THE GAWAD KALINGA THEORY OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION:

A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY

DENNIS MORALDE CAGANTAS

BA, San Carlos Seminary College, 1990

MA, Ateneo de Manila University, 2001

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Mentor
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Kieran A. Scott, EdD

Readers
Gerald M. Cattaro, EdD
Carlos R. McCray, EdD
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DISSERTATION

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR IN PHILOSOPHY IN
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK
2013
 UMI Number: 3557840

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a note will indicate the deletion.

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COPYRIGHT  
 
© Fr. Dennis M. Cagantas, 2013, All Rights Reserved.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work is minutiae in comparison to the immensity of support and help given by my

family, colleagues, and friends in the Philippines and in the United States. I hold all of you

dearly in my heart. In a way beyond comparison, you have made God’s love dynamically alive

and tangible. Daghan kaajong salamat!

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DEDICATION

This opus I dedicate to my beloved mother, Nanay Nena, and beloved father, Tatay Don,

whose enduring faith in and love of God have made them quiet, joyful, and humble servants of

the Lord. I also dedicate this work to countless men and women whose magnanimous self-

donation has renewed the face of the earth.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii

DEDICATION iv

ABSTRACT 1

CHAPTER I. THE PROBLEM 2

Background of the Study 2

The “People Power” Phenomenon 2

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The “People Power” Phenomenon as a Political Revolution 2
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The Current Philippine Situation: A Brief Review 4

The Beginnings of Gawad Kalinga 6

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The GK’s Continuing Mission 9

Statement of the Problem 11

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Purpose of the Study 14

Research Questions 14

Significance of the Study 16

Assumptions 17

Limitations of the Study 18

Definitions 19

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 22

Freire’s Theory of Social Transformation 23

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Context of Freire and His Writings 23

The Context of Freire’s Early Years as a Theorist 24

The Contemporary Context Prior to Freire’s Death 26

The Foundational Concepts of Freire’s

Writings on Social Transformation 29

Freire’s Understanding of History 30

Freire’s View of the Human Person and One’s Relationship

with the World 31

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Freire’s Vision of Humanization as the Path to Social Transformation
and Its Antithesis – Dehumanization
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Dehumanization as the Distortion of the Human Person’s

Ontological Vocation 34
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Humanization as the Path to Social Transformation 38

The Role of Conscientization in the Process of Humanization 45

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The Role of Those Committed to Liberation and the

Oppressed in the Process of Humanization 49

The Role of Education in Social Transformation 52

The Education for Social Transformation 53

The Problem-Posing Education 54

The Vision of Social Transformation in the Second Plenary Council of the

Philippines 56

An Overview of the Philippine Catholic Church’s Work of Social

Transformation until Corazon Aquino’s Presidency 56
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Philippines as a Colony of Spain 56

The Transition from Spanish to United States Governance 57

The Church Before, During, and After World War II 58

The Shift in the Church’s Engagement in Social

Transformation 60

The Chronological and Processual Description of the Convocation of

the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines 61

The First Plenary Council of the Church in the Philippines 62

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The Process of the Convocation of the Second Plenary Council
of the Philippines IE 62

The Vision of Social Transformation as Articulated by the Second

Plenary Council of the Philippines 66
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The Call of Christ and the Church’s Response 67

The Option to Become a Church of the Poor 67

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The Description of a Church of the Poor 68

The BECs as Embodiment of a Church of the Poor 69

The Liberating Mission of the Church 70

The Church as a Flawed yet Powerful Agent of Social

Transformation 70

A Spirituality of Social Transformation 71

The Proper Formation of a Social Conscience 71

The Social Teachings of the Church 72

Church and Politics 74

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Double Renewal of PCP-II 76

The Post-Council Reflections on its Message of Liberation and Social

Transformation 77

The Pastoral Spiral 77

The Philippine Situationer as the Basis for Pastoral

Discernment 78

The Section on Social Transformation 78

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The Composition of the Council 79

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY IE 82

The Qualitative Design 82

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Rationale for a Qualitative Research 82

The Qualitative Research Defined 83

The Choice of Qualitative Research Design for this Particular Study 84

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Grounded Theory as a Tradition of Inquiry 84

