There is an alternative........TONY MELOTO

[noy-pi]

ATENEO GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

By Antonio Meloto -GAWAD KALINGA

25 March 2006

I asked some members of the senior class last week why they
chose me as their commencement speaker. I have no business
empire. I hold no political power. And I am no academic
genius. I am just an ordinary Filipino, a graduate of the
Ateneo, who did not even excel as a student... just an
ordinary man who loves to tell stories about the
extraordinary things that people are doing for our country
today.

And they told me--- because I represent a movement that
presents hope at this time when many in our country are in
despair. You are looking for hope in me, but I am here to
tell you that this school and the other members of this
university have been a source of hope and inspiration for
me in the last three years.

When Father Ben Nebres and the Ateneo Board of Trustees
bestowed the Ozanam Award on Gawad Kalinga through me on
July 23, 2003, they triggered A REVOLUTION OF HOPE in the
Ateneo...sweeping the Ateneo from grade school, high school,
college, to the Alumni... then leading the way for other
universities, corporations, government institutions and
Filipino organizations abroad to follow their example and
joining the bandwagon for nation building. The Ateneo is
showing the world that "The eagle will not fly without the
poor".

Thank you Father Ben for your great love for our country
and for inspiring the young to make a difference in the
lives of our people.

Caring for the poor and restoring the dignity of the
Filipino in his own country have now become an urgent
mission for Filipinos here and abroad. This is not just
healing for our country´s poor and neglected but it is
healing for me and many like me as well.

Unknown to most of you, for 32 years it wasn´t easy for me
to return to Ateneo. I didn´t come to the reunions and
homecomings, simply because of a sense of guilt of a person
who grew up with the suffering poor but later forgot them
after I got an Ateneo education. I was so focused on
repackaging, and building up myself that I forgot the
accompanying responsibility that came with the privilege of
an Ateneo scholarship. I forgot the poor... I left them
behind. I left them like so many others before me.

There are many who blame the rich and powerful for the
plight of the poor. I know there is basis for the
accusations but I cannot bring myself to blame them. How
could I expect them to love the poor whom they do not know
when I grew up poor and yet forgot to help them, too.

I realized my great shortcoming as a Filipino in 1985 when
I joined Couples for Christ. It was then that I found my
faith and grew a conscience and decided to live a righteous
life... to correct the mistakes and the injustice committed
to our country and to our people by people like me. Couples
for Christ taught me to repent for my sins and to be
genuinely sorry for the things I failed to do for my
country and for my people.

I am really sorry for the state of things, because of my
failure to do something about it. And many are now sorry,
just like myself because of this state of degradation... But
feeling sorry is not enough. Sorry does not restore beauty,
sorry does not restore dignity, sorry does not restore the
plan of God for man. Sorry begins it, but sorry is not
enough.

What needs to be done is to bring sorry to action, to
convert regret to reform, to lift apathy to compassion and
development. We who have not done well by the talents and
treasures we have been gifted with, we who have abdicated
our responsibility of shepherding the poor and the young to
their birthright of enjoying the treasures of a beautiful
and abundant country, we who have seen the errors of our
ways and are sorry --- we must now restore what we
destroyed... or allowed to be destroyed.

Because the Ateneo is a Christian university which believes
in the mission of forming students to become persons for
others, the principle of good over evil goes beyond the
fundamental understanding of right and wrong. It is not
enough not to do wrong. To battle evil, we must do good.
The path of reform and transformation for Ateneans... for
Christians, must be one of peace. It must believe that good
is more powerful than evil, and only in the exercise of
good can evil be eliminated. Thus, the path of reform and
transformation, personal and social, must be a path of good
works.

Build homes. Build communities. Build capacities. Restore
dignity. Restore abundance. Restore beauty. Restore peace.
Build and restore, build and restore.

And you did! The eagle has landed in Payatas. Because you
could not bring the poor of Payatas to Ateneo, you brought
Ateneo to the poor of Payatas. In this once desolate place,
you restored dignity, you have brought back hope!

