The Rising Sun

Standing proud

Sea of Clouds

Sea of Clouds 

Trekking down from the summit... 

The Cathedral in Anilao 

Maniguin Island: With watch tower, this island is around 2 hours away from Boracay Island... The dive site here is composed of walls... 

Feeding Time...feeding the fishes with bread..cool experience! 

Ready For Dive (Check-Up Dive in Planet Dive, Anilao Batangas)

Ready for Dive

GK and Rambo

The moment we entered the GK Brookside in Quezon City as part of the Immersion Trip of GK News Bureau Volunteers last May 14, 2004, we were welcomed by greetings coming from the residents of the area. With smiles, children playing in the alleys and the parents who gathered around in that Saturday morning, gleefully greets us “good morning”.

We were then oriented by the CFC Caretaker team of the site, Tito Jerry and Tita Malyn Alonzo, of the development and the history of the Brookside. Starting from the relocation of scavengers who used to live in the core of Quezon City, they were first brought to Bulacan but due to its far location, they force to live in this side of suburbs beside the brook side of a well known subdivision.

It was through the effort of Sister Mary of Mercy that they were taken care of and eventually through the collaboration with CFC and Gawad Kalinga, they were able to transform the said squatter colony into a small haven of bliss.

As we stroll the pave alleys of GK Brookside, the 37.9 degrees heat of the sun doesn’t hampered us to visit the decent houses painted with rainbow colors, school building (now houses the Stella Maris annex school intended for the students in that depressed area) and library (with computers and printer), clinic (ready to accommodate any baby’s delivery), playing grounds and courts, multi-purpose hall, chapel and small parks that will truly help them to build–up their sense self worthiness and give them the pride of living in a peaceful and productive environment. All of these were made possible through the partnership and unity of many corporations, institutions and individuals, local and abroad, who were touched and contagiously infected with the spirit of bayanihan and heroism.

During the orientation, we were awed by the site development plan of GK Brookside and how it become what it is now considered as the model of all GK sites. What touches us more is when two of its residents shared their stories. They are the parents of Rambo.

(May 14, 2005 happened to be the Lord’s Day Celebration of UST - Sto. Domingo CLP. One of the groups who will perform is the group that I’m handling in our CLP. And my group prepared a gag-con-newscasting-program. When I edit the script made originally by one of our participant, weeks before the Lord’s Day, I added there the portion of Rambo being interviewed about his condition living in the squatters’ area and their relocation in a new GK house. Little that I know, two weeks after that script preparation, I’ll be able to meet personally Rambo’s parents, and directly straight from their mouth reaffirms their plight before).

Mang Rolan told us how faithful God is to him. Despite of being a drug dependent for many times and giving so much pain to Aling Cora, his wife and their children, physically and emotionally, he was able to transform himself into a responsible father and husband. After being confined into a center for some months, Aling Cora took charge of rearing their children and courageously struggles for their daily living. Aling Cora narrated to us how she and her son Rambo pushes their cart under the rain in the wee hours of the morning, searching and collecting things from the garbage that can be sold in junk shop. Rambo would tell her mother why at that very moment they were scavenging for their living while others were already in their home tucked in and sound asleep. Aling Cora thinks and shares the same as with Rambo, and their tears would both fall down along with the rain in their faces. It breaks my heart hearing such plight of these mother and son.

After Rambos’ father was rehabilitated, they found themselves sheltered in GK Brookside. Mang Rolan and Aling Cora now serve the community in Couples For Christ, while Rambo continues his studies as a scholar. Although they still have their life’s struggle, there are now living decently and with restored dreams and dignity.

GK Brookside and many other GK sites in our country tells many different stories of ups and downs, of broken hopes but restored pride and dreams through the help of many souls. Detailed stories of pains and struggles that sometimes cannot be capture by cameras and videos can only be written and documented by paper and ink. And these are the challenge for everyone to become the herald of these stories, to inspire and become the living witness of how unity and bayanihan can transform the community of the depressed into a heaven of peace and development. This is GK. And we are called to become part of it.

