Execution of Duties Among The Rich and Powerful

The “Church of the Poor” is one that will be in solidarity with the poor. It will collaborate with the poor themselves and with others to lift up the poor from their poverty. “The Church encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery and she recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer the image of her poor and suffering founder. She does all in her power to relieve their need and in them she strives to serve Christ.” (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, No. 130)             There are three significant key terms to be remembered in Church Teaching 130 of PCP II. First of all, there is “solidarity with the poor”. One very important thing that Gawad Kalinga is remembered of is the term bayanihan, which means that people are helping one another to move towards a common goal. This image of bayanihan is often visualized as a group of people carrying a Nipa Hut, moving it from one place to another. This is often evident in the communities of poor people; yet, this Church Teaching calls for the people of the Church to be unified with the poor and be part of this bayanihan. The common goal here is to help the poor communities to get out of their hopeless situations. This fulfillment of the criterion is evident in Gawad Kalinga as different church organizations, especially the Couples for Christ (CFC) and the Youth For Christ (YFC), are highly involved in the project. Furthermore, from the exposure to the different GK sites, the group was able to observe that everybody is working there with no distinctions and all are gearing towards making a home for the people in the area. Seeing bayanihan in GK would paint a picture in one’s mind of people passing blocks and painting houses.             Secondly, the Church teaching points out that we must see the poor as people whom we must love and see as images of Christ. Mr. Meloto pointed out before that we must not feel pity towards our less fortunate brothers and sisters but instead, we must learn to love them and treat them as family. In our interview, he said, “Kung may kamag-anak ka humihingi ng tulong, hindi mo naman bibigyan ng limos ‘di ba?” (If you have a relative asking for help, you won’t give him/her alms right?) He further states that by giving alms and feeling pity towards the poor, we think of them as “lower” beings to us. In line with this, Gustavo Gutierrez states that “the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action, but a demand that we go and build a different social order” (Gutierrez, 45). Both words of Mr. Meloto and Gustavo Gutierrez go hand-in-hand with what the Church Teaching is trying to say: seeing the poor as images of Christ would mean loving them and treating them as we would treat Christ. Gawad Kalinga involves volunteers who willingly do houses, teach children, help families with livelihood, teach parents about family planning, etc. We do not see people doing this out of pity, but people who provide starting points for those who once lost a lot of opportunities due to poverty that bound them. Through these, Gawad Kalinga is able to give the people something that very handy for them as they go on with their lives and not merely things, such as coin donations, which are temporary.             Finally, the last line says, “She does all in her power to relieve their need and in them she strives to serve Christ.” From this, the Church Teaching tells us that upon serving the people in need, we, in turn, serve Christ. According to Thomas McFadden, “By proclamation, by celebration, by example, and by service, the Christian community is called to be the sacrament of divine salvation in Christ” (McFadden, 55-56). Going back to the group’s chosen Biblical passage for exegesis, Luke 4:16-21 tells us of Jesus’ coming as fulfillment of God’s promise to his people about a savior who will bring salvation to the poor. Jesus may not be alive in physical aspects today; nevertheless, serving the poor is being Christ to them in the present. By doing so, we continue God’s promise of salvation and by this we serve Christ. Without a doubt, GK has fulfilled this criterion as it continues to do as much to transform the impoverished and depressed areas of the nation. Furthermore, GK has provided completion of dreams among the lives of those it has touched. One of our interviewees, Mrs. Mirna Manjares, a homeowner in Talanay, described her house before GK as “isang anay nalang, gigiba na” (it will take only one more termite for it to fall down). On the other hand, Mrs. Erna Flores, a homeowner in the Blue Eagle Village in Payatas, described their house as dilapidated yet they could not have it fixed. In the end, both Mrs. Manjares and Mrs. Flores say that their houses now are blessings from God. Mrs. Manjares even says, “tingnan nyo naman ngayon” with pride to her GK house. Related to this is the Church Teaching 131 of PCP II: The “Church of the Poor” means, in the words of Pope John Paul II, that: “Before today’s forms of exploitation of the poor, the Church cannot remain silent. She also reminds the rich of their precise duties. Strong with the Word of God, she condemns the many injustices which unfortunately, even today are committed to the detriment of the poor. Pastors and members of the Church will courageously defend and vindicate the rights of the poor and the oppressed, even when