The former squatters now have security in their land. You
transformed 200 shanties -- the slum and the garbage have
now become a beautiful middle class community. Crime has
virtually disappeared. Former streetchildren are now in
school. The idle have been motivated to find employment and
are now living productive lives. Nawala ang sindikato sa
lupa, sa tubig, at sa ilaw. You have transformed hell into
a piece of heaven... all because you cared, you shared and
you learned to work together. The grade school worked with
their parents, the high school students gave up their
parties... the college students gave up their weekends. And
the Alumni from all over the world also helped.

I salute and honor the eagles of Payatas, especially Steph
Limuaco, former President of the Ateneo Student Council and
now full-time worker of Ateneo for Gawad Kalinga, students,
parents, the caretaker team from CFC and Mayor Sonny
Belmonte who not only paved the way for the poor to own the
land in Payatas but also paved the roads.

Again you performed the same miracle in Gabaldon!

The surviving flood victims who were once squatters living
in dangerous areas now have their own land in sites that
have been cleared as environmentally safe and their own
sturdy homes. Now the people are growing their own food and
planting trees. Land for the landless, homes for the
homeless, food for the hungry... For this I honor Mark
Lawrence Cruz, the 300-strong Team Gabaldon and Mayor
Mandia. You washed away the mud of despair and brought out
the gold in the poor of Gabaldon.

Gabaldon is part of a massive rehabilitation and
reconstruction effort called Kalinga Luzon that goes beyond
the usual relief operations after the calamity. Malaki ang
tulong dito ng 3 Atenista in helping 40,000 survivor
families of the Luzon typhoons and floods... Secretary of
National Defense and NDCC Chairman Avelino "Nonong" Cruz ,
Smart-PLDT Chairman Manny Pangilinan and former Agriculture
Secretary Cito Lorenzo.




This afternoon I invited the proud leaders of Payatas and
Gabaldon, together with the mayors of Cabiao, San Isidro,
and Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija who have also benefited from
the help of Ateneo. They are here to witness the graduation
of a new breed of Ateneans and Filipinos who not only have
the brains but also the heart for our country and our
people.

The journey to rebuild our country is just beginning and
moving towards massive upscaling with the entry of
corporations, national government agencies, LGU´s and
Filipino organizations abroad.

Corporations too are searching for a deeper and better
__expression of corporate social responsibility. Rival
corporations are rising above business competition to help.
P&G and Unilever, Jollibee and McDonalds, Shell and Petron,
Pfizer and Wyeth and Smart-PLDT... and over a hundred others.
Sabi ng Shell "Kung may layunin, malayo ang inyong
mararating". Sabi ng Smart "We´re not just building homes,
we´re building a nation". Both campaigns are inspired by
the spirit of Gawad Kalinga, the spirit of being a person
for others - going beyond conventional charity towards
helping the poor become better stewards of their families
and their communities. Converting our human resource from
liability to asset, expanding the market base by empowering
the poor make good business sense!

This afternoon we have with us the country chairman of
Shell Philippines, Mr. Ed Chua, who is from La Salle and
the president of Pfizer, Mr. Gerry Bacarro, who is from
Ateneo. Both are firm believers of corporate social
responsibility geared towards nation-building. It is our
hope that the stiff rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle in
basketball will be elevated to a higher level of nobility
of building the most number of houses and communities and
educating the most number of poor children.

My fellow Ateneans, when you leave this campus, many of you
will join these corporations and will be happy to note that
they have a keener sense of social responsibility and a
work environment that will nurture your idealism.

In the field of governance, more than 300 mayors and
governors have chosen the same path of nation-building.
Hundreds more will join this year and members of Congress
are being inspired to do the same. Many of you will be the
future mayors, governors and members of congress... and again
will be happy to note that your predecessors have begun the
path of building and restoring our country.

Even Filipinos abroad have found a reason to hope and a way
to concretize their love for the motherland. Many have gone
beyond sending resources... they themselves are coming home
to help build the nation of their dreams... Bicolanos helping
Bicol... The Ilonggos helping Negros and Panay... the Cebuanos
helping Cebu... And the Fil-Am doctors are going beyond the
usual medical mission and are building healthy communities
as a way of giving back to a country that they have never
stopped loving.

