After 5 grueling days of back-breaking work, tears, laughter and many unforgettable experiences, our more than 3,000 GK Bayanis comprising of more than 230 teams have now gone home after a job well done --- providing homes from 230 families in the typhoon devastated provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Marinduque.  They bring home with them friendships formed with some of the most memorable people they will ever meet and the hope that their beloved country will soon rise from poverty through the extraordinary efforts of ordinary citizens like them.

These are their stories.

A Festival of Heroes

Prieto Diaz, SORSOGON -- Twenty-two teams came from different parts of the country to the remote and sleepy town of Prieto Diaz to help build the initial 26 homes at GK Tarabang village in Baranggay Quidolog, Sorsogon.

The GK village bore that festive air, colorful and joyful but as one beneficiary would later say, the Bayani build was even bigger than their own fiesta. The volunteers that came were thrice as many as the visitors who attend their town festivities. "Ngayon lang kami nakaranas ng ganitong kadaming tao. (This is the first time we experienced having this so many people)," remarked Marilyn Detablan, one of the beneficiaries.

The village atmosphere was a stark contrast to the state of the homes of the families which were destroyed by the recent typhoon that hit their province in December. Their dilapidated homes were to be found near the sea, as 19 of the 23 baranggays in Prieto Diaz were coastal towns.

Their new GK village on the other hand is safely set upon a hill where the sun could be seen rising and the sea could be viewed on the horizon. Lined by coconut trees, the beautiful site felt more like a mountain resort now dotted by colorful GK homes.
                          
Tales of Heroism
The locals were amazed and surprised to find the builders dressed to build and carrying tools upon their arrival. "Akala namin kami ang magsisilbi sa kanila dahil sila ang mga bisita namin. Nagulat kami dahil sila pala ang tutulong sa amin, (We thought we were going to serve them because they were our visitors. We were surprised that they were the ones to help us instead)," said ate Marilyn.

The farthest delegation came from Agusan del Sur and Butuan city, who traveled for 2 days through the roll-on roll-off (RORO) facility, taking two ferries to get to Sorsogon, and raised their funds through the support of their families and friends from Couples for Christ. "Poor din kami kaya feel na feel naming tumulong sa inyo. (We are also poor that is why we want to help you)," related their team leader Arturo Franco.  

The heroesof Gawad Kalinga endured the scorching heat and the pains of hard labor, but all persevered if only to provide the homes that the beneficiaries badly needed. Some teams built non-stop from 6am until 12 midnight if only to finish the homes. By the third day, sturdy roofs that can withstand strong winds have been put in place as if sealing the new found hope of residents here.

"Init lang ang kalaban. Mahirap na masaya, at the same time nakakatulong ka. (The heat is the only enemy. It's a difficult job but a joy to do as well because we are able to help)," expressed Louis Pons from Team-College of St. Benilde. "Sabi nila hindi daw ito community service kundi rebolusyon. (They say this is not community service but a revolution!)" he said as he stopped for a moment from hauling gravel.  

A few meters from him, team Eveready-Energizer had dug a sceptic tank.  Eleven of their members came all the way from Cebu. Asked as to why they came, "Darating ang panahon na madali na rin silang tumulong kasi nakatanggap sila ng tulong. Ang tulong namin, ipapasa rin nila. (The time will come when it would be easy for the beneficiaries to help others because they also received help. They will pass on to others the help we have given them)," said their team leader Atoi Panerio.

The spirit of paying it forward seemed to be vibrantly alive in the site, aptly called GK Tarabang, which in the local vernacular meant "tulungan". Members from GK Baseco and GK Bagong Silang came all the way from Manila, leaving their homes behind to reach out to their fellow beneficiaries in Bicol.

It became quite common for the teams to look out for the other teams as well especially those who lacked skilled workers, and traded some of their younger members to augment another team's workforce. Team FK Monte de Oro from Masbate gave half of their members to help team One Hope from Manila, which was heavily undermanned with 6 members.