Beginnings of Grounded Theory 84

Common Elements in a Grounded Theory Study 85

The Emergent Nature of Grounded Theory 85

The Constructivist Grounded Theory 86

Data Gathering Process 87

Research Participants 87
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Methods of Data Collection 89

The Data Analysis Procedures 90

Qualitative Coding 91

Memo-Writing 93

Theoretical Sampling 93

The Trustworthiness of the Study 94

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CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS 96

The Research Process IE 96

The Selection of Participants 96

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The Data-Gathering Methods 97

The Gawad Kalinga Theory of Social Transformation 97

A. The Basic Themes of the Gawad Kalinga Theory of Social

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Transformation 98

The Beginnings and Gradual Development of Gawad Kalinga 98

Gawad Kalinga, a Gift from CFC 98

Evangelization as the Embodiment of the Gospel of Love 98

The Inclusive Orientation of Gawad Kalinga 99

Gawad Kalinga’s Path, Transforming Society by Way of

the Heart 100

The Different Faces of Poverty 101

Poverty as Legacy of the Past 102

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Common Experience of Abuse, Exploitation and Loss

of Dignity 103

Hopelessness and the Cry of the Poor 104

Poverty as the Lack or Absence of Caring and Sharing 105

Lessons Learned through the Years of Helping the Poor Rebuild

their Lives 105

The Initial Reception of Gawad Kalinga 106

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Building a Relationship, in Solidarity with the Poor 107

Gawad Kalinga’s Programs, a Guide to Rebuilding the

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Lives of the Poor 108

A Sense of Ownership, a Path to Leadership 109

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Conflict Resolution, Two Orientations 111

The Future Directions of Gawad Kalinga 113

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To Cultivate a Self-Governing Community 113

To Develop a Self-Sufficient and Sustaining Community 114

To Form a New Breed of Young People 115

To Collaborate with Various Stakeholders 116

The GK Volunteer and the Work of Social Transformation 117

The Vocation of a GK Volunteer, a Calling to be Crazy 117

The Path of Servanthood, Leadership the GK Way 118

A Bridge, a Motivator: Two of the Multifaceted Roles

of a GK Volunteer 119
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Joys of Servanthood 120

B. The Process of the Gradual Development of Gawad Kalinga Volunteers’

Understanding of Social Transformation 121

Without a Guide but Armed with Love 121

Gaining Insight, Learning from the Poor as Teachers 122

C. The Factors behind the Gawad Kalinga Volunteers’ Gradual

Formulation of a Theory of Social Transformation 123

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The Experience of Renewal and Continual Formation, the CFC
Influence 123
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The Work of Social Transformation Viewed from the Lens of Faith 123

Helping the Poor, a Sense of Legacy and Advocacy 124

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An Opportunity-Based Outlook, a Framework of Hope 125

The Human Person, a Being in Relation, a Being in Community 125

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D. The Impact of the Interventions Made by Gawad Kalinga Volunteers

in Response to the Challenges Seen in Gawad Kalinga Sites 126

The Housing Project and the Subsequent GK Programs 126

A More Promising Future for Family Life 127

An Improved Community Living 127

The Formation of a Community of Caring and Sharing 127

The Development of Local Leadership 128

The Expansion of Collaboration and Partnership 129

The Healing Dimension of Social Transformation 129

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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The Experience of Being Transformed while Working in

Gawad Kalinga 130

The Two Non-Negotiable Components of Social Transformation 130

Education as the Formation of the Heart 130

A Sense of God and Neighbors, a Spirituality of Caring

and Sharing 131

CHAPTER V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 133

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Summary of Findings 133

The Major Themes of the Understanding of GK Volunteers

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of Social Transformation 134

Gawad Kalinga as an Embodiment of the Gospel of Love 134

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The Multifaceted Nature of Poverty 134

Basic Lessons Learned 135

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Future Directions of Gawad Kalinga 136

