What makes life fulfilling for Mel

MANILA, Philippines - If actions speak louder than words then Mel Tiangco need not enumerate the many accomplishments of GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) over the years that it has been reaching out to Filipinos in their most trying times.

Still, Mel — who sits as the foundation’s EVP and COO — is happy to share the news about the recent GMAKF turnover of additional 120 concrete houses in the Phase II and III of its Kapuso Village in Tacloban City to select families displaced by Supertyphoon Yolanda. A total of 172 houses were handed over in July and 231 more houses will be ready for occupancy in the coming months, completing the foundation’s 403-unit concrete housing project in the area. Each unit has a lot area of 50 square meters with a floor area measuring to 42 square meters.

The Kapuso Village, according to Mel, was built through the tripartite effort of the local government, National Housing Authority (NHA) and GMAKF.

With Kapuso stars Bianca Umali, Miguel Tanfelix, Kris Bernal, Barbie Forteza, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes and Julie Anne San Jose; and the Taclobanons.

“The 10-hectare land was donated by the local government with the National Housing Authority (NHA) in-charge of the on-site development, and the Kapuso Foundation, with our engineers, built the houses,” says Mel.

The selection process of beneficiaries was done by a committee composed of five officers — from the office of the mayor, Department of Social Welfare and Development, NHA, barangay and GMAKF. The recipient families, on the other hand, rendered “500 hours equity,” as how Mel refers to it. They, too, signed a contract that they cannot sell the house.

Aside from the Tacloban Kapuso Village, GMAKF also had two villages built in Iligan and Guinsaugon. Construction has also started for another one in Palo, Leyte.

Mel relates that her recent trip to Tacloban with Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Kris Bernal, Barbie Forteza, Julie Anne San Jose, Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali was her sixth time to personally check on the foundation’s housing project. Based on her observation, Tacloban looks better these days “but how their life is now, that I really don’t know.”

She first went to Tacloban on the fifth day after Yolanda devastated the eastern seaboard of the country in November of last year. At the airport, she was greeted with many an appalling sight. Add to that the news that violence had erupted all over the place.

“I was really scared but I had one mission (to do) then. I wanted to accomplish something and that was to begin relief operations kasi that time wala pa because everybody was scared. I was also scared but I needed to take action. I wanted to show to the other NGOs that we can already start helping. But how? We didn’t have any vehicle to use.”

Good thing, one of her staff members, met a local who was related to a barangay chairman. Mel didn’t waste time meeting up with the chairman. She told him all her concerns, including her fears. The chairman promised her that he would ensure that relief distributions would be peaceful. True enough, everything turned out fine.

With Tacloban City councilor and first lady Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez during the turnover of houses in the Kapuso Village

“In the many relief operations that we have done, the one in Tacloban was the happiest and most fulfilling one for me because we were able to do our relief operations smoothly. And we continued to do relief operations for a month and a half every day at ‘di lang Tacloban ‘yan ha, we’re doing it all over — Leyte, Ormoc, Samar, Cebu. And I’d like to think that somehow when we would air (on TV newscast) nakikita ng ibang NGOs na pwede pala and then they started coming in.”

The foundation was also able to finish 15 classrooms in Guiuan and the construction of 40 schools in Eastern Samar is on-going aside from the 20 classrooms inside the Kapuso Village in Tacloban and the 10 classrooms in Palo.

Aside from their projects in Leyte, GMAKF has Share the Love campaign where various projects are simultaneously on-going. Among them are Noel Bazaar and Give a Gift Alay sa Batang Pinoy. “When it comes to children, madali talaga ako tamaan at di ko matiis and the senior citizens, I do have a soft spot for them.”

Looking back on her childhood years, Mel recalls when her father would take them to their hometown in Bataan during Holy Week to give away bag of goodies to people. “I helped in repacking the goods like ‘yung bigas tinatakal ko.”

No wonder Mel is now more involved in charity work. “I’m grateful for all the blessings that God is giving me and by helping other people, I’m giving back to the Lord. For me, life becomes more fulfilling when you are able to change people’s lives in your own way no matter how great or small. And each day can be fulfilling.”