Paying it forward
Most inspiring are the teams from Southern Leyte and Leyte who call themselves "Team Survivors," both teams survived tragedies in their respective towns such as the Ormoc flashflood in 1991 and the St. Bernard mudslide in 2006. They came to offer hope to the typhoon victims of Bicol by building 4 new homes for them the way other volunteers have helped them rise from their own tragedy by building GK communities on their behalf.

Working Hard, Playing Hard

Goa, CAMARINES SUR -- Heroism brings out the heroism in others, and the children in the small town of Goa followed the heroic example of the volunteers that came for the GK Bayani Challenge 07.  Despite their small statures, the children built along side the adults – carrying buckets of water, hauling sacks of cement mix in groups, and of course, playing games together with the grown-ups.  In the future build site of GK Tagongtong, there was a spirit of seriousness and whimsy with both work and fun.

There were a competitive games played through out the week in between build schedules.  Some of them were games each coined after the name “GK1MB”.  Where GK1MB means Gawad Kalinga Isang Milyong Bayani, one of the games introduced in the build was ‘Gawad Kalinga Isang Malaking Bato’ in which all the teams participating in the build chose a single representative to throw a rock as far as the person could to achieve the greatest distance.  Then there was the game ‘Gawad Kalinga Isang Malakas na Bigkis’.  Teams had to pull a neutral shifted truck as far as they could within 10 seconds.  The children shared the enthusiasm of the heroes that day, and had a turn to pull the truck, with the help of the grownups pushing from behind. 

Another great crowd hit was a song and dance number called the ‘Chuga-Chuga’ spearheaded by GK volunteer Chokoy from Singles for Christ.  The ‘Chuga-Chuga’ became a favorite break activity over the course of the next few days.  During a program at the end of day 4, Chokoy went up on stage to perform the ‘Chuga-Chuga’ for the kids when, unexpectedly, there was a brown out.  But that didn’t stop the children from singing out and dancing with jubilation in the pitch darkness, showing that even in the darkest moments the children can still find a positive light.

Beyond the work and the games, it all reflected a single idea: This was more than a challenge, this was a solidarity build of relationships, and the kids in Goa, Camarines Sur  were certainly deserving of the title Batang Bayani. They will, one day, grow up to become the future hope for a prosperous nation that is free of slums and poverty by working hard -- and, on the side, playing hard too.

Forming New Traditions

Gasan and Buenavista, MARINDUQUE -- For 7 days the streets of these two barangays in Marinduque were turned into a huge stage where penitents acting as Roman soldiers reenacted the search and the beheading of Longino. The Moriones festival is a famous tradition done during the holy week where a lot of people from all corners of the country as well as foreign tourists visit and watch masked locals roam the streets of Marinduque.

But people noticed that there was something different this year. That the number of people visiting their province has increased even after the Moriones festival ended. The locals knew that something was happening.

More than 250 people from different walks of life went during the last day of the Moriones festival not just to be spectators of the long time tradition but to let the people of Marinduque feel that they were not forgotten.

For the next 5 days, these people turned the simple GK sites of Gasan and Buenavista into an incredible gathering of heroes with one sole purpose- to help rebuild this nation.

“Hindi na lang isang pangarap ang pagpunta ng Gawad Kalinga dito, ito ay isang realidad na! (GK entering our province is no longer a dream, it is now a reality)” exclaimed by Mayor Ofelia Madrigal, the mayor of Buenavista.

Governor Carmencita Reyes was even dancing with full energy when the unity dance to the tune of “Jam” was played during the opening ceremonies. “We will never forget what you have done to help rebuild our province. We promise you that we will continue the work that you have started,” she shared to everyone.

“Buhay na buhay ang lahat ng tao dito, iba talaga pag ang pakay mo ay pagtulong sa bansa! (Everybody is so alive here, it is really different when your intention is purely to help your country)” shared by one of the local residents after seeing hundreds of people dance and sing to signal the start of the Bayani Challenge.

Priceless
Dolphy Lanuza, the GK Regional Coordinator for Metro Manila East, compared the land of GK Gasan to its nearby lots. “The value of the houses and lot in front of us is more than 25 million pesos. Adjacent to it, the land is estimated to cost around 15 million pesos. But this land where we are building this GK site is priceless! We have built this out of love for our fellow countrymen!” 