Tanging Ina Ko!

12:39 am May 8, 2005

Nais kong bago matapos ang araw na ito, muli akong makagawa ng artikulong magpapahayag ng muli kong pagmamahal sa akin ina at pagpupugay sa lahat ng mga ina sa buong mundo.

Alam ninyo, may isang bagay akong sobrang nasa saloob ko. Naiiinis ako kasi alam kong masama ito. Inaamin ko, mainggitin ako. Mainggitin sa mga taong may mga Nanay na nasa tabi nila at pwde nilang yakapin at halikan. Maiinggitin ako sa mga taong may Nanay na nakakasama nila sa mga gimik at lakaran. Maiinggitin ako sa mga taong may Nanay na nalalapitan nila at naiiyakan sa tuwing sila ay may mga problema. Sino ba naman ang hindi maiinggit kung wala kang maaari mong lapitan kapag kailangan mo ng kalinga ng isang Nanay. At sa puntong ito, labis akong nangungulila kapag naiisip ko ito.

Mahirap kalimutan kahit ninuman ang mga sandaling kasama mo ang Nanay mo. Oo nga’t namalagi ka sa sinapupunan ng Nanay mo ng siyam na buwan, higit pa rin dun ang sandaling mas kilala ka ng nanay mo.

Hindi na natin matandaan kung paano tayo pinapalitan ng lampin (vocabulary 101: LAMPIN – yari sa mantsang hilaw na tela or katsang puti) oo..inaamin ko, di ako umabot sa diapers ...kung pano tayo unang pinaliguan ng nanay natin (..sa batya pa lang noon)..at ang gamit na sabon sa atin ay Perla …. Tapos, ibabalot tayo sa isang kumot na may burda ng pangalan natin… kulay blue kapag lalaki, at kulay pink kapag babae…at kung pano tayo ipagkanaw (vocabulary 101: KANAW – pagtimpla) ng Nanay natin ng gatas (hmmm.. Bona na ba ang gatas na gamit noon kasi di pa noon naiimbento ang Promil – pero in fairness, kahit walang Promil, gifted na ako… hehehehe)…at ilang buwan, or worst, taon ng tayo’y bago ibutaw ng Nanay natin (vocabulary 101: IBUTAW – patigilin sa pagbreast feed)…siguro, noong panahong iyon, diring diri kayo sa kulay purple na nasa dibdib ng nanay niyo kaya’t nagtyaga na lang tayo sa bibiron (vocabulary 101: BIBIRON – feeding bottle)…

Noong bata ba tayo, ilang beses ba tayong sinasaway ng nanay natin kapag kinukutkot natin ang kantong dulo ng ating kumot o punda ng unan…at makailang beses ba tayong umiihi sa higaan natin katabi ng Nanay natin?

Hindi lang iisang beses na lalapit tayo sa Nanay natin at magpapapalit ng salwal natin kasi may pupo na…

Hindi ko malubos maisip na sa kabataan natin ay sobra sobra na ang ginagawang pagmamahal ng Nanay natin..hindi natin ito matatawag na malasakit kasi katumbas ng ginagawa nila sa atin ay ang buhay nila….

Noong unang pumasok tayo sa paaralan, kasa-kasama natin sya dahil may bago tayong mundong gagalawan at nais nating nakikita natin sila habang nag-aadjust tayo sa bago nating kapaligiran…

Si Nanay, kaylan man, nais niyang nasa mayos tayong kinalalagyan at di inaapi.. Naranasan mo na bang ang Nanay mo ang nakikipagaway sa Nanay ng mga kalaro mo? Hehehe.. nangingiti ako sa pagkakataong sinusulat ko ito kasi ang Nanay ko ang sumugod sa bahay ng kalaro ko at nakipagdakdakan sa Nanay ng kalaro ko…may pagkaguirrera pala ang Nanay ko….

