Press Release
SMART joins Gawad Kalinga’s 5th year celebration
GK Infoboard service to connect GK partners and volunteers launched
[October 27, 2008/ Manila] - Smart Communications Inc. (SMART) joined the celebration of the 5th Gawad Kalinga (GK) anniversary by participating in the recently concluded GK1World Expo at the Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Together with GK Village residents, workers, volunteers and partners nationwide, SMART renewed its commitment to realize Gawad Kalinga’s GK777’s goal – to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years to eradicate hunger and poverty in the Philippines. “Gawad Kalinga: Walang Iwanan” was the theme of this year’s expo.
Connecting GK volunteers via GK Infoboard (717GK)
During the expo, SMART launched the GK InfoBoard, a service that will make GK announcements more accessible to the thousands of GK volunteers all over the country.
“With the GK InfoBoard service, GK partners and volunteers will be able to receive important announcements on GK-related activities upon subscription. The GK Infoboard can also help in building a database of Gawad Kalinga volunteers,” said SMART Wireless Consumer Solutions head James Bernas.
“InfoBoard is SMART’s web-based solution that offers various SMS facilities with different functions and capabilities designed to suit the needs of different ‘communities’ like schools, NGOs, socio-civic organizations and the like. What is needed is a computer with Internet access, and a personalized access code. Clients can create and upload content as needed by their ‘community members’,” he added.
GK partners and volunteers may register for free to the GK InfoBoard service by simply keying in TAYA<space>REG<space>FIRST NAME<space>LAST NAME/CITY<space>PLEDGE/AGE and sending the information to 71745 (717GK). (For example, TAYA REG JUAN DELACRUZ/Cebu I will serve as GK Sagip Facilitator and visit my adopted GK village every weekend/26, then send to 71745 (717GK).
To start receiving announcements from GK, one needs to subscribe to the GK InfoBoard service by typing TAYA<space>PUSH<space>ON and sending it to 71745 (717GK). Subscription will cost only P1.00. This means that a registered GK subscriber will be charged P1.00 for every text broadcast sent by GK.
The GK InfoBoard service is initially available only to SMART and Talk N’ Text subscribers.
“Technology like the InfoBoard will transform the landscape of volunteer management. We can now send real-time information on GK activities to the volunteers in an instant,” said GK Executive Director Luis Oquiñena. “With InfoBoard and the help of SMART, we can definitely look forward to more volunteer participation simply because of easy access to information.”
“Walang Iwanan” with SMART and Gawad Kalinga
During the Executive Director’s Report, SMART Public Affairs Group Head Ramon Isberto joined other GK partners from the private sector and the government in sharing how Gawad Kalinga has enriched the lives of both volunteers and beneficiaries.
“The most striking illustration of ‘walang iwanan’, is demonstrated by beneficiaries helping other beneficiaries,” said Isberto. He shared how the Banglos sculptors from Gen. Nakar allotted P100,000 from exhibit sales last year in Cebu for the PLDT-SMART Amazing GK Village in Budlaan, Cebu.
The Banglos sculptors was formed after SMART introduced driftwood sculpture as an alternative source of income for the Gen. Nakar fishermen/farmers affected by the successive typhoons in 2004. Now a recognized community-based artist group, the Banglos sculptors has had several exhibits across the country. Their works were also featured during the expo via an exhibit at the SMART booth.
Resident-beneficiaries of the PLDT-SMART Amazing GK Villages from Baseco Compound in Tondo and from Gen. Nakar, Quezon joined the Martsa ng mga Bayani, an annual tradition in which GK volunteers, beneficiaries and partners who have been part of GK’s mission to build homes all over the country take to the streets to show solidarity and friendship.
SMART also held an exhibit which showcased its partnership with Gawad Kalinga, which started with the adoption of seven GK villages and has since then expanded to livelihood projects for these communities and the provision of Internet connectivity to the 18 GK regional offices via SMART’s Broadbanding GK Communities project.
Powering the GK1World Expo
GK partners and volunteers from other parts of the world were able to join the celebration through a webcast via the GK volunteers’ website hosted by SMART – http://www.gk1world.net/.
E-load services and free cell phone battery charging were also offered at the SMART booth.
SMART, together with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and the PLDT-SMART Foundation, have committed to build seven PLDT-SMART Amazing GK villages in different locations.
The seven sites are located in BASECO Compound, Tondo, Manila for fire victims; Brgy. Anoling, General Nakar, Quezon for victims of floods and landslides; Camp Abubakar, Barira, Maguindanao for those who lost their homes during the “all out war” a few years ago; Brgy. Budlaan, Talamban, Cebu City for the homeless; Brgy. Manduriao, Iloilo City, Iloilo for families of streetchildren; Fort Magsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija for families of soldiers; and in Brgy. Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, for victims of the mudslide.
Aside from funding the construction of 100 houses per village, SMART also assists the beneficiaries through various livelihood and environmental protection programs. @