The GK Volunteers and the Work of Social Transformation 136

The Gradual Development of the Understanding of Social

Transformation of GK Volunteers 137

The Factors Influencing the Understanding of GK Volunteers

of Social Transformation 137

The Impact of Gawad Kalinga’s Interventions 138

The Two Essential Components of Social Transformation 139

Conclusions 139
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Recommendations 142

Recommendations for Gawad Kalinga 142

Recommendations for Further Study 144

REFERENCES 147

APPENDICES 155

Appendix A Institutional Review Board Approval and Informed

Consent Form 156

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Appendix B Letters to Gawad Kalinga Builder’s Institute and
GK Global Research and Internship Program 162
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Appendix C Letter of Invitation to Participate in the Study 167

VITA 170
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Abstract

THE GAWAD KALINGA THEORY OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION:

A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY

Dennis Moralde Cagantas

Fordham University, New York, 2013

Mentor: Kieran A. Scott, PhD

This grounded theory study was conducted with the purpose to generate a theory of social

transformation of Gawad Kalinga. Gawad Kalinga started its work to eradicate poverty in the

Philippines without a defined roadmap and template. The theory of social transformation

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generated in this study emanated from the way Gawad Kalinga volunteers processed, defined,
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and explained their experiences in their engagement with the poor. Through purposeful

sampling, twenty-three GK volunteers in the Philippines agreed to undergo open-ended

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individual interviews and five focus group discussions. The interventions made by Gawad

Kalinga in poor communities helped the downtrodden and suffering reclaim their humanity,
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restore their dignity, and rebuild their lives. Some manifestations of transformation included the

emergence of a hope-filled family life, formation of communities of caring and sharing,

development of leadership among the poor, and expansion of collaboration with different

stakeholders in the Philippines and abroad. From the lens of faith, GK volunteers believed in the

power of love to eradicate poverty in the Philippines. In their engagement with the poor, love

became embodied in witnessing, solidarity, service, sacrifice, and communion. The ethic of love

emerged as the answer to the removal of poverty understood as the lack or absence of caring and

sharing. The process of social transformation by way of the heart could only be sustained

through education and spirituality that would form the poor to become heroes of the nation.
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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The “People Power” Phenomenon

One of the most significant and hope-filled moments in recent Philippine history was the

peaceful, active, and nonviolent revolution distinctively known as “people power” å(Acts &

Decrees, 1992, p. 107). It took place along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon

City from February 22-25, 1986 (Moreno, 2006). In those most challenging and grueling four

days, more than one million Filipinos from different walks of life staged a protest against the

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corrupt and oppressive Marcos regime in a manner that was uniquely Filipino. People carried
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religious statues and symbols, and they brought food (Acts & Decrees, 1992). Continuous prayer

and festive sharing of food, even with the military that initially had not sided with the Filipino
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people, then marked the four-day rally (Carroll, 2006). On its fourth and final day, the people

power uprising peacefully and successfully ended the 21-year Marcos dictatorship and ushered in
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the emergence of a democratic form of government with Corazon C. Aquino as the new

president of the Philippines (Moreno, 2006).

The People Power Phenomenon As A Political Revolution

In his post-EDSA revolution analysis, Fr. John Carroll (2006), one of the leading Jesuit

sociologists in the Philippines, described the people power phenomenon as “a movement based

on the values of truth and justice, brotherhood and love of country” (p. 107). He added that these

same values had produced a power that surprisingly rendered the might of guns and tanks futile

and useless. However, for Fr. Carroll, without discounting what the four days of February 1986

had achieved to topple down the Marcos administration (Moreno, 2006, p. 80), the uprising was
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mainly a political revolution “in which one elite group supplanted another” (p. 89). It was a

revolution led “in large part from the middle class and other groups that have to some degree

moved out of the traditional system” (p. 95). He continued his critique by saying:

Yet it seems equally clear that the events of February were not consciously

intended to bring about change in the social structure, the traditional

concentration of power and wealth in our society; rather they were aimed at

freeing us from a political system that had become corrupt, exploitative, and

oppressive. Nor did those on EDSA think of putting into effect a new

organizational principle for society, although their actions may well have

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cleared the ground for such a development. (p. 96)
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Started out mainly as a political revolution, the “people power” event hoped to eventually

bring about structural change in the country (Carroll, 2006). The EDSA uprising proved that the
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Filipino people had the right value-system needed to effect a change as momentous as

overthrowing the Marcos regime. The four days of February 1986 undoubtedly helped the
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Filipino people reclaim their freedom and rediscover their sense of fraternity. What remained a

huge challenge to the Filipino people was for them to utilize the gains of the EDSA uprising to

transform a social structure that, for a long period of time, had promoted a “society of unequals”

(Carroll, 2006, p. 143). For Fr. Carroll, the process of attaining structural change would

necessarily require from the middle and upper echelons of society enormous economic sacrifice.

