More volunteers needed: GK to hold "Global Marathon" to raise funds for Cebu project

CEBU, Philippines – The Gawad Kalinga announced that it is looking for 5,000 volunteers for the GK Bayanihan Challenge in Bantayan, Cebu where the group is planning to build another village for the families who were affected by the past typhoon.

Tony Meloto, founder of the GK, is encouraging everyone to "take part in the journey in building Cebu."

"What is important to a human being is a decent home," he said, adding that that there is a need to address the issue of social justice and to regain dignity by ending the "squatting" problem in the Philippines. He said that there is no reason why a Filipino should live a "squatter" in his own country.

An anti-poverty movement, GK builds homes, villages, and brings peace and order in communities. After building houses here, the group is also planning to go into food production.

In fact, GK has already the Bayan-Anihan food sufficiency program which seeks to empower poor families through self-sufficient food production.

Meanwhile, Gov. LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur said they will conduct a "Global Marathon" to help the GK Cebu in their GK Bayani Challenge. The money that they will raise from the marathon will be given to the GK Cebu as their help.

Meloto said GK is getting great supports from the governor and mayors in Cebu. He added that poverty could be ended if both the government and the private sectors are working together.

According to him, the main goal of GK is to end poverty and corruption in the Philippines by 2024 and to be able to build 44,000 houses for Filipino families.

He said that they want to see Cebu to really rise and develop and be known in other countries as the province offers a lot of opportunities.

GK in Cebu is run by volunteers who were able to set up 11 villages, one of which is in the town of Dumanjug in the southern part of the province.

In March of 2005, the Garcia family donated a one hectare lot in Barangay Bitoon, Dumanjug for the setting up of a GK village.

With help from the volunteers from the GK Cebu, the Dutch youths and Taiwanese students, they were able to build five houses in the lot. (THE FREEMAN)