National Power Corporation or NPC, led by Pio Benavides, is the biggest delegation for sending 4 teams (15 people per team) to this Bayani Challenge. One of its members stated that this experience “is definitely worth it!”

Selecta employees side by side with their Kapitbahayan from the Selecta GK Village, went to the build while leaving their work in Manila. “We want to help this country as well. This is our personal contribution.”

Nobody would forget the smiles that each person had during the challenge. Everybody was just there having a great time, realizing the nation building can be as much fun and exciting as this.

The seven birthday celebrants during the week, who chose to spend their birthdays in a GK village, each shared a common thing- a priceless birthday they will never forget. One of the celebrants shared that even though he is far from his relatives and friends during his special day, he felt that the people around him were already part of his own family. “Everybody was greeting me, as if they know me personally. It was a great experience!”

Serving God by Serving the Country
Different religious organizations like Bukas Loob ng Diyos (BLD) and Couples For Christ (CFC) were side by side building houses for the poor. “Our organization has decided to be part of something as noble as this! We launched BLD GK Ministry to help make a difference,” stated by Andrew Regalado a local from Negros who went to the Bayani Challenge to help the victims of the recent typhoon.

Meng Torres, a member of the community Singles For Chirst, said that even though it was hard for him to go to the site because of his condition (Meng is wheelchair bound because of an illness), he wants to serve God by serving in Gawad Kalinga. “I want to show to the people that anyone can help in this cause!”

A group of young seminarians from St. Paul Seminary also shared the same view as Meng. “What amazes me is the values formation that Gawad Kalinga shows. I heard about this movement in the newspapers and in the television, but people should experience this! GK is really personal,” shared by Rafael Palomino. 

And while majority of the volunteers are Christians, two Muslim GK workers were also there showing that helping people transcends religious differences. Uga Muhammad, a kapitbahayan president of one of the GK sites in Tatalon, Manila, said “ang pag serbisyo ko sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng Gawad Kalinga ay pag serbisyo ko rin kay Allah (Serving my country through Gawad Kalinga is also me serving Allah.” Bai Linda Eman, a full time worker for Gawad Kalinga National also shared the same sentiments.

A Tradition of Helping and Sharing
They say that it takes a long time to start a new tradition. But the tradition of helping and sharing is innate to all Filipinos. In 5 days, the people of Marinduque were reminded of the absolute greatness of our being and the participants of the Bayani Challenge were reminded of the goodness that they have inside their hearts.

Anislag, ALBAY -- “Gawad Kalinga is an awakening for the Filipino!” proclaimed Luis Oquinena, Gawad Kalinga Executive Director, to a throng of enthusiastic volunteers lining a natural amphitheatre sitting alongside thirty partially constructed GK houses.

Just out of Daraga, Albay, a new community is taking shape around a new gently-curving concrete road. Flanked by fields of coconut-palms and with a distant back-drop of the ever-impressive Mayon volcano, Anislag is a brand new GK village being constructed for over three hundred families affected by the recent dual-disasters of Typhoon Reming and the Mayon eruption. Beautiful green rice fields line the roads reaching Anislag. On one side of the houses the ground slopes down to water, forming the natural amphitheater where a stage was constructed for night-time programs.    

The GK Bayani Challenge Anislag hosted volunteers from all walks of life and around the Philippines. From Northern Luzon to Mindanao and in between, from existing GK villages to corporate teams to Philippine Army soldiers, the volunteers present were testament to a growing sense that each individual can contribute to a more beautiful national legacy their children will inherit.

Hundreds of enthusiastic patriots erected a small tent city and began working in unity for the good of their countrymen. At night the tent city pulsated with the sounds of volunteers revitalizing on delicious local Laing, enjoying fellowship and friendship with friends both old and new, and songs being played and sung enthusiastically on the many guitars teams brought along with their hammers and shovels. Anislag proved a microcosm of the best of Filipino culture – smiles, laughter, shared meals, enthusiastic music, and the building of bonds of friendship with new acquaintances. 