Nanay ngang talaga na matatawag ang ating ina kasi lahat ng bagay na maari niyang ibigay upang mapabuti tayo, ginagawa niya di ba? Iba iba ang propesyon ng ating mga Nanay…at mas pinili niyang propesyon ang isang maging simpleng maybahay…katulong ni Tatay sa pagdidisiplina sa aming mga anak nila…

Sa panahong ngayon, tutol na tutol tayo sa mga magulang na gumagamit ng kamay para disiplinahin mga anak nila…pero noon, sa tingin ko, ok lang. Kasi ba naman kung hindi ako napapalo, nakukurot at isang beses na masampal ng Nanay ko noon, marahil hindi ako disiplinado ngayon, hindi ko pinahahalagahan ang mga nais nilang mangyari sa akin…masakit sa katawan kapag nararamdaman mo ang sakit na dala ng pisikal na pagdidisiplina, magmumukmok ka na lang at iiyak sa isang sulok habang isinusumpa mo sila (kasi naman bata pa, di ko alam na masama ang magsumpa ng tao…sensya na..murang isip pa lang.)

At matapos tayong disiplinahin ng nanay natin, kapag tumuntong na tayo sa hustong edad, binibigyan na tayo ng malayang pag-iisip at pagdedesisyon sa buhay…Noong nag-aral na ako sa Maynila, malayo sa piling ni Nanay, todo-todong mga bilin ang binibigay niya sa akin, sobrang pag-aalala talaga ang nasa puso niya…pero dahil alam ko na ang hirap na dinala nila at sakripisyo para sa akin, may tamang isip na na rin ako na gawin ang mga bagay na magpapaganda ng buhay ko.

Siyam na buwan sa sinapupunan…siyam na buwang kelangan niyang maging maingat na huwag madulas, huwag mahulog sa hagdan upang tayo ay di maagas (vocabulary 101: MAAGAS – makuhan, ma-abort)

Anim na taon bago tayo pumasok sa elementarya, nanay natin ang karamay natin sa lahat ng oras, kapag nagkakasakit tayo, kapag nais natin ng kalaro, kapag pinatutulog tayo sa duyan o di kaya’y sa bisig niya habang isinasayaw tayo…

Anim muli na taon sa pagtungtong sa elementarya, kaagapay natin sila sa paggagawa ng mga proyekto ng paralan, bagamat hindi si Nanay ang dumadalo sa PTA meetings ng paaralan, si Nanay pa rin ang nag-aabot ng baon sa atin….

Apat na taon sa high school. Apat na taong binibigyan na tayo ng konting laya para magdesisyon pero katulong pa rin natin sila…literally, sya pa rin ang naglalaba ng uniform at nagpaplantsa nito para sa atin…sa apat na taong ito, maipagmamalaki ko, maraming beses ko rin syang pinapanhik sa entamblado upang sya mismo ang magsabit sa akin ng medalya ng karangalan…

Limang taon sa kolehiyo…Limang taon singkad na nasigasig akong nag-aral para sa kinabukasan ko…at ang tanging baon ko dito sa Maynila ay ang mga pangaral ng magulang ko….si Nanay ang alam natin, katulong lagi ng Tatay natin upang kahit sa malayong lugar ay suportahan tayo… sa Limang taon ko sa kolehiyo, ilang beses sa bawat semestral break ako nakakauwi upang makapiling sina Nanay…at sa panahong iyon, muling ko syang nayayakap at nahahalikan, nasasamahan sa palengke upang ipagbuhat ng mga pinamili, nakakatulong sa paglilinis ng bahay at nakakakwentuhan habang nanonood ng telebisyon habang makatulugan na niya at si Tatay na ang gigising sa kanya…

Pagkatapos ng Limang taon sa kolehiyo, ang susunod na bahagi ay maraming taon pang kasama natin sya habang nagtatrabaho na tayo…pero hindi!