When you care for others, especially the weak and the
powerless, you will be amazed at how God will take care of
you and the people you love. Today I thank God for my wife
and my five children who have joined me in this mission to
help restore this beautiful land. This is the best legacy I
can give them. I honor my son Jay, who at 22, left his job
and an exciting life of fast cars and beautiful girls in
L.A. to help the typhoon victims of Bicol... and my
son-in-law Dylan Wilk who left his country England, his
family and friends, his extravagant lifestyle - his
Ferrari, his Porsche and BMW... in exchange for the poor
families in this country that he has learned to love and
care for.

And of course, the nameless and unrecognized workers and
heroes of other Ateneo initiatives like Pathways, Tulong
Dunong, Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines, Leaders for
Health and other NGOs and cause-oriented groups who love
this county... Today there are tens of thousands of them...
tomorrow there will be millions. Together we will build a
slum-free, squatter-free, crime-free Philippines.

And so in the same spirit of heroism, I urge you young
Ateneans to do the same. After you leave this campus, there
is no doubt that you will soar to great heights but it will
all be meaningless if you fly alone. The poor do not have
strong wings like you do and they need you to carry them,
inspire them to discover their own strength and greatness.
Sana eto ang walang iwanan.

For the parents, as you have invested in the future of your
children by giving them the best education possible...
support also your children´s desire to invest in the future
of this country. They will honor you even more if you value
their aspirations for nobility and their dreams for a
better country that will be a source of pride for them and
their children.

As we go through this defining moment of Philippine
history, let us strive never to forget four things:

(1) Never stop hoping for our country.

(2) Don´t stop caring for our people.

(3) Demand greatness of yourself as a Filipino.

(4) Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.

As you leave the campus to join the real world, let your
vision and the power that you have discovered to change the
world, define what is real to you.

Make your love for this country and our people, especially
the poor, your reality and your priority. Make it the
foundation of your career plans, your dreams and ambitions
for your children and the goal of any political or economic
power that you have the privilege to wield.

Wherever you are in the world, excel and prosper but remain
connected to the motherland and dedicate your success to
the fulfillment not just of your dreams but to the many in
your country who have lost their capacity to dream.

Do not be content in finding artificial security in gated
subdivisions when you can provide yourself a buffer of
peace by caring for the needy around you. Nor be content
with living in first world luxury in a third world
environment and contributing to the discontent and the
growing threats around the security of your own family.

Give value to the land of your birth by sharing with those
who for generations have been deprived of its use and
abundance. Be a blessing to your children´s future by
making it your responsibility to be father or mother to the
abandoned and neglected.

Be the healing of the soul of this nation and the
fulfillment of the dream that we have forgotten.

Be the proud Filipino that we are not yet, but soon will
be.

Be the hero who finds courage and the conviction that this
country is worth saving, because it is a gift from God and
that your life is meaningless if it is not dedicated to the
fulfillment of a divine destiny to be a great people.

Let me end this speech and send you off with a prayer.

Dear God, pour out your blessing upon our new graduates.
Guide them in their journey to greatness. Show your power
and majesty to this troubled and sinful nation through
these young Filipinos who will strive to live lives of
righteousness and excellence. Make them healers of our
wounded people and restorers of our broken land. Anoint
them as the new generation of living heroes who will bring
this country to our destiny of greatness.

Mabuhay kayong mga bagong bayani ng bayan! Kayo ang bagong
lakas ng pagbabago! Kayo ang magandang mukha ng
kinabukasan!

[noy-pi]

By Antonio P. Meloto
Gawad Kalinga
U.P. Commencement Exercises
National College of Public Administration and Governance
22 April 2006


Maraming salamat sa inyong paanyaya na magsalita ngayon sa napakahalagang
araw ng inyong buhay. Hindi po ako nag-aral dito sa UP, pero dalawang tao
na malapit sa puso ko ang nagtapos dito. Yong ama ko was a graduate 68
years ago in Business Administration, at ang pangalawang anak ko ay
nagtapos sa Theater Arts in 2003.

