P-Noy and 'the grace of office'

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

WILL “THE grace of office” carry him through?

After Benigno Aquino III was proclaimed landslide winner in last year’s presidential elections, I did a page 1 article (May 23, 2010) on the so-called “grace of office” supposedly divinely bestowed on persons called to positions of power and responsibility. Their human frailties, imperfections and reluctance notwithstanding. The question was: Could P-Noy count on it?

I revisited that article and reflected on the opinions of theologians and religious persons I interviewed. They gave points worth pondering even now that the President has completed the first of his six years in office and is on an uphill climb to reverse the ills of years past and set the nation on the straight and narrow path. (And while being engaged in a joust by some church figures and pawed left and right by eternal malcontents.)

“The grace of office” has often been used in the context of a religious vocation, especially for those in leadership positions. Biblical times and contemporary history have seen ordinary persons rise to fulfill enormous tasks strengthened by their faith in the grace that would help them carry out their destiny. There were those who rose and fell, there were those who fulfilled their mission with humility and obedience.

Said theologian Sr. Amelia Vasquez, RSCJ: “I would go beyond Catholic boundaries. We can expand Calvin’s concept of vocation which erases the distinction between secular and sacred. That all calling is of equal spiritual dignity, and doing it with zeal and diligence is in itself a sign of God’s grace… So one’s confidence basically rests in God’s guidance, faithfulness and power, but because of the mandate from God, one also has confidence in one’s self.”

Vasquez reminded: “Politics deals with power, wealth, position and the multitude. The terrain is full of landmines. One can perhaps begin well and even be God’s anointed but because of disobedience to God, could be rejected and become self-destructive, like Saul in the Bible. Hence, the prayer to begin, continue and end one’s mandate fully given to carrying out the call of God, which always means having a clean heart, of being focused on the good of all, rather than on what one gets, on responding to the duty of the moment with honesty, transparency and the good of all.”

Christian evangelist Billy Graham who had advised 12 US presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama often quoted Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Noted theologian Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ reflected: “May we, with some certitude, discern some part of God’s plan working itself out here, in our contemporary history? Many of us do discern the offering of a ‘vocation-and-mission’ here, with the empowerment and grace which that implies.”

He clarified: “But this calls for a free acceptance of it in freedom and grace, the willingness to live out with hope and courage whatever it will demand, involving also a sought-after nearness to and reliance on God. This is what is asked of the recipient of the calling and mission, this is what we believe is asked now of Noy.”

Fr. Aris Sison, pastor of the parish where P-Noy belongs, quoted priest-saint Bernardine of Sienna (1380-1444): “Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty position, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand.”

Carmelite contemplative Sr. Teresa of Jesus, OCD (Josefina Constantino, former professor and columnist) opined: “No matter what negative criticisms have been hurled against the President, we know in pure faith that if he cooperates with God’s mercy and grace, God will be with him throughout his six years in office.”

She quoted St. Teresa of Avila’s definition of humility which is “walking in truth”: “If indeed Noynoy daily walks in truth and is totally obedient to God and the Holy Spirit, and with a pure heart be totally committed to bring about transformation, we could hope to become the country God has destined us to be for all eternity.”

Fr. Arnold Abelardo, CMF, chaplain of the Philippine Orthopedic Center who accompanied Noynoy in his sorties, saw for himself many “graced moments.” He cited Noynoy’s ability to be humble and receive and listen to all kinds of people.

“Noy did not have that lust for power. People say it is destiny. I say, it is providence. If it were pure destiny then Noy does not have to do anything, like the kings who ruled by birthright. Noy, in my simple understanding, was put in this position. I know Noy is connected to God. I had an inkling of this when, during the campaign, I would see him pray.”

Not everything is now up to the President alone, the priest said. “In rallies Noy always told the people, ‘Kayo ang aking lakas.’ (You are my strength.) He was accepting the job not by his own strength and energy but also by counting on the people’s support. He inherited a tainted government. We should continue to accompany this man.”

Theologian and lecturer Fr. Percy G. Bacani of the Missionaries of Jesus had this to say: “The substantial mandate accorded to Noynoy is a clear indication of the collective quest for accountable and just governance. Noynoy has an incorruptible and principled image. We have projected unto him the best in the Filipino and we want him to lead us along the path of liberation. We want him not to fail us, and to bring back the Edsa spirit so that Filipinos will become proud again. This is a tall order and we better do it together with him if we want his presidency to be a defining moment for our nation in search of redemption from massive corruption and poverty.”