Isang taon mula ng aking pagtatapos at pagtatrabaho…ay maaga na siyang kinuha ni Lord… (http://thechroniclersfiles.blogspot.com/2005/03/kain-tayo-sa-mcdo-nanay-o-ipagluto-mo.html)

Halos dalawampu’t tatlong taon lang….23 years! Ganyan ko lang nakapiling si Nanay…dalawampu’t tatong taon ko lang muli’t muliy babalikan ang mga panahong kasama ko sya…23 years lang ng mga pangyayari sa buhay ko nakasama ko sya...at sa mga nagdaanang panahong iyon, ilang beses ko ba syang nahalikan at nayakap…at binati ng Happy Mothers Day Nanay….

Oo nga, naiinggit ako kapag nakikita ko ikaw na kasama ang Nanay mo…kausap mo sa cellphone ang Nanay mo..o di kaya’y katsikahan mo ang Nanay mo…o humihingi ka ng payo sa Nanay mo tungkol sa pag-ibig o anumang aspeto ng buhay…

At inaasam na sana si Nanay kausap ko pa sa cellphone, ka-text ko at pinadadalhan ng MMS ng mga akyat ko sa bundok, ng mga lakad ko sa SFC, ng mga MMS kasama ang mga kaibigan ko…

Hihikbi na lang ako sa isang sulok, at sa impit na iyak ay sasambitin ko..” Nanay, namimiss kita” ….(salamat, kalapit ng computer ko ngayon ang isang tuwalya nakasabit dito, madali kong napunasan ang mga luhang gumulong na namang pababa at ang sipon ko)…..

Nanay Happy Mother’s Day..at sa lahat ng mga Nanay sa mundo…sa nanay ng mga pinsan ko… mga Nanay ng mga kaibigan ko…sa mga Nanay ng mga ka-SFC ko…sa mga Nanay sa opisina namin....sa mga Nanay at Tita-titahan ko sa Tekton at sa CFC. at sa mga kaibigan kong ganap na ring Nanay….

Tanging Ina ko..nag-iisa lang....

The Journeys of the Heroes: Dingalan, Aurora

They came in buses and in private vehicles. They came with shovels, hammers, paint brushes and pails. They came with the spirit of love, hope and heroism in their heart.

Fifty one warm bodies of SFC West B-1b including three non-SFC members, who were just invited, joined the rest of SFC Volunteers of West Sector in the Kalinga Luzon Singles Summer Build in Dingalan, Aurora.

The SFC West B-1B volunteers convened in BK Welcome Rotunda with other SFC from other chapters of West Sector last April 28, 2005. At around 5:30am, two buses and five private vehicles left to Aurora. Amidst the early morning traffic of metropolis, the smooth road of NLEX, the dusty road of Bulacan, the long and winding highway of Nueva Ecija, till the footsteps of Aurora province, they reach the town of Dingalan at around 10:30am.

The GK site is situated in slightly steep slope of Barangay Caragsakan, overlooking the scenic Dingalan Bay and the Pacific Ocean in the East and bounded by the ranges of Mount Sierra Madre in the West and South. The perfect site for this community will house the families of Barangay Paltic who were devastated by the typhoon on the latter part of 2004.

Heroes of today

The scorching heat of the sun greeted the volunteers as they trooped uphill to the site and they were welcomed by the towns’ Mayor, (coincidentally, GMA Channel 7’s news crew were there also headed by their reporter, Carlo Lorenzo) and some of the beneficiaries who volunteers in building their own houses.

Excavation works began at 2:00 pm after the whole group offered a short Praise and Worship. Pail of gravels started in rolling around, hands to hands, and the intensity of the days work began with so much enthusiasm.

Before the sun finally hides from its horizon, the builders were able to excavate six foundations, poured some gravels and cement, and some were able to build one layer of hollow blocks as wall.

The glare of the sun was finally replaced by the lights of the stars scattered in the vast dark skies and the fireflies that thrive in that place, leaving no one in awed as they share stories of the first day of work. As if the day is not yet over, some still choose to be awake and chat and hold personal dialogues that truly made that moment an ideal place to be bond close together. Snores and hiss finally enveloped the area with some occasional sound of slapping hands shooing away not-so-friendly-mosquitoes. (Brothers sleep in tents, while sisters stayed in the partially completed houses.)

