“The Myth” of Gawad Kalinga

My last blog hailed the volunteers who were making big differences in their little ways. Special mention were those of the Red Cross, Bantay Bata, and Gawad Kalinga. I just finished reading an article entitled

The Myth of Gawad Kalinga: What all the press and speakers aren’t telling you

The article detailed how Gawad Kalinga became irresponsible in its attempt to help the Aeta community in Sitio Target, Mabalacat, Pampanga. It asserted that GK failed to consider the culture of the Aeta community in its drive to provide the latter with a  better environment–extending to them the benefits many people got from GK.

I thought I should share with you the article. It was long but worth reading. I agree with Mr Perez that we must all be sensitive to the felt-need of the target population.Personally, i believe that in social work as in leadership that before we can motivate people,

1. we must understand them
2. they must trust us,
3. our solutions must be the answers to their felt-needs (not to our felt-needs or concepts of what is good, true, and beautiful)
4. they must own the solutions

Mr Perez did not simply narrated how GK failed in Sitio Target. He also provided them his suggestions on how to deal with communities with different notions of culture and society. It is very seldom that I find an article that does a devils advocate on GK.

Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, in his speech delivered at Camanava Toastmasters where we are both members, explained that although the Devils Advocate in the Catholic Church has been tasked to investigate the “dirty” part of the lives of candidates for sainthood, their investigation almost always highlights even more the reasons why a person with checkered past must become a saint. I think Mr Perez did a devils advocate, and he did it well.

We need more of Mr Perezes and organizations like Gawad Kalinga.