They would consequently end up losers. He then explained: “By that I mean the middle and

upper classes who fought for and obtained political freedom, stand to lose something in

economic terms if we really move toward a more equitable distribution of income” (Carroll, p.

113).
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Coincidentally, as the Philippines celebrated in February 2011 the 25th year anniversary

of the “people power” revolution, some countries in the Middle East have in the past few months

experienced civil protests against their governments. Hannah Beech of Time magazine (2011)

recently wrote about the Asian experience of attaining “democracy through revolution,” focusing

on what the Arab world could learn from it. She specifically highlighted the pioneering

Philippine experience of the “people power” uprising in 1986. Her analysis on the said

phenomenon perfectly captures what has happened in the Philippines since the peaceful ouster of

Marcos. She wrote: “Democracy through revolution is heady stuff, but it’s not always a template

for building lasting freedom and justice” (Beech, p. 26). Her argument was that the Philippines,

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although now enjoying democracy, still remains a country “beset by the poverty, cronyism and
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nepotism that provoked the 1986 protests” (p. 26). In a prophetic sense, Fr. Carroll (2006) was

correct in his view of the “people power” movement mainly as a political revolution that had the
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opportunity to restructure the nation into a more just and equal society. In fact, the question he

raised months after the four days of February 1986 still makes sense: “But will equality follow?”
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(Carroll, p. 89).

The Current Philippine Situation: A Brief Overview

In a lamentable manner, the national “situationer” released by the Catholic Church during

its convocation of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP-II) in January of 1991

(Acts & Decrees, 1992) still aptly describes the country’s current situation. Three major areas

were discussed in detail by the said analysis: “an unbalanced economic structure (the gap

between rich and poor, massive poverty as the social problem), an unbalanced political structure

(elitist politics of personalities and patronage, corruption), reinforced by ambivalent and negative

cultural factors (mentalities, values)” (Church Renewal, 2001, p. 221). Twenty years later, these
   5  

same issues painting a grim and problematic Philippine scenario continue to haunt the Filipino

people and unfortunately seem to remain unchanged (La Vina, 2009; Racelis, 2009). Fr. Carroll

(2006) described this all evident reality when he wrote, “The reality of inequality in our society

is so evident that it hardly requires demonstration, except perhaps for the fact that we have lived

with this reality so long that it may seem as natural and inevitable as the succession of the hot

and rainy seasons” (p. 7)

The current Philippine situation may not, after all, look totally hopeless and deplorable.

In 2009, in celebration of its 150th founding anniversary, the Ateneo de Manila University, the

leading Jesuit University in the Philippines, initiated a major project that focused on helping the

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country move forward and offering the Filipino people hope (Rodriguez & Lacandula-
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Rodriguez, 2009). More than forty faculty members from twenty or more disciplines explored

five major areas that became the Agenda for Hope, namely: “to share prosperity, to democratize
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governance, to promote sustainable development, to transform and preserve Philippine identity

and culture, to inspire our youth” (Rodriguez & Lacandula-Rodriguez, 2009, p. ix). Although
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coming from a diverse range of academic backgrounds, they all shared a common passion and

mission to help transform Philippine society into “a caring, equitable, and productive society

with the human person located squarely in the middle” (Racelis, 2009, p. ix). What they

discovered amidst “the current scenario of continuing poverty, inequality, and widening

disparities in people’s well-being” (Racelis, p. x) were different pockets of hope. Stories abound

about communities that exhibit lives of “heroism, resilience, and transformation” (Rodriguez &

Lacandula-Rodriguez, 2009, p. ix). There is indeed hope.

