VP NOLI HITS HOARDING MENTALITY
May 1, 2008

Vice President Noli “Kabayan” De Castro recently warned against a hoarding mentality in the face of serious threats against food security and sufficiency and called for a revolution of generosity to combat the spread of poverty.

De Castro made the remarks before leaders, corporate supporters and beneficiaries of the Gawad Kalinga (GK) project during the latter’s Harvest Festival in Malaybalay City , Bukidnon. The event marked the anniversary of GK’s food production program implemented in tandem with its community-building activities.

“Hoarding is not only a violation of the laws of trade and commerce. It is also contrary to the nature of the human spirit which is supposed to be in the image and likeness of God. Hoarding is the direct opposite of generosity,” De Castro said.

GK is a social outreach of the Couples for Christ.

De Castro noted that the shelter and food production projects of GK have prospered because of this spirit of generosity.

GK’s corporate and individual sponsors and supporters have refused to hoard their resources and opted to use these instead to benefit underprivileged Filipinos, De Castro said.

De Castro lauded GK’s multi-stakeholder approach, noting that the strategy taps and mobilizes the spirit of generosity among supporters and beneficiaries.

In the same event, De Castro urged GK head Tony Meloto to continue focusing on the GK mission and ignore the criticism against the organization and its projects.

“Our critics and detractors can do what they honestly think they must do,” De Castro told Meloto. “We must take the blows for the sake of roofs over the heads and gardens with bountiful harvests for underprivileged Filipinos,” De Castro added.

“If one is not criticized, he may not be doing much,” De Castro said quoting from former United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

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