The morning breeze and the early morning rays of the Saturday sun is a perfect ambience to worship God. Even without guitars, the Builders led by Jeck Diño, powerfully exulted, praised and thank the Lord for the great night rest and lift up the next day’s work for God’s protection and guidance.

A short and inspiring talk by Sis. Rosette Reyes reaffirms everyone of the kind of heroism that everyone is doing. The modern day’s hero is no longer armed with guns and swords but with shovels, hammers and pails doing the battle of building the nation.

As they chant “Filipino, Ako! Bayani ako! Kristiyano Ako! Ito ang Gusto ko!” the volunteers trooped back again to their areas of assignment and continue their work.

Daniel, Patrick and Jacquiline

As the group started again their work, I was able to interviewed and mingled with some of the kids in the site. They belong to those families who have been devastated by the typhoon that destroyed their houses in Barangay Paltic.

Daniel is two years old and the youngest of the four siblings. As he hold the biscuits, cookies and chips that we gave him, he told me in his own tots words as he recalled it the big flood that destroyed their homes. Innocent as a child he remembered his toys that were swept away by the flood.

Patrick resides in a small nipa hut near the place where we pegged our tents. I noticed him Friday late afternoon gazing nearby our tent and I called him to come nearer and let him sit in my lap. Silent type but his deep eyes speak a lot. He’s just a small one year old toddler wearing only big sando. I learned from his playmate that Patrick’s father stays in the site doing the iron works (making the window grills for the houses), Patrick understand what I’m saying, when I asked him to go to home since it’s already getting dark and even asked him to be back the following day so we can play. That was Saturday morning, I woke up late, and Patrick’s mother told me that Patrick went to our tent looking for me, making true to his word (…eesh..he did not speak I recalled, he just remembered what we have agreed about the day before).

Jacquiline is six years old. I noticed her standing at the back of the bayanihan chain of brothers and sisters hauling hollow blocks from one point to another. It’s prominent in her forehead the scars of big stitches. When I approached her together with a sister and asked her what had happened to her forehead. She obliged in telling the stories that she was swept away by the flood together with her grandmother during the November tragedy. Fortunate for her, she was saved by his father when her head surfaced on the rampaging waters of the flood, while her grandmother lost her life being bruised and battered by the boulders and logs that came down from the mountain slopes.

Bayanihan Chain

The most awesome scene that I really like is the bayahinan human chain formed every time some construction materials will be brought from one place to another. When the truck of hollow blocks arrived in the site, it can’t pass through going near the construction site since it was blocked by a wrecked van that was stalled in the middle of the service road. Almost fifty brothers and sisters from different chapters heed the call of forming these bayanihan human chain hauling hollow blocks from the truck parked uphill going down to the construction site.

Aside from the volunteers, we simply admired the kids who help us also in hauling construction materials. At one point during the hauling of gravels in pails and cans, empty containers are being carried by the kids going to the source of gravels while the filled-in pails were hauled hands from hands to hands to hands.

Barangay Paltic: A place of lost hope and dreams

I was lucky to join the second batch of volunteers who visited the area of devastation, Barangay Paltik. It is located near the Dingalan Bay, 15 minutes drive from the GK Site. Upon the entrance to the road leading to that barangay, you can see already the big boulders, logs and uprooted tree still scattered around. And when we reached the barangay proper, we saw some houses along the road still buried half of its height. And when we trekked towards the interior of the barangay, we were shocked and astounded by the presence of more boulders as big as of a “beetle car” and more big logs.

While we were traversing the path of the boulders and logs where it came from, some barangay folks that stayed there with their houses spared by the flood mockingly shouts on us. “Baka may humawak sa mga paa ninyo dyan!” (There might be someone holding your feet there!). And then we learned that that was the exact site where many houses were swept away by flood losing many lives.

Houses were buried almost to their roofs. Coconut trees that grows as tall as three story building is just a stretched arm away to its fruits when you stand beside it. The remains of houses are still there, trusts, ceilings, reflecting the kind of destruction it had during that day of devastation. In one place, nothing left but just a houses’ flooring in the middle of boulders and more boulders. Just imagine how much water it will take to carry these boulders down to the lowland. The fury of flood waters left nothing in that barangay but only lost hope, dreams and dear lives of many.