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Sulong FOI! Bantay FOI!

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

The push for the Freedom of Information (FOI) law has risen from the dead. This time, we hope, the law will be passed and live on for generations of Filipinos to invoke and use to enhance their rights and freedoms.

In June last year, during the dying days of the Arroyo administration, the FOI act (FOIA) was killed in Congress at the 11th hour when all that was needed was just one more nudge and two minutes. What a dismal, shameful day it was.

Those in the Senate (where it had been passed) and Congress who valiantly rallied for it will have their eternal reward. But those who deliberately tried to kill it will roast in the darkness. When Rep. Benny Abante and other authors of the bill were about to move for its ratification, they were literally silenced. The microphones were turned off.

Congress had procrastinated till the days ran out, and when D-Day came, Congress invoked lack of quorum when, in fact, reports said there was one. Some members absented themselves or loitered around somewhere so as not to be counted. There was a clear intention to kill the FOIA so that we would remain in darkness. For FOI advocates it was back to the salt mines.

With an FOI law, many things we ought to know that are hidden could be easily laid bare. Filipino citizens, journalists especially, could demand easy access to information. Those who perennially hide their shady deeds might be forced to give up old practices and start living honorable lives. We will stand tall and proudly tell some of our Asian neighbors that like them, we have this empowering law.


An FOI law would give us the hows of our right to information as enshrined in the Constitution. This right is already etched in stone. We just need the mechanics on how to exercise that right. But there are those who would stand in the way.

And so two days ago, Bantay FOI! Sulong FOI! was launched to coincide with the start of the second regular session of the 15th Congress. Also launched was the online network and data base which will serve as campaign platform. The campaign is led by the Institute for Freedom of Information (i-FOI), a partnership program of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and the Action for Economic Reforms (AER).

Bantay FOI! Sulong FOI is, first, a relentless push for the passage of the long-awaited FOI law. Second, it involves close monitoring by citizens and civil society groups of how President Aquino and the leaders of Congress will respond to the people’s clamor for an FOI law. Third, it underpins the multiple, parallel actions and initiatives in order to exact greater transparency and responsive public service from all government agencies.

Why FOI? Here are excerpts from from Bantay FOI! Sulong FOI! (full text at http://ifoi.phil):

“Section 7 of our Bill of Rights of the Constitution has been upheld by the Supreme Court to be enforceable even without an implementing law. However, in practice, many government agencies and officials take only token action on citizens’ requests for information and documents. All too often, they have resorted to routine rebuffs of the people’s right to information, absent the necessary substantive and procedural details that only Congress can provide. Similarly, the state policy of full disclosure of all transactions involving public interest under Article II, Section 28 of the Constitution, requires an enabling mechanism.

“Now more than ever, with the Aquino administration committing to uphold transparency and good governance in all its affairs, we need an FOI law. By the precept ‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap,’ President Aquino has built his government. By the precept ‘Kung walang FOI, dadami ang corrupt, dadami ang mahirap,’ we now scale up our campaign.

“Now more than ever, we need an FOI law: To provide uniform and definite procedures for dealing with requests for information. To clearly define exceptions. To secure for us effective remedies in cases of denial of access. To require the disclosure of important government transactions without need of request. To impose criminal and administrative sanctions for violation of our right to information.

“Now more than ever, we need an FOI law to institutionalize transparency as the mandatory norm, rather than a discretionary matter, for all elective and appointive officials, across all branches of government….

“To this day, with only a week to go before Mr. Aquino’s second State-of-the-Nation Address, this redrafted bill has not been discussed with, or approved by, the President. According to Cabinet members, the FOI bill might not merit special mention in the Sona…

“Interestingly, the Aquino administration has taken a significant role in a global initiative for greater government transparency. It sits in the steering committee of the Open Government Partnership, a multilateral, eight-country initiative launched by US President Barack Obama ‘to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance’…

“Malacañang must understand: Its desire to assume an honored place in the world stage as one of the leading lights of transparency in the world will not fly unless it commits to the immediate passage of the FOI Act in the Philippines…

“Over the last 14 months, the FOI advocates have waited, and engaged Malacañang in open and honest dialogue. Whatever action the President takes on its draft FOI bill, nothing should stop our senators and congressmen from acting on the FOI bills now pending before the Senate and the House of Representatives.”