Though lacking in many taken for granted comforts - working in the searing heat of a clear sky, living in tents on bumpy ground at night and showering outside with a bucket - smiles and laughter remained a perennial part of the Bayani Challenge. A sense of new community was built everyday not only in the raising of houses but also in the sharing of life experiences between the very diverse volunteers present. As Tin Rey, Youth for Christ volunteer, described, “My strongest memory of here will be the constant smiles and complete lack of complaints from everyone here.”

Blessing Others First
The thirty teams present built every day alongside rows of blue tents where the future beneficiaries receiving the house currently resided. The presence of those for whom the houses were being built proved a source of inspiration for new energy for those tiring under the burning sun and heavy labor. Whether mixing cement, passing buckets of sand or gravel, or building walls, workers persevered with a shared sense of purpose and significance in the labor. 

Neg Carlo, a twenty-three volunteer hailing from the GK Botocan village, where GK houses have not yet been built, showed the heroism found in Gawad Kalinga. “I can wait for the blessings I can receive but the people here (in Bicol) really need it now,” he said, pointing across to the temporary shelter of the blue colored tents the beneficiaries stayed in. He continued, “I love to go to GK builds because every time I go to a build I feel like I’m building my own house – because I don’t own a house.”

“You can’t buy the happiness of the families who will live in these houses. That’s why I sacrifice a lot – if you want to help others you also need to sacrifice.” Neg said with a smile.

Similarly, participants from GK Payatas, where land has also not yet been secured for housing, contributed enthusiastically to the building of houses for others. Jepoy Sarmiento, a sixteen year old from Payatas, provided a poignant perspective on blessing, “I really didn’t expect to be selected as a delegate for Bicol. The blessings and help we need? We can still wait – but the people here need help now.”

A Sense of Peace and Unity
The Army of the Philippines provided an added sense of peace and security, contributing both four teams of the 565th Engineering Construction Battalion as well as guards patrolling the area day and night. The peaceful atmosphere of the site was telling, with guards sharing many smiles and greetings and exchanges with the volunteers. Volunteers saw the guards not so much as soldiers, but firstly as Filipino hearts pumping Filipino blood.

Vastly experienced at rebuilding in both disaster and war-torn areas, Captain Angel Gerapusco of the Engineering Construction Battalion highlighted the value of the Bayani Challenge in the lives of those in Bicol: “If there was no Bayanihan then these affected communities would have to wait so much longer for everything to be achieved. Bayanihan is unique and special to the Philippines. People cannot achieve such large goals on their own – it takes cooperation.”

A New Breed of Future Leaders
The early evening hours of each night saw the heroes of Ansilag dancing, listening to singers, and hearing the sharing of others on the stage built alongside the rising houses. The reality of the work taking place was clear to Micki Garcia, an Ayala Young Leaders Foundation delegate. “To hear a message of hope in a place where we can see it is true is very heartwarming.”

Gathered together, the number and diversity of volunteers was clear and a source of joy and inspiration to those present. Nineteen year old Tin Rey from Quezon City, described the impact of the Bayani Challenge on her life, “I have a crazy undying love for my country. Before I came here I sometimes felt all alone in caring so much for my country. When I came here to Ansilag and saw and met everyone else here I realized there is truly hope for our country!”

She continued with a beaming smile, “Seeing everyone here, from the richest to the poorest, fills me with hope. This is the heart of Filipinos, this is the heart of our culture -  the hand-in-hand work we do together. People who can’t even speak a common dialect find a way to work together to get the building done!”

Kirby Llaban, the project manager for the Anislag Bayani Challenge, moved many volunteers deeply in describing how the effect of Gawad Kalinga heroism on his own life: “My wife is pregnant right now. I can’t wait to one day take my child into GK sites and show him the work of GK. I can’t wait to show him the transformation that is taking place in our country!”

For the many volunteers present from such diverse different locations and backgrounds, Mari Oquinena, GK Bayani Challenge Event Head, most aptly described the shared feeling growing through the days of construction,

“When I stand beside another person building these homes I’m so proud because I’m standing beside a hero!

We want to regain and restore our honor as a nation and as a people – that’s why we’re doing this!”

-- Contributions from GK News Bureau correspondents Paolo Domondon,
Marjorie Duterte, Zeus Mendoza and Jonathan Ricard