Ako'y tuwang-tuwa dahil ito ang pinakaunang UP graduation na napuntahan ko
and it somehow lessens the guilt of not attending my daughter's graduation
dahil pinahalagahan ko ang misyon ko para sa mahirap.

When I was invited by Dean Alex Brillantes to be your speaker I asked
myself what could I possibly say to some of the brightest minds in the
country, mga Iskolar ng Bayan, many of whom want to go into public service.
I am not a politician. Since 1996, I vowed not to take on any political
position, whether appointive or elective. Gusto ko lang magsilbi sa mahirap.

I wanted to help the poor by caring for the least of my brethren as a
Christian who was challenged to follow Jesus all the way to the slums. I
wanted to learn how to care for the weak and the powerless who were victims
of history and a political system that they thought they were helpless to
change.

So I speak before you as an ordinary Filipino who has discovered the
potential of every Filipino to make a difference and to bring about
meaningful change by learning to trust one another and to work together for
the common good.

Going back to my father, he lived a remarkably simple life although he was
the contemporary in U.P. of two powerful people – former President
Ferdinand E. Marcos and Ambassador Roberto Benedicto. I remember the times
when he would talk about these two popular men and I often wondered to
myself why he was happy to be a nobody – contented with his life as a
public school teacher and later on as an accounting clerk who could hardly
provide for six children.

One thing about my father, he was scrupulously honest, although frankly, I
would have been happier in those times for him to be more compromising so
we could have more comforts in life. At age 81, he died without ever owning
a piece of land… or building his own house… or driving his own car. He left
us with nothing except his good name, the respect of his friends and the
many lessons he taught me.

The greatest one I learned is that the political power of Marcos and the
business empire of Benedicto failed to bring our country out of poverty and
to make life better for our people. It is not political power or wealth
that builds a nation. Power and wealth are mere consequences of a strong
nation. A strong nation is built by a strong people -- people who are
determined to work hard, people who are willing to sacrifice for one
another and the common good and most importantly, people with integrity.
U.P. has produced many people with integrity like my father. And it is this
value that I want to highlight for those of you who want to go into public
service or any field of human endeavor.

Integrity is what we have lost as a people. We no longer trust our
institutions. We lack confidence to succeed in our own country. We have
lost the respect of other countries. Integrity is what we have to regain.
Intelligence, competence, talents, skills we have in abundance because we
are a gifted people but they are meaningless without integrity.

My father almost failed in me when I took the path of selfishness, wanting
only to help myself gain the wealth and power that I never had. I
compromised the values and integrity that he taught me to achieve my
personal ambitions. But God intervened in my life in 1985 when I joined
Couples for Christ and discovered a beautiful plan for me, for my family
and my country. My family and I cannot grow at the expense of others but in
fact achieve it by helping others find their own security and quality of
life. Our selfishness has created the mess that we are in. Worse, we are
caught in a vicious culture of blame.

Yes there is basis for blame. Many politicians have not kept their
promises… many of the rich have not shared their wealth… some Church
leaders have failed to practice what they preach…many Filipinos have
abandoned their country… and even the poor have been criticized for not
working hard enough. At the rate we are blaming each other, everybody is to
blame. Lahat naman nagkulang at lahat naman tayo ay nagkasala. But blaming
alone never solves the problem. It does not build homes for the poor.

It does not feed the hungry. It does not restore human dignity. It
destroys friendship. It poisons the spirit. It kills hope. Instead of
looking for fault in others let's look at ourselves –- what we have done
wrong, what we have failed to
do. We need to change…but for me, change begins with myself. We have
destroyed so much of ourselves and our country that me changing myself is
not enough… that you changing yourself is not enough. We have to inspire
change in many others… and, we have to change together.

Change will not come easy, that's why we need to encourage and we need to
honor all the good examples around us. We need to invite everyone to come
on board. Poverty is so massive that our response to it cannot be small. We
cannot rebuild this country if we do not engage every sector of society
including government. It is counter-productive to judge all government
officials as corrupt. In dealing with dishonest men, just be honest.