One of the key areas explored by the Agenda for Hope project was the thriving social

entrepreneurship in the Philippines. Instead of being trapped in the cycle of “ ‘uncreative

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repitition’ (where the politics of blame ensured unaccountability and inability to solve long-

standing problems from poverty to social injustice)” (La Vina, 2009, p. vii), a good number of

Filipino organizations and communities, both profit and non-profit, have found alternative

responses to the Philippine situation through “innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions”

(Keh, 2009, p. 2). These new and creative ways to solve social problems and to bring about

change in society are formally called social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship has a

variety of definitions, but what is common to all social enterprises is “the primacy of the social

mission of these endeavors” (p. 3). Their task is to promote development that creates sustainable

and positive impact on the lives of the marginalized members of society (La Vina, 2009). Among

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the current nonprofit social enterprises featured in the Agenda for Hope project was the Gawad

Kalinga (GK; Pastores & Villaluz, 2009).

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The Beginnings of Gawad Kalinga
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One of the growing ecclesial movements of the Catholic Church in the Philippines is the

Couples for Christ (CFC). CFC was founded in 1981 in Manila by 16 married couples who were
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members of a Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer group. They had a vision of renewing and

strengthening family life. The mission was to form Christian families committed to the

“Church’s evangelizing work, promoting peace and justice, defending the poor and the

oppressed, and promoting the unity of Christians” (International Associations of the Faithful,

2006). CFC had been officially recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity as an

international association of the faithful in the year 2005. It had been engaged in the work of

evangelization and total human liberation for thirty-one years through its pastoral programs that

were “pro-God, pro-family, pro-poor, and pro-life” (The CFC Arch, 2008). The members
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already numbered almost a million, and its presence could be found in seventy-six countries

(International Associations of the Faithful, 2006).

In the year 2007 the Couples for Christ underwent a major historical turn. It split into

two separate, yet similarly oriented groups. The original CFC group, with GK as one of its

ministries, continued to function as a national and international private association of the faithful,

officially bearing the name CFC Global. The newly formed group became the Couples for

Christ for Family and Life. Initially, it started as a diocesan association that could, in the future,

apply for official recognition as a national association and even later as an international

association of the faithful (G. Reyes, personal communication, September 6, 2007). In May of

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2009, the original group, currently named CFC Global, experienced another twist in its historical
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development. It finally decided to let go of its most distinguished and highly appreciated

ministry, the GK. The official statement released by the CFC Executive Director, Joel Tale,
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noted two basic differences between CFC Global and GK:

a. CFC Global decided to continue its mission in oneness with the Catholic Church;
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while Gawad Kalinga wanted to pursue its poverty alleviation and nation-building

programs this time as a non-religious organization;

b. The organizational structure of CFC Global with all its ministries and programs is

under the management of the CFC Global International Council. This seemed to have

constrained Gawad Kalinga in the pursuit of its mission. (Tale, 2009)

To resolve the issue, CFC Global decided to let go of GK. Concretely, this meant that

GK, as an organization, would have its own independent governance, distinct corporate identity,

and functions; thus giving it leeway to build partnerships with all sectors of society to pursue its

work of nation building and poverty alleviation (The CFC International Council, 2009).
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CFC initially started GK in 1995 as an outreach program for the youth in Bagong Silang,

Caloocan City, Philippines (La Vina, Keh, Santos, & Senajon, 2009). The pioneering three-day

youth camp held in December 1995 eventually led to the introduction of different programs and

activities, like “theater, sports, livelihood training, and scholarships” (La Vina et al., p. 63).

They were originally intended to help transform young gang members and out-of-school youth

into responsible members of society (Pastores & Villaluz, 2009). As the CFC volunteers met

with the youth’s families and visited their houses, they gradually realized that the slum

environment where these people lived needed rehabilitation itself. Founded on the principle that

“the environment or the community where young people are supposed to thrive should prepare

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them for the realities of the world by equipping them with the proper values taught from
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childhood” (Pastores & Villaluz, p. 45), the youth program slowly evolved into a project of

“transforming the very structure where growth starts” (p. 46). Thus, as simplistic as it may
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sound, CFC began literally building houses.