Who will try to crush, mangle and kill the FOIA? We will be watching.

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Not the briefs, but the billboards

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

We should credit those sportsmen in skimpy underwear that came out in all their almost-naked glory on a giant billboard. If not for their loaded briefs that caused an uproar in some sectors and offended the sensibilities of some people, the issue of billboards and the danger and ugliness they bring would not have come up again.

This is another good season for bashing billboards.

Most of the complaints that led to the tearing down of the offensive billboard focused on the models showing too much skin and flaunting their bulges. But to debate on just one particular billboard’s moral or redeeming value would be to debate endlessly till another killer typhoon sends it crashing down.

There are those who argue that there are bigger problems that need to be addressed by the mayor who ordered that particular billboard to be taken down, or that malice is in the eye of the beholder, etc. I thought the mayor who said on TV that he covered his nieces’ eyes whenever they drove by the said billboard argued poorly and missed the bigger problem of billboards, that is, billboards taken collectively. Don’t focus on one page, read the whole book.

Towering billboards are dangerous to life and limb especially during typhoons which this country has plenty of. This has been the experience of some Metro Manilans whose properties and lives were crushed by falling billboard frames.

Billboards have made the landscape very ugly and obliterated whatever is left of the blue sky. They endanger the lives of motorists who get distracted by the large images. Billboards are there to precisely call attention. They don’t say they are for passengers only and not for drivers.

I tested myself a few times while driving and indeed, I found myself glancing at some of them from the corner of my eye. Once I even got down to take a photo of a billboard that showed an adolescent in a reclining position with her legs spread apart and serving up her pubis.

I remember a billboard ad for an alcoholic drink that caused a furor some years ago because it asked, “Nakatikim ka na ba ng kinse anyos?” (Have you tasted a 15-year-old?) The double entendre was quite obvious. I suspected the creators of that ad expected complaints but went ahead anyway because the furor would mean product recall. That’s why some ads are meant to be offensive. Some appear stupid. But their creators are clever.

The content of most billboards are rather tame, some are done in poor taste, others well done and enticing. But taken collectively, they are an eyesore and dangerous. They contribute to visual and environmental pollution. Are billboards with the comely face of a saint or with some sublime messages the next best thing? No. They do not solve the problem.

Go through Edsa and the expressways and you’d be convinced that there are not enough laws or ordinances in most places to regulate their sizes, height, location, distance from one another and yes, content. Safety and beauty seem to be no one’s concern. Foreign visitors and tourists can only gasp at all that ugliness and wonder why we allow the disfigurement of our urban and rural landscape.

A smart aleck might argue some billboards cover unsightly areas. Come on. The unsightly areas are on the ground. The billboards go as high as the sky, they dominate the skyline. And pray tell, what happens to the acres of non-biodegradable tarpaulin used for the outdoor ads?

Now come the electronic billboards that flash and dazzle with messages meant to be read by motorists. In my childhood the Manila cityscape sparkled with countless neon lights, most of them at street level and lit up only at night. Unlike the billboards, the flicker of neon signs did not seem to pose any danger. That was when there were places we could call “downtown,” that is, before we all got “mall-ed.” I now remember Petula Clarke’s hit song “Downtown”: “Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty, how can you lose?… Downtown, where everything’s waiting for you. ”

Outdoor advertising – tarps, electronic – is now the rage but the government does not seem to care about its regulation. Only when lives were lost and property damaged did some local officials take some action. Now advertisers roll up the tarps when strong typhoons are expected. That saves them money, too. But the tarps are spread out again as soon as the sun shines. They may be out of tsunamis’ reach but what about strong earthquakes and the ipo-ipo that come without warning?

Not a few times these structures have become a refuge, a jump off point for suicidals. They’re easy to scale by derelicts and woebegone Spiderman wannabes who wish to tell the world of their heartbreak or call out to lost loves. How many police dramas have unfolded on these deadly structures?

I believe in advertising but not in the use of billboards and hangings that litter the landscape. Sure, advertising adds to the vibrancy of the economy, and if well done, informs and educates consumers about product choices, it increases sales volume and helps lower prices, etc. As an industry it also gives jobs to a lot of people. But it could go overboard in content and method and become exploitative, offensive, destructive and dangerous.