We cannot change people if we make them our enemies. Engage them and bring
out the best in them. While many are accustomed to the path of blame, we
have to discover a new path, build a new culture of honoring those who do
good. In Gawad Kalinga, we work with National Government agencies and over
300 mayors and governors and we have been inspired by their sincerity and
their determination to help the poor in their towns and provinces. Last
year, we discovered a lot of outstanding local government officials in our
effort to rehabilitate victims of calamities and conflict. The popular
image of politicians as trapos and corrupt has not often been our
experience. In working together, most of them have shown sincerity, deep
concern for their constituents, and honesty in their dealings with Gawad
Kalinga.

If we maintain our integrity in dealing with them, they can be encouraged
to respond to us in the same way. We have partnered with over a hundred
corporations and many prominent families and individuals. They are not the
insensitive, selfish, greedy people many have always painted them to be,
when they are given the chance to show their concern and express their
generosity. Many of them have adopted Gawad Kalinga as their opportunity to
make a difference, and many more will do the same because of their example.

Itong nakaraan lang na typhoon sa Luzon, kailangan natin ng 400 hectares
para sa mga 40,000 families na nawalan ng bahay at nawalan ng mga mahal sa
buhay dahil nakatira sila sa delikadong lugar. Akala namin mahirap kumuha
ng lupa for relocation but in 2 months we were able to raise 507 hectares
in 12 provinces.

Hindi pala madamot ang Pilipino kung sila ay naniniwala. The religious
sector is likewise not indifferent. A number of churches are responding
with boldness to the call of nation-building by restoring the dignity of
poor Filipinos. Bishop Soc Villegas took the initiative to build the
Cardinal Sin GK Village for the informal settlers in Punta Sta. Ana; Bishop
Precioso Cantillas is helping in the rehabilitation of landslide victims in
Southern Leyte; Archbishop Ramon Arguelles is providing Church land to
informal settlers of Lipa City; and today, CBCP President and Archbishop of
Jaro, Angel Lagdameo, is opening Church land in 5 vicariates to host Gawad
Kalinga communities for the poorest of the poor including many Church
workers.

The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches had not been less generous
when they partnered with Gawad Kalinga together with NDCC (National
Disaster Coordinating Council) and DSWD in building new communities for the
typhoon victims in Luzon. And now, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter
Day Saints, more popularly known as the Mormons, have volunteered their
services and offered their expertise and resources in providing water
systems in GK communities all over the country.

We are seeing a miracle in progress as different churches transcend their
differences to work together to build a nation by helping the poor rise
from poverty. This emerging unity is an affirmation of the Gawad Kalinga
spirit of non-discrimination in the choice of whom to help and working with
those who want to help. Pwede rin magtulungan ang Muslim at Kristiyano.
Tomorrow I am flying to Camp Abubakar.

Five years ago there was an all out war that destroyed an entire Muslim
community. Mahigit isang libong pamilya ng mga kapatid nating Muslim ang
nawalan ng tahanan. Tomorrow we will see 200 houses rising from the ashes
of war. Together with Barira Mayor Alex Tomawis, DSWD and SMART, Christians
and Muslims are building peace and friendship by building peaceful Gawad
Kalinga communities in Camp Abubakar. This is also happening in 20 Muslim
communities in Mindanao.

Millions of Filipinos have left the Philippines and we thought they had
deserted us. But then again, this is not true. They have not forgotten.
They have not stopped loving the motherland. Many are not just giving
resources to build homes and villages but are actually coming home to help
build them themselves. The Kampampangans helping Pampanga and Tarlac… the
Batangueños helping Batangas… the Bicolanos helping Bicol.. and many more
helping the provinces and towns of their birth. They are making true the
words of Isaiah, "Your sons and daughters will come home to rebuild your
broken cities."

We gave life to the spirit of negativity, pessimism and divisiveness in
our country and succeeded in convincing ourselves that we are hopeless.
When we are in an attack mode in pursuit of even the noblest causes, the
natural reaction is to defend and fight back perpetuating an environment of
conflict.

We need a more radical response to our present predicament. Radical means
to be different and to be passionate. Passion for change is oftentimes
fueled by anger but passion that is more powerful is fueled by love… Love
for God & country… Love for God & our poor countrymen.

