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REALTOR®: Filipino American Realtors and affiliates seek to build homes for impoverished abroad

Monday, July 30, 2007

Members of the Filipino American Real Estate Professionals Association (FAREPA) are reaching out to their homeland with the goal of building a community for the impoverished and the homeless through a program known as Gawad Kalinga (“to give care”). GK’s vision for the Philippines is a slum-free, squatter-free nation through a simple strategy of providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless, food for the hungry and, as a result, providing dignity and peace for every Filipino.

All three chapters of FAREPA – San Francisco/Peninsula, Santa Clara County, and Alameda County, are embarking on the project and seeking the support of the real estate industry in their respective areas. They will be are holding a fund-raising event to benefit Gawad Kalinga on Friday, Aug. 10, at the Embassy Suites in Burlingame, with dancing, food, entertainment and silent auctions. FAREPA – SF/Peninsula is inviting the public to attend and support their project.

GK actively works in poverty-stricken areas to improve their quality of life by providing decent homes and the resources for the poor to become self-sufficient. The program’s goal is to transform poverty stricken areas by building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities, in seven years (2003-2010). To-date, Gawad Kalinga is in over 900 communities all over the Philippines and in other developing countries.
GK provides a faith-based holistic approach to poverty alleviation, dealing with all community aspects that include values formation, community organization and involvement, education, basic health care and livelihood programs.

Beneficiaries of GK homes undergo a 13-week values formation course, provide sweat-equity by building their own homes and the homes of their neighbors and abide by the rules of the "Kapitbahayan" (Community Association), which include maintaining cleanliness, peace and order, and upkeep of their GK village.

“It’s more than about building houses for the poorest of the poor. Providing a decent home is just the beginning of the transformation of the people and the community,” explained FAREPA - SF/Peninsula President Mae Perez.

Perez, who is a member of the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR), said the Filipino American Realtors and affiliates, many of whom grew up and were educated in the Philippines, plan to raise enough money to build a FAREPA Village in the Philippines. They noted it takes approximately $1,500 to build one home. FAREPA hopes to raise $60,000 by the end of the year to build a community which will not only consist of homes, but include essential services needed by a community, such as a community center and health center.

“The best years of our lives have been in the U.S. We believe it’s time we give back to our homeland, which is the country that educated and nurtured us,” said Perez.

More fundraisers to benefit the project will be held throughout the year. For more details about the GK project, or to purchase a ticket to the event, contact Maris Reyes (650) 438-7190, Ric Bareng (408) 509-9999, Theresa Dwyer (408) 221- 5380, or Dexter Lat (510) 499-9988.

The San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 3,800 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula. SAMCAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in San Mateo County.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Julie Ziemelis, Director of Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (650) 696-8214.

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