As part of its yearly community outreach program for 2005, OCLP has chosen to team up with Gawad Kalinga to sponsor the building of four (4) houses at sixty thousand pesos (P60,000) per house. The Gawad Kalinga community where the sponsored houses would be built was situated at Sitio Libjo, Brgy. Sto. Nino, Paranaque City. The company’s cash donation came with a considerable contribution from the employees who were very eager to put in their own “sweat donation”.

On January 22, 2005 (Saturday), the volunteer-employees assembled at the Head Office Building in Ortigas Center as early as 7:30 a.m. to board the bus that would take them to Parañaque City where the house building would take place. At a little past nine, the (Company name withheld) Volunteer Corps as well as the GK representatives and some residents of the barangay gathered at the community’s GK Day Care Center for a short program, emceed by Ms. Venus Jane Lopa, (Company) HR Manager.

(Company)’s Real Estate Division Head, Ms. Cathy Ko, started off the program with an invocation followed by a short inspirational talk from the CEO, Mr. Rex Drilon.

Paranaque Mayor Eusebio “Jun” Bernabe graced the event to welcome and thank the (Company) Management and Volunteer Corps for their kindness and generosity, and Gawad Kalinga for their continuous effort to uplift the lives of the less privileged not only in Parañaque City but in other parts of the country, as well.

GK coordinators and representatives Mr. Francisco Balagtas and Mr. Bimbo Mills thanked and welcomed the (Company) delegates to Sitio Libjo, Barangay Sto. Nino, Paranaque City. Mr. Balagtas, likewise, oriented the Volunteer Corps on their different tasks and assignments for the day. The total of forty one (41) volunteers was subdivided into four (4) groups; one group was assigned per house. The beneficiaries of the GK houses, who happened to be skilled workers, taught the volunteers what they needed to know to deliver their tasks, and provided assistance when needed.

Among the four (4) houses, two (2) were almost finished, the two groups assigned to these houses were tasked to put primary coating and final paint finishes. However, the other two groups where the more able bodied males were grouped were given more grueling assignments. That is, they were tasked to shovel and carry sand, cement and hollow blocks, and practically build the two houses from scratch! Understandably, both these groups were not able to complete the tasks since they only had a few hours to work; however, before the end of the day, the foundations and walls of both houses were already under way. The other two houses were completely painted.

After seeing the tangible results of their work, the volunteers felt it was worth all the sore muscles and soiled shirts. Nothing could have been more rewarding than laboring under the sun, building not just a house but a home for our less privileged brothers and sisters. It was an exhausting, yet very meaningful experience for everyone. It also made everybody realize that even the smallest amount of effort, the slightest lift of a hand, and the most mundane task, if done collectively, as a team, can produce something big that will change other people’s lives.

Note: Gawad Kalinga is a non-profit organization in the Philippines that spearheads house building projects for poverty stricken families all over the country.