GK launches Tacloban as first designer city in Visayas

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 16, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Gawad Kalinga Chairman Mr.Tony Meloto led in the launching of Tacloban City as the first Gawad Kalinga Designer City, at the Balyuan Convention Center on June 12, 2010.

Being a GK designer city, about 15,000 houses will be built in several communities in the City of Tacloban.  The dwellings will be beautiful and colorful.

“Everyone who will live in that village will be beautiful. Bawal ang pangit (uglies not allowed), pangit ang ugali (ugly attitude), pangit na gawa (ugly act), pangit na bahay (ugly house) at pangit na kumonidad (ugly community),” Mr. Meloto said.

He expressed belief that Tacloban City can make a difference by showing the whole world that “we are one as a Filipino helping another Filipino to prosper.”

He added that “it’s about time we transcend and be one people, the Filipino by setting aside politics“, quoting former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yu when he said: “This is not about me. This is about Singapore”.

The Gawad Kalinga Community Infrastructure Program in Tacloban initially started with a housing project at Cabalawan, Tacloban, called the Solis Legacy GK Village.

The Gawad Kalinga, the Tacloban City Government, sponsors and the beneficiaries of the project intend to build a community of 30 to 35 houses built at half a hectare lot donated by the Solis Family represented by Atty. Vicente Solis.

Once built, the Gawad Kalinga does not only foresee the infrastructure aspect of building a house and community but will also look into the community health aspect where every child, adult and elderly thrive optimally through capacity enhancement, health education, service and local health system development geared towards Building a Healthy communities and  building a Healthy Nation.

Gawad Kalinga also has a program on child & youth development, a GK environment, empowerment & productivity programs for every community that they build.

Tacloban as a GK Designer City is envisioned as a strategy towards the achievement of the vision of Tacloban as a slum-free city by the year 2024.