GAWAD KALINGA

A GK Experience in Zambales: What Hope and Trust Mean
by Reynaldo “Rene” Jaro

I'm not as good as my friends, Mr. Lito Santos of Easton, Massachusetts, and my long time buddy, Mr. Vics Magsaysay of California, when it comes to writing. Despite this, I was compelled to do so because of my unforgettable experience that I had in the Philippines. Here's my story on our recent trip to the Philippines specifically to visit the Massachusetts GK Village 1 in Botolan, Zambales. 

Arrived in Manila with my wife Ditas and our kids Celestine, Celine, and Raymond around midnight of December 23rd. It was a 28-hours total flight time from Boston. We stayed at my sister-in-law’s house in Paranaque, 8 miles south of Manila, for Christmas. We had a reunion with my wife’s sister family. My father in-law, also from Boston, was present too. To be with us, my parents drove all the way down from Imus, Cavite, around 8 miles south.

Gawad Kalinga [giving care] or GK has been the subject of our conversations since touchdown in Manila. With e-mail communications from Evita Florendo back home in Massachusetts, Jong Bahoy, GK Coordinator for the northern part of the Philippines, and I, got connected through the modern way of texting (I really had a hard time on text lingo but I did survived). Excitement or curiosity is building up on everyone’s mind for the planned trip to the Gawad Kalinga’s Massachusetts Village 1. Even in the Philippines, my wife’s sister, Evelyn, her husband Bong, and sons Paolo and Angelo, are excited about the GK trip. 

I am incredibly curious and concerned or maybe scared. What if my assumptions are not correct or not the reality. Questions start building up in my mind--is it really going to happen? Am I to see what I expect to see? Will this further lead to another question—what’s going to happen next? Or, will this just leave me hanging and frustrated? I sort of sense that something is still missing. I am that kind of a person that is not easily convinced possibly because of my culture and background. I grew up in Krystal, a Barrio that surrounds Sta. Ana Park around the Philippine Racing Club in Manila. Having said that, the word “TRUST” is not normally known to the world of “Batang Karera” [child of the racetrack]. Sometimes in my mind, I say, “Let this word TRUST be gone!!!”

My kumpare, Lito Santos and I, are both new to Gawad Kalinga. Yes, neophytes. Actually, Lito was the one who dragged me to the first few GK awareness meeting in Massachusetts. I had the opportunity to meet Tony Meloto at one of the awareness meeting at the home of Gene and Evita Florendo in Massachusetts. I worked with Cito Lorenzo on one of the fund raising events in MIT or Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Providence Rhode Island’s Paraiso event, and in A.R.T., all aimed to benefit GK. The latter is a collaboration of three 17-year old Fil-Am kids that celebrated their birthday party and, instead of receiving gifts for themselves, requested guests to donate checks payable to ANCOP, USA for GK. The total amounted to $7,600 plus, including proceeds from the sales of Red Sox raffle tickets. An article about this was written by Vics Magsaysay and published on several newspapers and websites. (See Change of Hearth: A Summer to Remember at http://www.philippinepressclub.com/2007/08/summer-to-remember-change-of-heart.html)

5:00 A.M., December 27th, 2007: With the courtesy and support of my brother in-law, Bong Kimpo, two of his utility vans were used. His two drivers manned the vehicles. I think that was the longest five hours of travel I experienced from Manila to our destination. I’m sure it is probably because of too much excitement and curiosity. It feels like another 28 hours journey all over again like the one we experienced on the plane. On our way, we passed by places that bring back memories of thirty years past. One sight that really caught my eyes and temporary kept me away from thinking of GK Massachusetts Village 1, was when we passed Pampanga. Volcanic mud or lahar was everywhere…and as far as you could imagine. This used to be rice fields along the North super highways, They are now covered by lahar. A river of lahar instead. Water? There’s none. I noticed the roof of the house jutting above the lahar on the side of the road. As we got closer, the main house was buried under the lahar. Oh yeah! the church of San Guillermo in Bacolor, Pampanga, was way over 20 feet submerged. It made me curious what happened to the people of Bacolor.

