Called to Serve

11 Outstanding Filipino Role Models

Raquel Lucas, Queena N. Lee-Chua

• Publisher: Anvil Publishing, Inc.
• eBook ISBN: 9786214201693
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Work
• Index: Social Sciences

Called to Serve started out as a master's thesis of one of the authors, Raquel "Ira" Lucas. Written to inspire, this book shares the experiences of eleven Filipinos who dedicate their lives to helping others through volunteerism, charity, leadership, and innovation.

KB MANALAYSAY Club 8586	KESZ VALDEZ Championing Community Children
EFREN PEÑAFLORIDA Kariton Classroom	EMAN BAGUAL Mind Your Rights

HARNIN “KUYA BONN” or “KB” Manalaysay is the founder of Club 8586. This organization provides education and basic life skills training to children from the streets. KB is the mentor of Efren Peñaflorida, Kesz Valdez, Eman Bagual, and other former underprivileged children who are now paying it forward to society.

Efren Peñaflorida is the founder and head of the Dynamic Teen Company, famous for its Kariton Classroom. The foundation aims to reduce street-gang membership among Filipino youth by providing education in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and trash dumps, hence the term “push-cart classroom.” Efren grew up in slums near an open dumpsite in Cavite. In 2009, he was named CNN Hero of the Year.

Kesz Valdez is the founder of Championing Community Children, a foundation that raises funds to distribute Hope Gifts to needy children. These packages contain slippers, toys, candies, clothing, and other basic needs. When he was still a child, Kesz begged in the streets and rummaged through garbage. In 2012, at the age of 13, he was awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize in The Hague, Netherlands.

Emanuel “Eman” Bagual is the primary advocate of the Mind Your Rights campaign. He aims to educate parents and children about their rights to bring about a paradigm shift on parenting, and ensure that the children’s rights are upheld. Eman receives death threats from parents who continue forcing their children to do odd jobs, but he continues to defend the children, having experienced child labor himself. When he was 17, Eman was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

All of them live and work in Cavite.

What motivates these Caviteños to help the poorest and the weakest?

Eman Bagual was raised in poverty. Things became so dire that he wanted to end his life. KB listened to him share his problems, while KB’s protégé, Efren Peñaflorida, truly appreciated his work. Because of their unconditional positive regard, Eman realized his value as a person.

Now, Eman lives by the dictum: Pay it forward. Having been helped by compassionate people, he returns this good deed by helping others, by passing on the kindness he receives. What empowers him is knowing that people believe in him.

“Kung dati, ako iyong tinutulungan, nakikita ko iyong sarili ko sa maraming mga bata na ganito ako dati. Kaya lang naman nabago ang buhay ko dahil may mga taong tumulong sa akin. Baka ako rin iyong taong kailangan i-pass on iyong kabutihan nung tao na ’to para ako naman yung makatulong sa kanila.”

Kesz Valdez used to be a street child who rummaged through garbage in the Payatas dump. He was abused by his family in the belief that he was “malas” or unlucky. One day, he was burned in an accident. KB found him almost wasting away on the streets, and he helped him recover. KB inspired Kesz to live a good life and prove to his family that he was not bound to misfortune. Kesz started to volunteer and help other children who were like him before.

“Minulat [ni KB] po ako na patunayan po sa family ko na hindi ako malas, na may magagawa ako, at napatunayan ko ito. Kaya nagvolunteer po ako. Gumawa ako ng sarili kong grupo. Nag-outreach kami. Kasi gusto ko rin po mag-pay forward.”

As for Efren, being bullied as a child fueled his passion to help others. Coming from a less privileged family, Efren was taunted and physically hurt by his well-off classmates. He could not open up to his parents or his teachers, and he wanted to quit school and just join a gang so he could exact revenge on those who bullied him.

“Na-bully ako dahil sa itsura ko, sa paraan ko ng pananamit, yung mga secondhand ganun. Tapos yung fact na mahirap kami tapos yung mga classmates ko mga mayayaman, so ako yung pinagtatawanan. At tsaka na-experience ko na yung masuntok, mamura, tapos mabato kasi trip-trip lang nila. Yun yung mga time na talagang sobrang down ako. And even my parents, hindi makatulong sa akin. Siyempre ako, hindi ko rin mai-open sa kanila. Even yung mga teachers ko. Di ko mailabas sa iba. Yung time na yun, gusto ko na rin mag-quit sa school, at gusto ko na lang sumali sa mga gang. Maging gangster na rin para ako naman yung mangbu-bully. Ako naman yung gaganti, ako naman yung... kung baga meron akong mga kasamahan na puwedeng rumesbak.”

Fortunately, Efren met KB at this very critical time. KB empathized with Efren and finally was able to encourage the latter to change his perspective about quitting school.

“Noong first encounter namin ni KB... kasi hindi ko naman siya kilala pa, tapos hindi ko naman siya ka-anu-ano, siya yung lumapit sa’kin. Tanong niya, ‘May problema ka ba? Meron ka bang bigat na nararamdaman? Nakikita ko kasi sa mga mata mo na mayroon kang gustong ilabas na di mo mailabas.’ Siyempre medyo di pa ako open noon, tapos ganun ka-tiyaga si KB na mangulit tsaka alamin kung ano talaga yung dinaramdam ko.”

As for revenge, KB inspired Efren to exact it not through violence, but by making a positive difference and doing good to counter the negative. Efren realized that instead of becoming a bully himself, he had to put an end to bullying.