The billboard overkill is obvious. Now every outdoor ad agency and its clients want a piece of that wall, that roadside, that post, that skyline, even the blue above.

What happened to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s Anti-Billboard Act that seeks “to regulate the placement of billboard signs,” and another one “prohibiting officials from claiming credit through signage announcing a public works project”?

Send feedback to cerespd@gmail.com or www.ceresdoyo.com

A breast issue

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

In the past months there has been an aggressive print ad campaign in the Philippines on different types of cancer treatment being offered by the Guangzhou Modern Cancer Hospital in China. I counted at least 15 that came out in the Inquirer from May to June. I was told these also came out in other publications. These were half-page ads that cost a lot of money.

The ads showed happy people, mostly Caucasian-looking, enjoying life. A lot of fine print went with the ads. The text explained the types of treatment offered, among them, “intelligent photodynamic treatment as an outstanding representation of radiotherapy,” “the starving treatment,” the use of “radio-particle knife technology,” “photodynamic therapy” and “cryosurgery.”

The blurbs said it loud enough: “Late stage cancer: still treatable.” “Those who were sentenced to ‘await death’ gains (sic) a light of hope.” “Chinese doctors have successfully used cryotherapy to save lives of thousands of cases of advanced cancer patients.” “A miraculous needle inserted into the tumor to freeze it to death.” And so forth and so on.

The numbers to call were in big fonts. A Manila address for “free medical consultation-by appointment only” was also provided.

Names of doctors and patients were mentioned, successful cases were cited. Testimonials were presented. Sure, there were lapses in grammar and spelling but these could easily be fixed. The ads didn’t mean to shock or offend but to draw the readers’ attention. If you knew someone ill with or recovering from cancer, you’d mostly likely read the fine print and find out what’s new. All the ads—a different one every so many days—could be described as hard sell and hopeful.

But one stood out. This one was on breast cancer. There was no happy face on this one. The blurb said: “Choosing plastic breast-conserving surgery: Saving the Breast without Reccurence (sic).”

Some breast cancer survivors who read the ad took offense. Liza B. Martinez, a breast cancer survivor and a member of an advocacy group, wrote a letter to the Ad Standards Council general manager. Her letter:

“Dear Mr. Alcantara,

“We were referred by Ms. Emily Abrera of McCann-Philippines.

“I am writing in behalf of several breast cancer survivors. We would like to bring a complaint regarding the print ad of Guangzhou Cancer Hospital on breast cancer surgical procedures. This ad appeared as a half-page advertisement at least once in the Philippine Daily Inquirer about a week ago (see attached). We would like to request that this ad be pulled out from their advertising campaign and that our reactions be communicated to the hospital.

“We find the advertisement, its text and quoted testimonials on mastectomies, offensive because it associates mastectomies with ‘a life of poor quality’, worthlessness, ‘endless sadness and heavy mental burden’.

“Treatment of breast cancer involves several considerations and at times may warrant a modified radical mastectomy, or in some other cases, breast conservation surgery. They only mention radical mastectomy which is no longer routinely done.

“To instill unfounded fear and trauma in women who are undergoing diagnosis and treatment, for purposes of marketing and advertising their hospital, we feel is irresponsible and unethical. They perpetuate gender myths and stereotypes by making it appear that women who lose a breast (or breasts) are ‘worthless’. Despite the grieving associated with the loss of this part of our body, our breasts do not solely determine our femininity or sexuality. To imply otherwise is an insult to us as survivors, and women in general.

“We have nothing against educating women about options for treatment and making informed choices with their physicians. However, to present these medical options in such a manner as in the ad is reprehensible.

“Furthermore, as a foreign entity marketing its services in our country, we feel that the advertisers and the hospital should display sensitivity to its targeted local consumers. Are there any guidelines for these kinds of advertising campaigns?

“Thank you for your time and we look forward to your response and action.”

Excerpts from ASC’s A.G. Alcantara Jr.’s June 17 reply to Martinez:

“We are taking the necessary steps to put this material into a review process as part of the Council’s protocol whenever a complaint of this nature is submitted…

“For your kind information, the Ad Standards Council (ASC) is the advertising regulatory body composed of trade associations: Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), and the Association of Accredited Advertising Agency (4As) primarily responsible in reviewing advertising content to make sure that it conforms with the advertising Code of Ethics.