Pwede rin maging radical by following the path of love and the path of
peace. The University of the Philippines has always been known for being
radical. It has produced outstanding men and women who risked their lives,
their families and their future to fight injustice and corruption… most of
them driven by a sincere desire for change. Despite the long history of
militancy however, this university that has produced some of the most
powerful leaders, politicians, businessmen and prominent advocates of many
causes has not lifted our people out of poverty and our country out of
corruption.

Is it possible for U.P. to champion a new brand of radicalism to what we
already know? One that entails engaging all sectors of society without
judgment or discrimination, following the path of peace and the true spirit
of bayanihan to concretely find solutions to our problems. Instead of
Ibagsak, can we try Itayo? Instead of away, puede bang magtulungan? Instead
of unahan, puede bang walang iwanan? Lalong-lalo na sa mga matatalino,
magagaling at mayayaman… yung mga mahirap na hindi makapasok sa UP, pwede
bang balikan natin? Huwag natin silang iwanan.

Even as we exercise our right to speak up and even criticize what we
believe is not right, can we as vigorously honor what we see is good? Can
we build and restore this country, where no Filipino is an enemy… where we
will rise together because the weakest and the powerless among us will not
be left behind? Are you radical enough for this?

Let me answer for you. Yes, you are.

This brand of radicalism already exists in U.P. but not recognized and
honored enough. U.P. has Pahinungod which has done a marvelous job of
stirring the spirit of volunteerism but it needs to be mainstreamed,
sustained and embraced as a way of life. U.P. has given birth to many NGO's
and cause-oriented groups that are sincere in their desire to help our
country.

Three things that we need to recognize about being radical:

Working together to build peace in times of conflict is radical
Fraternities fighting each other is normal.

Fraternities working together…that is radical. When people unite,
transcend political, religious and cultural differences and work together
for the common good… that is radical. That is what Upsilon and Beta
Epsilon, Beta Sigma and Alpha Sigma are starting to do in Gawad Kalinga. I
honor Eric Pasion and those who started Gawad Kalinga Youth in U.P. for
being builders of peace.

Working for the good of others at the sacrifice of greater opportunities
for self is radical.

When people leave their high paying corporate jobs to give their time to
serve their country – that is radical. Melo Villaroman, U.P. Business
Economics '84, retired early at age 42 as Director for Business Development
for Asia of Procter & Gamble based in Singapore. When offered a higher
position in Europe or the U.S. he politely declined and stated that his
country needs him now.

Eena Kanapi, U.P. Political Science '92 is another radical spirit who left
her job as Strategic Planning Director of a multi-national ad company to
help the poor. Both are full-time volunteers of Gawad Kalinga, both are
sharing their expertise in helping their countrymen rise from poverty.

Promoting the message of hope in times of despair is radical.

Maria Montelibano, first graduate of U.P. AB Broadcasting, multi-awarded
TV Director and media specialist is heading a global multi-media campaign
to communicate the message that there is hope for the Philippines if
Filipinos can work together until there are no more squatters, no more
slums, no more hunger, no more crime… where there is dignity and peace for
everyone in this country.

U.P. has produced a beautiful Filipino in my daughter, Wowie. She has put
her love life on hold to host the sports-adventure show GamePlan that
showcases the beauty of our land and our people and to volunteer for Gawad
Kalinga, bringing her to the poorest and the most remote areas of our
country. Many from this university have helped us in this Revolution of
Hope – Cris Vertido, Cheche Lazaro and thousands of nameless and
unrecognized volunteers and partners throughout the country. We are excited
with the offer of support of President Emerlinda Roman throughout the U.P.
system nationwide and offer of help from Dr. Ledy Cariño and Dr. Alex
Brillantes to mobilize UP-NCPAG for Gawad Kalinga.

We know that many more from among you and your parents will come and help.
I am asking all of you now to do what I ask every Filipino to do -- Never
stop hoping for our country. Don't stop caring for our people. Demand
greatness from yourself as a Filipino Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.
No nation in crisis ever achieved victory without its young warriors
leading the battle. Do not wait to be as old as me before you start to help
our people and build our nation. Begin now. Like others in my generation I
am here to admit the mistakes we have made and share the lessons we have
learned.