The first recipient of the housing program of CFC was the Adduro family in Bagong
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Silang (La Vina et al., 2009), and Bagong Silang became the pilot community of CFC’s project

of helping families build decent homes. Little by little CFC observed significant changes in

people’s attitude and outlook. This was one of its early epiphanies—“transformation was

possible” (Pastores & Villaluz, 2009, p. 46). Inspired by the initial signs of success in Bagong

Silang, CFC launched a challenge within its community to explore if the Bagong Silang

phenomenon could be replicated in other distressed areas. The challenge was named Gawad

Kalinga (translated into English as “to give care”), which eventually became the official name of

the project. As a result, the first 30 GK communities CFC built increased in number two years
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later, as the first GK community was built in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental (La Vina et al.,

2009).

The Gawad Kalinga’s Continuing Mission

GK is a dynamically evolving organization. The total and final split from its mother

organization, the Couples for Christ Global, has led GK to rethink its program of sustaining

leadership in its communities. Even now the process continues, although its organizational

structure apparently remains the same (M. Bentoy, personal communication, March 17, 2011). It

still retains operational teams from the national to the local levels. There is, however, a recently

developed community model in addition to the existing GK village composed only of 30-100

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homes. Formed “to achieve scale and better efficiency,” a GK estate is a bigger community of a
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minimum of 300 houses (Infrastructure, n.d., para. 8). All these GK communities have

Kapitbahayan, “Neighborhood Association”, and their community living is directed by concrete

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guidelines outlined from the very outset through GK’s values formation program. They have

volunteers within their communities called caretakers. Led by a project director and community
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organizer, they are responsible 24/7 “to ensure that the community has access to the support that

it may need” (Pastores & Villaluz, 2009, p. 48). Their voluntary work includes the following:

“Organizing communities into “Kapitbahayans” (GK neighborhood associations); delivering the

values formation program; implementing the community development plan and GK programs;

mentoring the community leaders towards self-governance” (Caretaker Team, n.d., para. 3).

The overwhelming support that GK has received from local and international groups has

strengthened and energized GK in its resolve to dream in a most bold yet profoundly noble way

of a slum-free Philippines (Pastores & Villaluz, 2009). Since the successful replication of the

Bagong Silang phenomenon in other impoverished areas, GK has continued to engage in the
   10  

work of social transformation by building houses and forming communities whose basic needs

are addressed through their programs on shelter, education, values formation, health, livelihood,

environment, and community development. Its nation-building and poverty alleviation programs

are grounded in basic Filipino values—the values of caring, sharing, bayanihan (“teamwork and

cooperation”), walang iwanan (“no one should be left behind in the pursuit of development and

progress”)—and, in the belief, that being a hero to those in need can help remove the country

from the sad state of poverty (Culture of Caring and Sharing, n.d., para. 2-7). After eleven years

of its initial attempts to alleviate the plight of the poor in the different regions in the Philippines,

GK received its first international accolade, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community

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Leadership. The award recognized its work of “harnessing the faith and generosity of Filipinos
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the world over to confront poverty in their homeland and to provide every Filipino the dignity of

a decent home and neighborhood” (Citation for Gawad Kalinga, 2006, para. 14).
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Builder of dreams, Gawad Kalinga unveiled its plan in June 2009 at the GK Global

Summit in Boston, MA. The plan is to end poverty for five million Filipinos in the year 2024, a
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vision now dubbed as GK2024 (A Timeline to Timelessness, n.d.). GK gave a definite timeline

of 21 years to realize its plan to eliminate poverty by providing “land for the landless, homes for

the homeless, and food for the hungry” (Our Vision & Mission, n.d., para. 3). According to

GK’s framework, the dream serves as a roadmap to transform the Philippines into “a nation

made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human

dignity” (Our Vision & Mission, para. 2).

GK chronologically outlined the proposed realization of GK2024 in three phases. The

first phase took place between 2003 and 2010. It aimed to challenge and inspire people to

aggressively address the issue of social injustice plaguing the Philippines. What transpired