— — Gawad Kalinga’s housing projects have given hope to many people and have saved these people from homelessness. Elevenyears ago today, Gawad Kalinga was formally established with a simple goal and desire to give care to other people. Now they are widely known for the success of their various programs and projects, specifically their housing projects. These projects have enabled them to build beautiful and colorful houses in many different communities all over the country.

— — Gawad Kalinga has grown leaps and bounds from when it originally started. Gawad Kalinga is present in almost every province in the country. They are spread in over 2,000 communities that are affecting 60,000 families. The families living in the GK houses couldn’t possibly ask for more. Instead of resorting to “squatting”, they now have a place they can proudly call home. They have been provided with a place to live in, a place to relax, to unwind and get a good night’s sleep after a busy day from work. They have been saved from the misery of having to live in places where danger always lingers. The former makeshift houses made of scrap metal, cardboard boxes and any other materials they deemed useful have been replaced with colorful houses. The bright colors of these houses seem to radiate an aura of happiness that will surely put a smile on anyone’s face, especially its residents. These houses give its residents protection, safety, and most importantly, hope.

— — The devastation of Typhoon Haiyan better known here in the Philippines as Yolanda, has left thousands of Filipinos without homes. As Typhoon Yolanda ravaged the Philippines, it surely struck our hearts and what made it worse, we could only watch as it took the lives of thousands. Just as Gawad Kalinga has done for the survivors of previous typhoons like Sendong and Pablo, they are now in the process of rebuilding houses for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. Gawad Kalinga is now halfway through their goal of providing about 6000 houses to the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda; they have already funded 3,014 houses. The houses they have built for the homeless will renew the people’s hope and will inspire them to keep on going despite increasingly difficult circumstances.

— — Various government agencies have implemented programs and projects like housing and relocation to address the growing problem of homelessness in the country. The government has the responsibility to take care of its subjects especially the less fortunate, the poor people, the homeless people. Government agencies like the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) in coordination with the different local government units (LGUs) have really intensified their efforts in providing homes for the homeless. A testament to the efforts of the government to address the problem of housing is the Republic Act No. 7279. It is an act to provide for a comprehensive and continuing urban development and housing program, establish the mechanism for its implementation, and for other purposes. (Republic Act No. 7279) The law has been enacted to improve the conditions of the underprivileged and the homeless in urban areas and in resettlement areas. But despite their intensified efforts, the government has still failed to address the issues of homelessness mainly because of the lack of resources, and homelessness is still only getting worse.

— — Homelessness is massive, our response cannot be small, and everyone needs to do their part. Homelessness is the absence of a place to live in. When you have no regular place to live in and instead just stay in an abandoned building, in the streets or other places that are not meant for living spaces, you are homeless. Homelessness is an ever growing problem here in the Philippines. It isn’t getting any better, it is only getting worse. Clearly, the government cannot handle something of this magnitude alone. Other sectors of society are needed. In other words, cooperation and solidarity is needed. It’s true, Gawad Kalinga has been successful with their projects and they have really made an impact. But alone, they can only do so much. With the government’s help and cooperation, more can be achieved. The more resources there are, the more houses that can be built, and the more houses there are, the less people that would be left without homes. In fact, there have already been projects involving LGUs and Gawad Kalinga. The Quezon City Government and the Makati City government have already worked with Gawad Kalinga in making people’s dreams of having their own houses come true. The housing projects of these two LGUs and Gawad Kalinga have helped raise the conditions of thousands of families from vulnerability to stability. They have truly made a difference. The government is the biggest institution of change here in the Philippines and so therefore a partnership between it and Gawad Kalinga is indeed a great sign.

— — Gawad Kalinga has not only focused their efforts in the Metro, it has also extended its help in provinces like Aklan, Antique and more notably Eastern Samar and Leyte where typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons in history, left thousands homeless; Zamboanga where a siege between the government and rebel troops caused great chaos; and Cebu and Bohol where a horrific earthquake destroyed lots of buildings. Gawad Kalinga has also reached out to the Muslim communites in the far reaches of Mindanano and has built several Muslim villages there. Ultimately, we realize from this that Gawad Kalinga’s goal is not only to help the poor, but also to establish brotherhood and peace between Christians and Muslims.Other countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea have also adopted the Gawad Kalinga model. This is a testament to just how big Gawad Kalinga is becoming and how much impact it is making here in the Philippines. It has grown to be so successful that other countries have started adopting the Gawad Kalinga template and this is why Gawad Kalinga is one of our best chances of having a poverty-free Philippines.