Our greatest mistake is that we keep leaving others behind, especially the
weak and the powerless. Look at what we have reaped because of our neglect.
And because we left them behind – this is the curse of poverty that you
will inherit from us.

For the last four years, kayo ang mga iskolar ng bayan. This nation did
not choose you to be her scholars so you can just help yourself. This
nation chose you so you can help others. Don't forget the poor -- the many
others who will not have the privilege of a U.P. education. Go back to the
towns and the communities where you come from and give land to the
landless, build homes for the homeless and help grow food for the hungry.

This is the foundation of nation-building. From there, it grows to
productivity built from discipline and talent. Nation is not about business
it is about economy. Nation is not about political parties, it is about
governance. Nation is not about projects and programs, it is about vision.
Nation is not about power and position, it is about leadership.

Let me send you off with a prayer.
As you go your way now, may God almighty light your path and embolden your
heart. May you be the joy and consolation of your parents for all their
hard work and sacrifice, knowing that you will be the future full of hope.
May you heal the wounds of our nation and restore the dreams of our people.
May you be the new generation of heroes that will bring our people to the
promise land. May God be with you every step of the way.

Apat na taon kayong iskolar ng bayan.
Habang buhay kayong bayani para sa bayan!

Congratulations at mabuhay kayong lahat!

[Busilak]

May Gawad Kalinga succeed. Here's an excerpt from a PDI column on the project:


'This is the best time to be a Filipino'

First posted 01:32am (Mla time) April 16, 2006
By Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the April 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


WHERE is this coming from? What deep source brought forth this amazing phenomenon that shows in concrete what love and caring for one another truly means?

They call it GK (for Gawad Kalinga) 777. Their target: 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years-and they're getting there fast.

The Couples for Christ's GK community housing program for the very poor in this country and abroad has amazed and baffled even the most skeptical and cynical.

Antonio "Tony" Meloto, the name, face and voice behind the GK phenomenon, is himself surprised at what love has wrought.

Much has been written about the GK phenomenon, in which so many Filipinos here and abroad are now personally involved. Even foreigners leave their homelands to come and contribute their time and talent.

Both individuals and institutions have pledged their faith as well as their money in the revolutionary enterprise. And why not? They have seen its fruits.

At last, thousands of poor families are experiencing what it feels to live in dignity, what love of neighbor truly demands, what it means to receive and also to give-of themselves-in return.

Sweat equity, among them, but most of all, kalinga (care). Indeed, Gawad Kalinga means to give care.

Meloto tries his best to spread the credit, but there is no denying that he is a major driving spirit in all this.

The Inquirer visited Meloto in his family's Quezon City home and, with him, met with residents of GK Payatas, once a ghetto inhabited by garbage scavengers and lawless elements and now a clean, colorful community that thrives on hope.

The altered landscape is a jaw-dropping sight, yes, but physical structures are not all there is to the change.

Something greater has happened-and continues to happen-in GK communities such as this. For one thing, GK does not just build and leave.

A shanty at the end of the road is in the process of demolition, but its occupants are all smiles because on the same spot will rise a new structure 77 times better than the old.

Soon, the dwelling will be part of the hundreds of brightly painted homes. But more importantly, the occupants will feel that they indeed belong to a special community.

The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary continue to work there. The Mormons have donated a library.

"This is the best time to be a Filipino," Meloto says. There is no rhetoric there, only the solemnity and humility of one faced with a wondrous moment that he cannot allow to slip by.

Call it a moment of becoming.

[cashwriters]

I like this part:

(1) Never stop hoping for our country.

(2) Don´t stop caring for our people.

(3) Demand greatness of yourself as a Filipino.

(4) Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.

Everyone has their way of achieving this. Some do it through charities or philanthopy. I applaud Mr. Meloto and others like him. We need more people like you. However, everyone can do their own part in ways that suit their background and personal philosophy. For me, as a businessman,my own small way of achieving the above is to create jobs and freelance opportunities.