Volunteering is not something that is for everybody. This is true. Some people don’t want to volunteer. Some people, if you try to bring them to a red cross Ondoy relief operations or to a GK Expo, they will just decline. Although one might think that some exposure might just be the ticket for them, that once they try out volunteer work they might like it, this is not always the case. Dragging them into those things can sometimes be disastrous.

I have had some volunteer experience recently in the Philippine national Red Cross foundation for the relief and rescue operation of the Typhoon Ondoy victims (or Ketsena as the storm is internationally known). It was just was so tiring to be in that kind of environment and not wanting to be there at the same time. I thought I would feel that warm and fuzzy feeling that everyone who volunteered seemed to have. My friends who were also Gawad Kalinga people (they organized the GK Expo) dragged me into the whole affair.

That’s when I started to realize just how bereft I am of morals. And I was saddened by this fact. I didn’t know what to do. Maybe it was just because I couldn’t empathize with the victims because I was never such a victim. I have always lived a life of comfort and privilege. This was so frustrating. That was when I decided to try volunteering again. Then I registered as a full time Gawad Kalinga worker. It was a decision that changed my life.

Now I can see more of what is happening outside of my white bread world. There are simply hundreds and hundreds of people who are suffering in our country. I can now share their pain because I have seen it with my own eyes. Now I am part of the organizers of the GK Expo. I encourage everyone to join in the effort to raise our fellow poor Filipinos from the quagmire of poverty. It really does feel good in the long run.

“Tony Meloto has intelligence and passion, traits which he surely put to good use. A true modern Filipino hero, he has helped so many poverty-stricken citizens, and has bridged the gap between the haves and the have-nots in the Philippines through championing the humanitarian goals of Gawad Kalinga.”

          -From the article, Tony Meloto –championing the plights of the poor through gawad kalinga foundation

For a man who was born with intelligence and wealth, he could have taken another path in life.  He could be a businessman, a politician, go abroad, and enjoy his life as an ordinary citizen. Instead, he has chosen the road less traveled, the way of altruism. He has been a catalyst in slowly paving the road for a dream of having a slum-free Philippines by serving the plight of thousands of poor Filipino people, building shelter for the homeless, and following the path of Christ by putting others before himself.

His work of emblazoning the hearts of Filipinos with the spirit of massive volunteerism has been very inspiring. It created a ripple effect in the society. His vision and mission translated into Gawad Kalinga has served as an inspiration for many, not only to those who have benefited from GK villages and programs, but also to those who volunteered to help build the communities.

Tony Meloto has embarked on a very difficult mission, but the fact that it seemed impossible to achieve the GK humanitarian goal never ceased him from working towards social transformation. Through his efforts as translated into Gawad Kalinga’s programs, he has gone beyond giving shelter to the homeless. He and his championed organization are already the prime movers of positive change in the Philippines. If only all Filipinos would heed the call to build the nation, the goal of Gawad Kalinga Foundation to build a better Philippines would soon be an outstanding reality.