We left Barangay Paltic with heavy heart and gloomy emotion, remembering the sorrow and grief folks have experienced there and returned back to Barangay Caragsakan with so much hope and conviction in our heart that what we are doing in this GK site is a restoration of hope and dreams for those victims of typhoon.

Unity Dinner and Fellowship Night

Saturday night in Barangay Caragsakan is very far different from the usual nights of the metropolis. After preparing the dinner of every chapter, they convened in one place and put all the food they have prepared in one big table. Dishes of different menus like, tinola, inihaw na tulingan (big tuna fishes), fried fishes, noddles, canned tuna, adobong kangkong and sinigang na isda were spread out in the table. After the short prayer everyone was asked to get their food, together with the beneficiaries, but was advice not to eat first since the food will still be blessed. When everyone was assured that they already have their food in their plates and containers, no one imagined that the food they’ve got from the table will be given instead, as being instructed, to others for exchange, a symbol of honoring everyone who took part of sacrificing for others.

This is the Unity Dinner that happened that made everyone realized that sacrifice for others is sweetest at its best.

The night was culminated by the presentations coming from different chapters. Hosted by Sis. Jill Javelosa, Bro. Oneal Palomar and Bro. Jun de Leon, the trio made the crowd broke down to their feet, together with the “magical-comical” presentation of Nueva Ecija chapter, “dance-acting-roll-over-the-floor-laughing” presentation of West B-1B, dance presentation of West B-1C and “dance-human-puppet” presentation of West B-1D/E.

But the stillness of the night doesn’t ends there. Unmindful of tired body from the days work, the Dingalan heroes still managed to brighten up the dark humid night. Stories and conversations over coffee still echoes from the unfinished houses, from the tents and from the open field.

Labor Day, literally

“Patrick!” “Patrick!” as I shouted early morning of Sunday. And I saw Patrick under the Aratiles tree near their hut. After I gave him some jelly ace (the trekkers favorite trail food) I continued waking up everybody…

May 1 is Labor Day. And literally, everyone was already in their feet finishing what have left on Saturday afternoon. While some houses have already their façade coated with bright colors of paint, the walls of the houses they have started begun to show up. The volunteers were in the right track and facing. From barren soil, they toiled and excavated it, poured gravels and cement, erected the foundation, and built five layers of hollow blocks comprising the houses’ walls.

But the day is so short, while everyone were still eager to finished what they have started, it has to stop, to finally culminate the activity with a powerful and emotional talk by Bro. Bob Lasala. The call of heroism and bayanihan should not stop in Dingalan. But it should continue in the respective GK sites of every chapter. The sense of urgency in helping less fortunate brethren, especially those victims of typhoon in this area is very much needed. Currently house in an evacuation center, crowded and with no much space to roam around, prone to sickness and epidemics, low in spirit and financially disabled. This is the present scenario that they are experiencing. And the hope that we are bringing to this people, by merely of our presence is more than enough to let them feel they we care for them. We don’t have to be rich and talented for us to contribute and help our brothers and sisters. Our presence will build relationship that will last forever.

Till we meet again

That was almost 2pm, everyone were in a hurry packing up things, having a quick lunch. And I have to bid goodbye to Daniel and to Patrick after giving some more jelly ace and chocolates. (I’ve got Daniels’ older brother’s slingshot as souvenir, he gave it to me.)

Rushing against time, we left Dingalan with unfinished business. But with the promise that we will back again to fully rebuild the hope and dreams of the families that continue to struggle to live with dignity again.

As our buses left the place, we saw the kids lining up along the road, waving goodbyes, with smiles, reflecting new hope and new life.

This is not the end of our journey as heroes. This is only the tip of more battle in building our nation to prosper until we see no more slums and poor in our country. There are more Daniel, Patrick and Jacquiline in every heart of this country and we are here as Singles For Christ to help bring bright future for them and their families.#