“We have started the investigation into this print ad as this was not presented to the Ad Standards Council for approval, hence no Clearance for Publication was issued. We will forward your complaint to the advertising agency or media placement company of Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzou and request them to respond to your letter, addressing the concerns raised. We are also elevating the complaint to the ASC Crisis Committee who will review and give recommendation/s to the ASC Board.

“We highly appreciate your feedback as it gives us at ASC the opportunity to review our guidelines for the upliftment of the industry and be cautious to the sentiments of the general public.”

By the way that ad also said: “Young women are more likely to feel shame as well as fear of relapse due to breast cancer than older women.” Why capitalize on shame? What is there to be ashamed about?

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The Enchanted Farm (Almost a Fairy Tale)

Sunday Inquirer Magazine/FEATURES/by: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

Rising gradually on 14 hectares of verdant, undulating terrain is a farm, home, village and “university” rolled into one, where people’s dreams and ideas are put to the test, nurtured and turned into reality.

Gawad Kalinga’s (GK) Enchanted Farm in Barangay (village) Encanto in Angat, Bulacan is, as its name and location suggest, a special place like no other. Beholding it even in its unfinished stage could spark an OMG (oh my God) moment.

The farm is rapidly transforming the Angat landscape by being a sustainable community and a place of learning, creating and, most of all, sharing. It is exactly what it’s more daunting name connotes: the Center for Social Innovation (CSI), a place for daring and creativity. Living the CSI way is for the big of heart, not the faint-hearted.

When GK quietly began in 2000 “by building communities to end poverty,” little did its founder and driving force Antonio Meloto know how far he and his fellow dreamers from Couples for Christ (CFC) would go. GK began as a ministry for the poor of CFC. The story of how GK grew from its small beginnings is told in the book “The Builder of Dreams” by Meloto, a 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Community Leadership and the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year for 2005.

In May this year, Meloto received the Nikkei Asia Award for Regional Growth. Just recently, he was invited to the World Economic Forum in Jakarta. Speaking to thinkers, policy makers and generators of global wealth, Meloto described how GK is “creating a hybrid of philanthropy and social business to achieve impact, scale and sustainability.”

Meloto loves to say, “Mangangarap ka rin lang, bakit ka pa magtitipid (If you must dream, why set limits)?”

After GK777 (target: 700,000 homes for the poorest in 7,000 communities in seven years) was launched in 2003, GK grew by leaps and bounds and has been moving inexorably closer and faster to its goal. There are now more than 1,700 GK communities in the Philippines plus several in three Asian countries.

GK777 is now segueing into GK2024, “a 21-year vision which provides the roadmap towards a First World Philippines” and “ending the poverty of 5 million by 2024.” This emerging Asian model for development was unveiled globally at the 2009 GK Global Summit in Boston that gathered GK supporters from all over the world.

“CSI/Enchanted Farm is GK’s second phase,” Meloto enthuses. He shows a thick ring-bound physical plan of the farm, done to the minutest detail – and for free –by a team from the National University of Singapore. Several of the structures in the plan are finished, the rest are in various stages of completion. First to be finished is the colorful row of 40 homes now occupied by 40 families. In front is the Cory Garden that honors the memory of the late President Corazon Aquino, who launched GK777.

The GK families in the farm couldn’t ask for more. Most of the parents work inside the farm and so they need not spend time, energy and money for commuting. The children attend a public school nearby. The residents participate in building a sustainable community through their work and their lives. Indeed, this is paradise compared to the city slums they had left behind.

When SIM visited, there were about a dozen young volunteers doing chores and integrating themselves in the farm. They came from different countries and the Philippines. Many are new graduates, others have had fruitful, high-paying careers that they gave up to work with GK.

There is Clarisse Simmoneau, 22, a designer from France, who was busy designing native crafts. Frank Chiu, a Filipino, left the corporate world and now oversees CSI operations. Billy Santos, 23, was teaching physics in Ateneo until GK beckoned. Cherri Atilano, an agriculture graduate and one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 2007, had stunned Fulbright officials when she postponed her US scholarship to work with GK. Filipino-Australian Jai Aguilar, 22, a business management graduate of La Salle University, manages GK’s infrastructure and site development and is into community organizing. Chilka Alvarez put lawyering on hold to go into cheesemaking (fromage de chevre or goat cheese) that would give livelihood to the poor. “Many of the crimes committed are driven by poverty,” she reminds the listener.