“Iyong point na nag-trigger na eventually ito pala yung path na tatahakin ko. When I was opening up to KB, dun na nag-start na instead na gumanti ka, tutulungan kitang gumanti hindi sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-away, kung hindi sa pagme-make ng difference. So hindi violent, kundi competition. Labanan natin iyong mga nangbu-bully sa iyo, iyong mga gangster sa inyo sa kabilang side...Kung sila gumagawa ng negative, tayo naman gagawa tayo ng positive. Doon natin mahihinto yun. Paramihan na lang ng gawa ng positibo o negatibo, parang ganoon. Tapos maghikayat tayo ng marami pang kabataan na gagawa rin ng ganoon. Doon ako nagkaroon ng heart na tumulong dun sa mga kabataan na kagaya ko na nabibiktima o nabu-bully sa school. Tsaka para matigil na iyong ganoong kalakaran.”

KB also instilled in Efren the idea that education can be life-changing. That’s why Efren has chosen teaching as his vocation.

“Iyong mga prinsipyo na naipasa niya sa akin, mga tinuturo niya sa akin. ‘Mahalin mo iyong pag-aaral, importante yan. If you love it, embrace it wholeheartedly, ganun din ang gagawin niyan sa iyo pabalik. Kaya niyang baguhin ang buhay mo.’ Hanggang sa ito na nga ang path na tinahak ko: Education.”

KB brought Efren along in his various outreach programs in different places, like Habitat for Humanity and Give Me Heart. They also went to a jailhouse, and a cemetery where many homeless kids lived. Efren caught glimpses of what his life might have been if he had quit school or joined a gang.

“Dinala niya ako sa jailhouse hindi para ikulong,” Efren laughs, “kung hindi para ipakita sa akin na ito iyong mangyayari sa akin kung sakaling tutuloy ako sa plano kong maghiganti. Dito ka mapupunta sa jail. Iyan, yung mga preso na tinutulungan namin. Ako ngayon yung nagbibigay ng sandwich sa kanila, during outreach [programs].

“Pagkatapos sa sementeryo naman,” Efren laughs again, “hindi para ipalibing, kung hindi para ipakita niya sa akin na it’s either kulungan o sementeryo iyong pupuntahan ko kapag tinuloy ka pa rin ang plano ko. Kasi dun sa sementeryo, dun naman yung outreach program ni KB for street children kasi doon naglalagi yung mga bata.”

KB was able to inspire Eman, Kesz, Efren, and many other young people. What motivated KB himself to do so? KB had a difficult relationship with his father while growing up, so he made it a point to be his exact opposite. His father disliked children, so KB started helping children on the streets just to annoy him.

“Di kami magkasundo ng tatay ko. So, I try to do the exact opposite of whatever he does. Kung siya, mahilig sa ganitong mga pastime, sa boxing, ako ganito naman, iba. Kasi nga that time, meron akong hate sa heart ko. And every time merong mga bata na umaakyat doon sa puno namin o doon sa bakod namin, lagi niyang inaaway, lagi niyang sinisigawan. Sabi ko, ako na lang iyong tutulong. Naging successful ako, kasi kapag tumutulong ako sa mga kids tapos nakikita niya ako sa kalye, lagi siyang naiinis. Bakit ko daw ginagawa iyon, I’m wasting my time. Dapat daw nasa trabaho na lang ako para may kita, may dagdag sa panggastos sa bahay. Naiinis siya, kaya lalo kong ginagawa.”

KB never dreamed that one day, he would start an organization that would help countless children. At that time, he began reading the Bible, which calmed his soul and changed his perspective about life.

“Do things the right way with the right intentions. Values formation. Kasi meron akong mga moments na na-realize ko na, ‘Ano ba itong ginagawa ko? I help people pero ang motivation ko ay para maasar lang tatay ko.’ Now I’m on good terms with him. Okay na kami.”

During his college days at the Mapua Institute of Technology, KB became involved in social activism. But he realized that rallying in the streets was not helping anyone. It was not bringing any change.

“Hindi naman ako full-time activist, pero at times kasi I join rallies in school. Although Mapua isn’t really a school known for its student activism, unlike the University of the Philippines (UP), right? Thankful na rin ako na hindi ako sa UP nag-aral, kasi siguro iba ang path ko ngayon. Kasi sa Mapua, mild lang yung activism: EDSA Revolution o iyong mga kay Ninoy, ganoon. Pero sabi ko sa sarili, ‘Wala namang nangyayari, wala namang change.’ Nagkakalat lang kami sa kalye. Ang dumi na noong kalye! Tapos makakakita ka ng mga bata, wala naman nakakatulong sa kanila. Ni sandwich nga ‘di mo sila mabigyan. Hindi ganoon ang gusto kong reform.”

KB wanted to embark on a concrete action to spark societal change. His provenance is Cavite, wherein students were taught to view Cavite as the city of independence and heroism. But when KB looked closely at his hometown, he saw chaos and violence. He wanted to restore Cavite to its former reputation as a cradle for heroes. Slowly but surely, KB is realizing his dream: Efren has been hailed as a CNN Hero, and Kesz has won the International Children’s Peace Prize for their mission of helping others.

“Sa Cavite, puro gang, puro rambulan, patayan. Sa isang kanto merong sinaksak, sinuntok, binaril. In this environment, how could I help other people unleash their inner hero? So I started with the kids in despair.”

Role Models

What drives KB and his ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue: A Meeting, a Calling
• Why People Serve
• People Who Serve
• Tony Meloto
• Gina Lopez
• Girlie Garcia-Lorenzo
• KB Manalaysay, Efren Peñaflorida, Kesz Valdez, Eman Bagual
• Terence Ang
• Mark Ruiz
• Illac Diaz
• Olie Lucas
• Motivating Our Youth
• About the Authors