On the way to the Massachusetts Village, Jong Bahoy, Lito Santos and I, were exchanging text messages. Jong took public transportation from Cainta, Metro Manila, to Botolan, Zambales. (Impressive commitment. This guy is for real!!!. His dedication to GK is unbelievable!) Lito drove with his family. We arrived in Botolan around 10:30 a.m. and met with Jong at Botolan Public Market. I asked Jong to switched ride with me on our way to the village. I jumped in to the tricycle and he took the van. On our way to the village, the tricycle driver said: “THANK YOU, I am one of the fortunate beneficiaries of the Massachusetts Village 1”. I thought that was great and a good way to start a conversation. As we turned the dusty road toward the village, my unconvincing mind started to fade and the reality was getting closer to bring me personal satisfaction. As we pulled over, I noticed immediately the sign that says, “Welcome Santos and Jaro Family” and the unfinished crafted sign that says MASSACHUSETTS GK VILLAGE 1.” Wow! this made me more confident about my expectation. My family started to acquaint with the surroundings and was introduced to the members of the village. My 19-year old daughter started playing with the little girls in the village. I was introduced by Jong to the village care taker and formally with Mr. Principe (the tricycle driver). In about 45 minutes, Lito Santos and family arrived. I approached Lito immediately and whispered, “Pare, we are here and it is for real.” 
The front 10 houses were finished and families have already moved in a week before Christmas. The concrete houses are small but really nothing is inside them. Actually, one of the houses has a card board which the family uses as their bed. There is a small bathroom attached at the back with a toilet bowl and a bucket full of water. It is their way to take a bath. Scoop and pour (tabo style). Water supply is like the old days—artesian well. It is manually pumped to suck the water out. Back home in Massachusetts, it’s different. It’s convenient and has hot water for your comfort. Even with this condition, I could tell and feel that the beneficiaries were very proud of leaving in their own houses. In fact, my wife Ditas was talking to a little girl, probably 7 years old. My wife was told by one of the beneficiaries that the girl is very smart. A straight A plus student. My wife asked the girl what she wants to be when she grows up. The girl promptly yelled, “I WANT TO BE A NURSE.” I heard that answer clearly and it drilled into my ears. I heard HOPE on her response—wow! I remember during my previous visits to the Philippines, kids are on the streets begging for money to survive. They leave on the streets and have no place they call home. Streets!!!. Actually, I looked at them but didn’t see them. Often times I just closed my eyes. On one of my previous visits, I tried to start a conversation with one of the kids on the street. I said, “Excuse me, boy, can I talk to you?” The kid did not respond. Neither he looked at me. He simply ran away. 

Back to the little girl in the village holding my wife’s hand, she yelled without hesitation “NURSE, I WANT TO BE A NURSE.” In my mind, I took note—HOPE. YES, THERE IS HOPE! 

While checking out the Sibol School Center (donated by FedEx, Philippines) in front of the Massachussetts Village 1, from inside looking out, I saw my kids Raymond and Celine with Alister, Carmi and Margo having a great time painting the slides, seesaws, swing sets at the village playground. Even Lito was helping dig tree roots in preparation for a donated gazebo. Around 1 PM, lunch was served. Beneficiaries prepared fresh vegetable and fish. A prayer was heard before lunch. It was led by a confident beneficiary. With Jong Bahoy, we also met the caretaker, head of the beneficiary association and the provincial coordinator. Of course, I asked questions just to confirm. After the meeting, the coordinators informed us to hand the ceremonial keys to the first 10 GK beneficiaries. Raymond, Alister, Celine, Carmi, and Margo were privileged to do so.

I received a text message from my eldest daughter Celestine that she, her cousin Paolo, and her boyfriend, Vaughn, who just flew in that morning from California, was about two hours away. Since it was getting dark, I redirected them to just go straight to the hotel at Subic Naval base in Olongapo where the Jaro family would be staying for the night. At dinner, Celestine insisted that she and Vaughn MUST go to the Massachusetts Village 1 early next morning. In fact that’s basically the reason why she went to the Philippines. My wife noticed that there’s a card inside her pocket book from one of my staff at work in Boston. A good luck card on the trip to GK and $30 on it. My daughter Celestine got an idea of spending the $30 plus to buy chocolates, candies and cookies and drive back to GK Massachusetts Village at 6:00 a.m. the next day. $30 plus brought 4 big bags of locally made goodies.

We arrived around 7:00 a.m., December 28th. It took us a little over an hour from Subic Base to Botolan’s GK Village. Almost all the beneficiaries recognized our car and started to wave their hands on us. They approached us with a big smile and deep gratitude. We were greeted “GOOD MORNING” and followed with the question, “WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE GROUP?” Again, it feels different—it’s touching. I told them that the Santos family headed back to Manila. I introduced my daughter and her boyfriend to the caretaker and advised him to please gather the kids for some treats. Kids started lining up and each of them were very appreciative of the goodies they received. They were very polite and with their heads up said: “MARAMING SALAMAT PO” (meaning, thank you very much). Each one of them held the right hands of Celestine, and then Vaughn, and placed them onto each forehead as a sign of respect…and say, “MANO PO.” One of the mothers whispered to me that some of the kids have never tasted chocolate or cookies in their lives. Hearing this will easily gets one emotional. After the kids, mothers formed their own lines for much more treats. My wife Ditas asked for the little girl who wants to be a nurse with her playmates. She was told that the girl went with her mom to see relatives next town. I saw Ditas taking a full bag of chocolates and brought it inside the girls house. (Favoritism huh?) 
As we prepared to leave that village that day, we saw sadness…as well as joy.

On the flight back home to Massachusetts, I couldn’t help but think back what I’ve experienced on this trip. What I saw was respect, pride, the gain of confidence, building of a community…and most of all, HOPE.
I’m not sure if this is a happy ending but for sure, a SATISFYING conclusion to my personal curiosity. Going back to my days in the Philippines, labeled as Batang Karera, the GK experience is a shift in my personal perception of the world. I now learn the meaning of TRUST—it is in knowing that we all live in one world…and being of service to our brothers in need makes us gain this trust.