doing so will mean alienation or persecution from the rich and powerful. (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, No. 131)             Pope John Paul II here tells us that we should not be indifferent to the situation of the impoverished today. Furthermore, he tells us that being rich and powerful entails a responsibility towards the less fortunate. As mentioned in the previous Church Teaching, poverty and injustice are simply fruits of sin and Pope John Paul II rebukes this and we, being members of the Church, must fight in toppling off the current situation. Not only are we called to do something yet more so, we are called to fight for what is right and face whoever and whatever obstacle there may be. In relation to this, an Augustinian synthesis fuels this even more: “What thou holdest passes away from thee, what thou losest, thou findest in thee” (Augustine Synthesis, No. 675). This quote basically relays a simple message: one finds “the most” in giving. The group believes that one reason why a lot of people are indifferent in helping the poor is the fear of losing. Nonetheless, they do not realize that in giving, one simply grants justice to another. Additionally, Gustavo Gutierrez includes a reading in his book: “Do realize, you senseless man, that faith without good deeds is useless” (Gutierrez, 17). Being Christians, we are called to do good and such actions include helping those in need. GK becomes a medium for people to live out their faith through their involvement in the project. GK provides chances for the volunteers of whatever social status to fulfill their responsibility towards the poor. We were able to interview Ms. Stephanie Limuaco, Ateneo Sanggu President 2003-2004, who happens to be the current GK coordinator for Ateneo. When asked why she volunteered, she said that the task was not something burdensome, at the same time, she wanted to do something for the community. She further says that it is where she was needed the most. Stephanie did not see things as having an obligation towards the poor but rather, she saw her self being accountable for them. By this, she means giving freely—not being forced to do the things she does. Stephanie is an example of one who is aware of her responsibility towards the poor. Sadly for most of us, we often tend to forget that we all have responsibilities towards the poor and oppressed. A good line to explain this is that which Spiderman emphasized in the movie, “with great power comes great responsibility.” A cliché indeed yet holds a very powerful meaning. God endowed us with wealth to support our needs and likewise granted power that can be exercised in various forms. But it does not end there. All the overflowing blessings are given for a purpose, and this includes using such blessings to make changes in the world for even the littlest deeds can make great and wonderful changes. For the case of Ms. Limuaco, she was aware that she is equipped with skills that can make a difference.             Similarly, there too are involvements of people holding powerful positions. There is Mr. Felipe B. Abinsay, the first Filipino governor in Hawaii, and Mr. Tony Del Rosario of Coca-Cola in Indonesia, whom both are met by the group upon interviewing Mr. Meloto. Mr. Abinsay and Mr. Del Rosario came here to discuss matters regarding Gawad Kalinga as they have planned on starting another new village.             Like any other organization, GK likewise faces obstacles upon its operation. Although it does not really face political problems, it still has other things to deal with. First and foremost, cooperation among the people is not assured. Despite the improvements that GK brings to the different areas, not everyone is in favor of this. An anonymous resident, for instance, says that GK brought in more problems, as in his case, with regards to owning lands. Furthermore, GK cannot address all its goals and the immediate needs quickly. Just last February 19, 2005, the group was able to see the medical clinic being built and is not yet through. Considering that the Blue Eagle Village is already more than a year long, up to now they do not have an open clinic for the villagers’ use. On that same day, there too was a news spreading all over the village about a woman who gave birth in her house. Moreover, from our interview with Mrs. Erna Flores, one main problem they have in the village is the water system where almost everybody shares the same limited water source. Additionally, since GK is a big and growing organization, every particular sector runs the area differently as opposed to the others. From these varied differences, GK becomes prone to the tendency of losing its main mission and vision. From the interviews the group had from Mr. Meloto to the chapter heads of the GK sites, the group was able to detect differences in the way they see the project. For Mr. Meloto, he finds great value in manual and physical service of volunteers while this become a lesser priority to others.             Despite all these, GK still continues with a focus on its goal of rekindling the areas in need. The simple fact that people from everywhere, including those from around the globe, come here in the Philippines to see for themselves and give their share of service is proof of its efficacy regardless of the trials that come along the way.

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