A Different Kind of Adventure

Six hundred individuals set out for an adventure of a lifetime, and found out they were one people all along.

The sun in Palawan was hot and perky at 10 in the morning. It cheerfully welcomed the planes from Manila as it landed in the sizzling tarmac. The new arrivals trooped to the Holy Trinity University in Puerto Princesa on Holy Monday, March 29.

Many have come from all over the country while some were left jet-lagged having traveled as far as the United States, Australia and Singapore. The team from Bagong Silang, Quezon City had arrived late as a local airline overbooked their flight. But they were happy, having stayed in a posh hotel, most of them not having experienced it before as they were all GK beneficiaries from Globe TM GK village, partners funding their trip to Palawan so that they could serve their fellow poor.

The team from Compostella Valley in Mindanao had patiently awaited for their arrival after having finished the customary tour of the “City within a Forest” and the world-famous Subterranean Underground River, about 3 hours away from Puerto Princesa.

Refreshed, they came early to the HTU gym, welcoming their fellow GK volunteers, people from different walks of life. Some of them were students and professionals from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University, College of St. Benilde. They all chose to forego their vacations and offer their Holy Week to be one with those who have been forgotten by society, the indigenous tribe of Palaw’ans who have settled in the mountains, without homes to call their own.

About 600 volunteers responded to the call to be heroes for the poor in the 5th GK Bayani Challenge at Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan.

The Challenge Begins

Six non-airconditioned buses set out on a journey carrying the intrepid volunteers towards Bataraza, southern Palawan where they will build a GK community for the natives. Seventy-five members of the Philippine navy took to the ocean taking with them the local teams from Palawan and Bagong Silang. Everyone were expected to meet up at the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) village, the base camp.

However the bus that carried the Filipino-Americans, Australians and GK workers did not come on time, breaking down three times. Amidst the scorching heat and dust that could trigger an asthma attack, their journey felt like the Stations of the Cross. What was to be a six hour travel to Bataraza turned out to be 18 hours in reality with an evening pit stop at St. Joseph’s Church in the town of Narra, where a black-out took place at 12 midnight.

But thanks to the brave soldiers from the Philippine Marines, the foreigners were kept safe amidst security threats. Then it was back on to rough roads at 2 in the morning, arriving early Tuesday at RTNMC village, welcomed by fellow volunteers who have gotten ready to start building at the GK sites of Culimbawang and Bohoy.

The Eyes that said Thanks

The volunteers appointed to GK Bohoy climbed on massive mining trucks provided by RTNMC and Coral Bay Nickel Corp who were caring for the indigenous community. The nomadic tribe who were unable to read and write, unaware of their birthdays, welcomed their newly-arrived guests. Living in the mountains, far from government’s help, they wondered where all these people have come from.

Amidst the build activities, one of the natives Lola Daria sat along with her family outside an earlier completed GK model house in Culimbawang. She was observing her grandson at the Paraisong Pambata area where volunteer-teachers engaged the kids in a coloring activity. Asked how she was doing, water began to gather in her eyes. Despite the language barrier, she expressed more than words how she felt. She was grateful to the volunteers who have come to build their homes, feeling at last, they were not alone. Someone cared about them to have traveled so far.

Looking Back. Paying Forward.
Indeed, the farthest to have made the journey was a 5-man team from San Diego, USA.

Turning 60 years old this year, it was the first time for Felix Duyay to set foot on Philippine soil. Born and bred in America, his parents migrated from Camarines Norte. Along with a good friend from University of San Diego, Salvador Flor, they came to understand more of their rich heritage.

“It’s priceless for me. Going to the place where the people are. I’m impressed at the strength of the people, even with their struggles in life,” he shared. “There is more connection now, actually feeling it, my parent’s heritage,” he said while taking a break from building.

His pal Sal explained that one issue they faced in America was their search for identity. “My parents came as Filipinos. I look at myself as Filipino-American. My daughter was born in the US, she considers herself as American-Filipino. You have 3 sets of perspectives growing up. What ties it all together is that we are Filipino but there was no way to transmit that from one generation to the next as to exactly who we are.”

“This particular village is our connection to the homeland because this was where we worked at,” he said, grateful that “GK gives the Filipino-Americans the opportunity to connect with the home country.”

For Dr. Boy Abay, who left during the Martial Law years, it was time to give back. “We knew that when went to the US, it would take 20 years before we would return. It’s been 26 years and we’ve been blessed,” he said, “My dream for my country is to see the poor lifted up.”

A sentiment shared by fellow Filipino Curtis Alejo who lived a continent away, migrating to Australia in the 1980s, “I want to give something back, to give a lot of hope to our people. As I grow older, I want to share to our countrymen. I promised God if I am healthy, I will continue coming here to the Bayani Challenge,” he said.

