"Everything that is God's work will happen at the right time and with the right people."

This is what Gawad Kalinga national executive director Tony Meloto said when asked why their group, composed of Negrenses, decided to implement the project in Bacolod City only now.

Meloto was in Bacolod Saturday for the launching of the Kalinga Ilonggo campaign together with Manila-based Negrense GK volunteers, who include former Miss International Aurora Pijuan.

During the GK house building activity at the Brgys. Vista Alegre-Granada relocation site Saturday, Meloto told Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, "You don't have the resources to bring this city out of poverty but you have all of us to help you." Meloto said their group had tried to coordinate with the previous administration but then, maybe, it was "not yet time. Maybe this is the right time with the right Mayor", he said.

"But we will not depend on the limited resources of the city government to address the squatting problem in Bacolod because there are Ilonggos all over the world who are just waiting for the right time to help," he added.

Meloto said many people have no homes and he hopes that all the Ilonggos would extend their help and not just rely on the Mayor for everything.

REJECTION

Leonardia, meanwhile, said it is ironic that there are many Ilonggos in GK but the project was only implemented in Bacolod now because of its previous rejection. The group confided that they were actually discouraged before in Bacolod because of politics, he said. "So if properly coordinated, this project holds a very big promise because the government cannot handle the squatters problem alone," he said.

Meloto said other Negrenses involved in GK are campaigning to all Ilonggos worldwide to help the towns where they come from, especially because the mayors are supporting their group. He said Pijuan and Elaine Dichupa are the ones spearheading the campaign from Manila.

TAX-FREE IN U.S.

In North America GK is already a tax-free institution organization, Meloto said. If the Filipinos there donate to the Philippines, their donation will be tax deductible in America, as well as, Canada, he said. There are some Filipino nurses and doctors all over the world who can donate 50 to 100 houses because it is tax deductible, he said, and they are already heroes in their provinces.

Meloto said their target is to address the squatting problem in Bacolod and Negros Occidental and they hope to build 20,000 houses in the province by 2010. He said the group of Pijuan is putting up the Class '67 GK Village in Brgy. Vista Alegre-Granada in the land provided by Leonardia which will be a model community built by the different Class '67 in Negros.

He said also they have discovered that crime rate decreases when the dignity of the poorest of the poor is restored and they are motivated to be good citizens because of GK.

GK AND HEALING

Pijuan said she had wanted to do this kind of project for a very long time and when she found there was an existing group, she just volunteered. GK is nation-building and transformation, she said, adding that it's the rich people getting healed because they have to connect with the poor.

GK provincial coordinator Roberto Magalona said Bacolod City provided 10 lots for the GK project and gave 20 houses while GK promised to match whatever is given by the city and hopes to do even more. He said their group hopes to construct 40 houses before the end of the year with the help of Ilonggos abroad.

Magalona said their Class '67 partners have committed to put up 50 houses in Bacolod, as well as, in other towns.

Our vision is to have GK in every town so that the squatters there will no longer go to Bacolod. Aside from Bacolod, they have GK sites in Escalante, San Carlos, Sagay, Talisay, Murcia, Ma-ao, La Carlota, Himaymaylan, Binalbagan and Hinigaran, he said.*CGS

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