A number of foreign volunteers learned about GK via the Internet. Others knew about GK’s well-publicized track record. “Last year, we had 1,000 students from Singapore, then we had 400 interns from France,” Meloto says. “We try to give interns a patriotic education.”

“Filipinos are said to be high in IQ and EQ, but low in SQ and PQ,” he says, referring to intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, social quotient and patriotic quotient, respectively.

The Enchanted Farm in Bulacan is the first of 24 CSI sites being set up all over the country to complement the impact of thriving GK communities. Donated by a generous man named Jun Valbuena, the 14 hectares in Bulacan used to be idle, unproductive land.

But, as the saying goes, “if you build it, they will come.” Manpower and machines from Shell, Hyundai, Mang Inasal and units from the Armed Forces of the Philippines are among those breaking ground, building structures and paving roads in the farm. Workers come from GK communities in Bulacan. In the meantime, budding social entrepreneurs are creating and testing their products and services that will soon be offered in the farm and outside markets.

President Benigno (Noynoy) Aquino III is expected to visit the place anytime soon. For sure, he won’t be disappointed.

Already, Meloto explains, the CSI template has fused three different concepts.

First, it is a “village university for sustainable community development” where classrooms are connected to communities. Here students learn how to start social enterprises. Children living in the GK Village experience the natural environment, while their elders are slowly exposed to social entrepreneurship that would soon open doors for them.

The second component is a “Silicon Valley for social entrepreneurship,” where young entrepreneurs are provided an enabling environment to help them launch Filipino brands. Fifty of the most innovative social enterprises in the Philippines will be conveniently located at the Enchanted Farm to showcase their brands. They will also share in the farm facilities and resources.

The third component is a “Disneyland for social tourism,” in which Filipino and foreign visitors can have a first-hand experience of the Gawad Kalinga community, and gain insight into the social problems that face millions of Filipinos.

All these need infrastructure. A multipurpose hall for big gatherings is now in place. A bamboo “palace” is slowly taking shape. The restaurant/cafe without walls is almost finished. There is a building for the production of native crafts, sewing and other income-generating activities. An industrial kitchen for food products is almost ready.

Now when everything has been completed, don’t forget to check out the spa, chapel, swimming pool, bed-and-breakfast place, facilities for retreats and seminars. Who says one can’t have fun in a place like this?

And don’t forget another operative word: sustainability.

Almost all the ingredients for the food products are grown organically in the farm. Fast becoming a favorite drink is Enchantea, made from lemon grass. Two young social entrepreneurs are now producing salted duck eggs dyed turmeric yellow (GK’s color of hope) instead of the common red. It’s also about creating brands. So it’s Golden Eggs for the salted eggs, Blue Bamboo for the furniture and crafts and TheoPhilo for the artisan chocolates from homegrown cacao. Expect more GK brands to emerge.

In GK farms in the provinces (and soon, in the Enchanted Farm) are produced many of the herbal ingredients for Human Nature, the health-and-beauty product line that is fast capturing the market because of its organic, non-chemical components sourced from hard-working GK communities determined to cross the so-called poverty line. Profits go to GK projects.

The Enchanted Farm/CSI is meant to be a showcase along the GK roadmap to 2024. If 2003 to 2010 was focused on social justice that went beyond charity, 2011 to 2017 is the “designer phase” called “social artistry, when we invite greater expertise, science and technology to grow our holistic model for development,” says Meloto who, true to form, continues to dream big.

2018 to 2024, he says, is the era of social progress. GK envisions a new standard of living to take a permanent foothold in the life of a nation. This, according to GK, “will only be achieved by working on scale and sustainability of what have been established earlier – the spirit, the science and the structure. By this time, a new generation of empowered, productive citizens would have emerged, who lived through an exciting time of change – moving from poverty to prosperity, from shame to honor, from third-world to first-world and from second-class to first-class citizen of the world.”

And the Enchanted Farm? It promises to remain enchanting for generations to come. Come and experience the life.#

Tags: Agriculture , Enchanted Farm , Farm , Gawad Kalinga