A Vow Made. A Promise Kept.

It was another vow that anchored the heart of second generation Filipino-American Marcel Ocampo to the country that his parents had left behind. At 7-years old living in Olongapo, he saw a poor mother with her child living in abject poverty, their plight moved him and he made a promise to himself to do something about the injustice.

After 24 years, he came back to fulfill the promise he made to help the poorest of the poor. “It’s good to go back and get to know our brothers and sisters, to make sure we don’t forget one another,” he said.

Keeping his fellow Fil-Ams close to his mind, he wanted to let them know of their duty to their country, “In the Philippines, they lost the best and the brightest that could have turned around a nation, to seek a better life elsewhere, and those were our parents, that’s a big debt that we’ve got to pay back, we got to come back and make it right,” he said.

It was the desire to provide the same opportunities and blessings she has been given, that made Filipina-Australian Donabele Tungul return to her roots.

As a young child living in Iba, Zambales, she remembered having not enough eat, her parents having been unemployed because there were simply no jobs available for them.

“Keeping that memory in my heart, I thought, one day I will have a different situation in life and I’ll be able to help other people.”

“Now we are able to have a little to share. It’s not much but it’s something to share. I have learned that from my family, to have a giving spirit. It’s a Filipino culture that we have a very generous heart,” she said.

Fellow Filipino-Australian Joekarl Diaz whose family migrated when he was just 12 years old joined the Bayani Challenge to really live out the GK slogan, Walang Iwanan (Leave No One Behind).

“We are here to also send ourselves. The best present you can give someone is yourself and we want to show that in a more physical way, more than prayers and the money that we send through.”

Asked how it was to be a Filipino living in another country, he shared, “GK strengthened the Filipino blood in me. After it started its work in Papua New Guinea, I realized that my race is actually making a big difference in the world.”

“I’m a proud young Filipino in Australia. I’m making my mark. I’m not shy, reluctant about it, not anymore.”

One Team, One Filipino.

If there is one lesson to be learned from this Bayani Challege, it was that we have the same blood running through our veins, no matter where we came from in the world, wherever province we hailed from, whether one is rich or poor.

It couldn’t have been more aptly expressed by the teaming up of Ateneo and La Salle. “For the longest time, we have been rivals. What if for one week, we worked as a team. At the end of the day, hindi naman tayo Atenista, hindi naman tayo Lasallista, tayo ay Pilipino. It’s our core identity,” team leader Frank Chiu wisely said who brought along to their team beneficiaries from GK Baseco, Pingasama, Payatas and the Ateneo Maintenance Group who came to build for their fellow Filipinos.

Friends from Mindanao led by team head Bong Carmelotes who has been present in all the Bayani Challenges from Bicol, Bukidnon, Sulu, Palawan and most likely in Cebu next year, have been passionately building the country of their dreams. “Pangarap natin yung buong Pilipinas maging isang Paraiso na wala ng mahihirap.” (We dream for the entire Philippines to become a Paradise where there are no more poor people.)

With his team of passionate heroes from Compostella Valley, they committed to continue joining the Bayani Challenge as long as they live. “Habang may buhay pa, puntahan namin kahit saan. Para makatulong sa nangangailan, kasi may pag-asa pa ang Pilipinas,” ( As long as we still have life, we will go to the Bayani Challege no matter where it will be held. So that we could help those who are in need, because there is still hope for the Philippines), shared Aqui Santiago. He was the oldest volunteer at 62 years old. “Nakita ko sa build, nandyan si Jesus Christ, kaya everytime na build sasama talaga ako,”  (I see that during builds, Jesus Christ is there, that's why, everytime there is a build, I really join), he shared with tears in his eyes.

GK resident Francis Awa from Bagong Silang has was also present to give of himself. “Nagkaroon ako ng bahay dahil sa Gawad Kalinga, ibubuhos ko ang buhay ko sa bayanihan,”  (I received a home because of Gawad Kalinga, I will pour out my life in bayanihan - being a hero to my neighbor), he said with conviction.

Many lives changed that Holy Week. Many of them brought home lasting friendships and a renewed love for God and country. Leaving beautiful Palawan at dusk, Marcel Ocampo planted a knee on the tarmac, faced the setting sun, touched the earth and gave thanks for the land.

Many GK volunteers like him will bring home a valuable truth in their hearts, that wherever we are in the world, we belong to one family. We are Filipino and no one of our brothers and sisters should be left behind. The heroes from Mindanao had summed it all up beautifully: “Pareho-pareho lang tayong Filipino, kaya dapat magmahalan tayo.” (We are all Filipinos, let us love one another.)