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What is ANCOP (Answering
the Cry of the Poor)?
ANCOP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that
serves to generate awareness and mobilize resources for Gawad Kalinga,
through partnerships with generous individuals, groups, institutions,
government, and corporations, and accounts for the generated resources
for transparency.
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Download ANCOP USA's
2006 Audited Financial Report
Download ANCOP USA's
2005 Audited Financial Report
What is Gawad Kalinga (GK)?
Gawad Kalinga (in English, giving care) is an
integrated, sustainable, holistic program, which aims to address poverty
in the Philippines by transforming and empowering poor communities
through its various programs.
Gawad Kalinga, a Gift
by Dr. Boy Abay
A gift is given from the heart.
It is not contrived for a purpose,
nor from debt.derived,
neither is it deception for selfish cause.
It is giving of one's self,
not coerced, nor forced.
It need not be deserved, nor demanded.
It is not ransom, much less expected.
It is unearned, and unconditional,
given free without expectation.
It comes decisive and unequivocal,
no strings attached or commission.
The gift of life
while from parents spring,
truly from God's love bring,
creation from void and nothing.
Grace, unstained and pure
Giving as GK is,
Many gift self, time, talent and treasure,
with no regard for reward, recognition or pleasure.
Detraction, distraction, envy, and delusion
might make focus falter,
but pure, crystal water level and flow,
GK's current and ripple gently through transient blocks blow.
As such, Gawad Kalinga, is
Joy, so pure, it is transcendence,
A natural consequence
Of giving as white and true as innocence
Gawad Kalinga is gift,
a gift from God.
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The GK Model:
Transformed Communities; Environmentally Healthy
Where the preservation of the environment is as
urgent and important as self-preservation. Community members practice
proper segregation and waste management, planting of trees and plants to
preserve the natural habitat.
Peace Zone
Where community members adhere to common values and live in harmony
despite social, cultural or religious beliefs. Conflicts are settled
based on the higher interest for the common good, justice and
solidarity. Violence and crime are eradicated because community members
are gainfully employed and their basic needs are met.
Tourist Spot
Where decent homes and beautiful surroundings become the standard for
others to emulate. Brightly colored houses and landscaped environment
are the expressions of hope and the transition from "a survival
mentality" to living a full life with dignity.
Productivity Center
Where the human and natural resources of the community are developed and
tapped to sustain the growth of the community and lead it towards self
sufficiency. The poor are partners in development and eventually become
"givers" not just "receivers."
Faith Community
Where there is mutual respect among community members for each other's
religious beliefs. Each one is free to express one's faith. The
community is bound by their common love for God, expressed concretely
through their care and value for each other.
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The GK Way:
“Bayanihan” – Becoming A Hero To Each Other
Caring and Sharing
Everything we do begins with stewardship and moves
towards community empowerment. The crucial starting point is the
appointment of a caretaker team – a group of volunteers committed to
visit the community to educate and train, but more importantly to build
relationships with the residents. The hand-holding stage of relationship
building, values formation and skills training is absolutely necessary
to help the community become independent and sustainable. GK addresses
the root cause of poverty – not simply the absence of money but an
absence of shared values, sense of community and higher purpose.
Massive Mobilization: GK Partners & Volunteers
GK begins with “padugo” – or “to bleed for the cause.” This means
devoting one’s own time and resources to initiate work within the
community without expecting outside funding or support. Architects and
engineers design houses, doctors and nurses attend to community health
care, teachers share knowledge to the young, and business leaders become
mentors for economic enterprises. Rich and the poor, Christians and
Muslims, government and the private sector, rich and poor nations can
work give their share to uplift and improve the quality of life of the
poor and contribute to prosperity and peace to the larger society.
Patriotism in Action
Gawad Kalinga is not just work with the poor but more importantly, a
work of nation building from a simple but daring CFC initiative to a
growing multi-sectoral partnership driven by the same spirit and vision
– a new Philippines with NO MORE SLUMS.
The problem of poverty is huge but not without end.
Since it is man-made, it can also be man-UNmade. In a world where there
are enough resources for all but not enough sharing for all, our motto
is “less for self, more for others, enough for all.” This country has
struggled with poverty long enough. Together, we can bring this to an
end and when it is over, we would like you to think back with a smile
knowing that you helped change the world.
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GK Programs
 Shelter
and Site Development
GK builds colorful, durable and secure homes for the poorest of the
poor. Partners from here and abroad, corporations, schools, and other
groups provide the materials for the houses and the poor themselves
alongside other volunteers provide the “sweat equity” for the labor
component. Apart from providing physical structures, the shelter
component is important because it empowers the men to become productive
once again instead of engaging in criminal activities and vices that
create problems for the whole community. The program also provides other
physical structures such as path walks and drainage systems, water and
toilet facilities, a pre-school, a multi-purpose hall and a clinic. In
other areas, structures such as basketball courts and libraries are also
constructed once basic infrastructures are set up.
