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TONY MELOTOS DEVELOPMENT MODEL:

LESSONS FROM THE GAWAD KALINGA MOVEMENT*

Traditionally, Western countries measured a nations development purely in terms of

economic indicators, such as gross national product (GNP) and per capita income. In the

1990s, the theory of sustainable human development emerged, which puts people at the

centre of development, regards economic growth as a means and not an end, protects the

life opportunities of future generations as well as the present generations, and respects the

natural systems on which all life depends. The new concept also introduced new indicators

of development which went beyond the traditional economic indicators of development, and

these were elaborated in the annual Human Development Reports which the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) has been publishing since 1990.

The development model espoused by the Gawad Kalinga Movement founded by Mr.

Tony Meloto can find certain similarities with the theory of sustainable human development.

Like the latter theory, Gawad Kalinga emphasizes the role of people in improving the living

conditions of the poorest and most disadvantaged groups in society. For Mr. Meloto, poverty

is more of a behavioral issue rather than an economic one. He submitted that the Philippines

is suffering from underdevelopment because its people, specifically the Filipino males, have

underdeveloped psyches. Filipinos lack social dignity and pride in them and in their

environment. Maybe, we could attribute this to our nations culture which evolved from

centuries of colonial rule and which produced a people who consider foreigners better than

themselves in almost all respects, be it in appearance, capability, or intellect. We consider

imported goods more superior than our own produce so we do not patronize our own

products and prefer the imported, branded ones. Seemingly, we have made ourselves

second-class citizens in our own country and have therefore not developed the self-pride

and sense of dignity and nationalism needed to bring our beloved country on the path

*A Reflection Paper Submitted by Ivy F. Lacas in Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements for

PA 208-C under Dean Alex B. Brillantes, UP-NCPAG, (December 3, 2009).

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towards development, like what the Japanese people have developed after isolating

themselves from the rest of the world when they lost in the Second World War.

Gawad Kalinga also involves the government, the business sector, civil society

groups, the religious sector, and the target beneficiaries themselves in building the

communities which they envision, thus subscribing to the concept of good governance which

the theory of sustainable human development also promotes. But more than good

governance, Mr. Meloto emphasized the significance of good citizenship. He said that good

citizens will choose good leaders who will correspondingly govern the country in a way that

will promote the national interest, and not vested individual interests.

Mr. Meloto therefore advised us to reexamine ourselves, rediscover our soul and

pursue our own Filipino dream, not the dreams of other countries which are the ones who

benefit most from the capabilities and skills of migrant Filipinos. Most importantly, he

stressed the need for every Filipino to reconnect with one another and to establish affinity

with the poor in spirit, in life and in resources because only in doing so would we be able to

help bring about change in the lives of our people and of our nation.

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