 700 friends and partners of Gawad Kalinga converged to share their passion and commitment to rebuild the Philippines from the oppression of poverty. GK founder, Tony Meloto, observed that one particular group that was intensely passionate and strongly committed to this cause was that of the corporate partners. This new direction of corporate social responsibility shows that many companies are starting to prioritize not just profits and progress for themselves, but for all.

The AIR FRANCE KLM group shares this direction of corporate social responsibility and is committed to ensure that its profitability grows hand in hand with the promotion of social values and environmental quality. In the Philippines, the company has chosen to work together with GK and participate in its vision of transforming poverty-stricken areas through community-building projects.

Together with GK and friends, AIR FRANCE KLM has committed itself to help build homes and give shelter to families in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. The houses have been designed to look like Dutch houses, similar to KLM’s delft blue house souvenirs that are given to every Business Class passenger on board its intercontinental flights.

Each unit measures 20 square metres with one bedroom, one toilet and bath, a laundry area, a kitchen sink, an unpartitioned space for dining and living area, and a provision for loft. Environmental considerations have been integrated in the design.

People of Bagong Silang

2010-01-22T21:11:00.001+08:00