 Child
& Youth Development
GK provides value based education for pre-school children, aged 3 to 6
years old through its program called “SIBOL”, which means “to grow” in
the Filipino language.
GK also provides a support program for street children of elementary
age, from 7 to 13 years old called “SAGIP”, which means to save a life.
They are provided with academic tutorials, sports and creative workshops
as well as a very solid values formation program.
Through GK's –“SIGA” program, Gawad Kalinga provides a holistic
development approach for the youth aged 13+. This is done through
Creative Arts, Sports, Health, Productivity, Values Formation and
Education. With its Academic Support Program, the SIGA members have the
opportunity to become scholars and to go through a tutorial support
program handled by GK volunteers. Through SIGA, Gawad Kalinga provides
opportunities for the new generation to rise to their true potential.
 Health
Gawad Kalusugan (GKal) is the integrated and multi-sectoral health
program of GK. GKal believes that the promotion and implementation of
health at the community level is integral for national development.
GKal aims to implement a new culture of health consciousness first by
changing the slum environment that breeds poor physical well-being and
disease. Second is to change the slum behavior by restoring the dignity
of the poor and consequently making them more aware of standard health
practices such as hygiene, nutrition and preventive health care.
Gawad Kalusugan has partnered with the Department of Health to promote
and implement its programs. Furthermore, GK has also partnered with
leading medical and pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Unilab,
Glaxo SmithKline and Wyeth to implement its programs in the various GK
sites. Currently Gawad Kalusugan focuses on the Department of Health’s
7-point agenda: 1) Fight TB Program, 2) Eliminate water-born diseases
through safe water supply, 3) Promote Nutrition, 4) Complement the
Government’s Immunization Program, 5) Responsible Parenthood – Natural
Family Planning 6) Universal Health Insurance with Philhealth 7) Dental
Care.
 Productivity
(formerly LIVELIHOOD)
The focus of GK’s Productivity program is building a better quality of
life for the poor by addressing their basic needs. In the countryside we
promote “Bayan-anihan” which is about planting together, harvesting
together and rising together. We engage our GK residents in various
activities such as vegetable farming, ruminants (raising goats, native
chicken and hogs in the backyard), small scale backyard tilapia and
catfish farming, bio-fertilizer production, food processing (i.e.
longganisa, tapa, etc), man-power pooling and enterprise development
(micro-finance or cooperatives). GK embarks on these activities to work
towards transforming the poor from mere consumers to producers.
 GK
Kapitbayahan Empowerment
Gawad Kalinga looks at the poor as partners in development. While
partners and donors share their resources in building homes and
programs, the poor are also contributing through their sweat and limited
resources. With this model of development, there is no “donor-donee”
relationship but an investment in the country by both the partners and
the poor working hand in hand with the caretaker team to transform the
community. By making the poor stakeholders and not mere beneficiaries,
we are restoring dignity to them and making them valuable assets in
nation-building.
Concretely, every GK community is organized into a KAPITBAHAYAN
Neighborhood Association, which is established to inculcate stewardship
and ensure accountability, cooperation and unity. Guidelines for
community living are decided upon by the members, and new leaders who
espouse the values of the association start to emerge.
Peace is achieved not by force, but by mutual adherence to an agreed set
of values. This new culture is the key to the community’s
sustainability, and sets the community on the road to self reliance. In
one clear manifestation of servant leadership, in most GK sites the
President of the Kapitbahayan who is elected is usually the last one to
get his house. He has to ensure that everyone else gets theirs first.
 Environment
Gawad Kalinga is pro-poor and pro-environment. We empower the poor to
become caretakers of the environment instead of being its exploiters. GK
teams are encouraged to plant fruit-bearing trees in and around GK
communities and produce seedlings for tree-planting. We also educate the
poor in solid waste management in partnership with environment groups
and government agencies who provide their expertise and resources in
these projects. Finally, GK communities are provided with clean, potable
water for consumption and cleaning as a response to providing total
quality of life for the poor.
 Community Values Formation
Transforming the slums is not only a matter of transforming the physical
environment but more importantly changing the slum behavior. We promote
a culture of excellence in our GK sites by restoring their dignity and
engaging the poor in the process of building a clean and beautiful
environment. They become proud of themselves and what they have achieved
together. Through the promotion of shared Filipino values such as love
for God and country, heroism through sacrifice and progress through
Bayanihan, the poor become agents of positive change within their
community. The values that we espouse do not discriminate against
religious affiliation or political biases and are founded on respect for
self and respect for life. Our end goal is to make the communities
self-reliant through the transformation and empowerment of the poor.
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