Read about Boboy Igot's extraordinary journey of survival and rebuilding communities on love.

Read about Boboy Igot's extraordinary journey of survival and rebuilding communities on love.

"If you have lost hope, find it. Seek it. If you still cannot find it, build it. Do something that will prove to you that things will change." - Mark Lawrence Cruz, Gawad Kalinga

 

At 45 years old, Ricardo "Boboy" Igot has lived through more than most do in a lifetime.

In November 1991, a major typhoon that struck his home in Southern Leyte, triggering flashfloods that killed thousands of people and left their community in ruins. Almost 22 years later, Leyte felt the brunt of nature once again when Typhoon Yolanda swept through the island in November 2013 - forcing residents like Boboy to relive the trauma and rebuild their lives from the rubble.

"I know what it's like to live in tents, gyms, halls, schools," recalls Boboy, his voice cracking under the weight of his memory. "I know how it feels to have nothing to call your own."

Rather than regard himself as a victim, Boboy took upon himself the spirit of a survivor. His pivotal role in Gawad Kalinga (GK) allowed him to mobilize fellow survivors and volunteers towards community-building efforts, thereby strengthening interpersonal ties within the community in true bayanihan spirit.

 

Building communities

Boboy's days of service began with his involvement in Youth for Christ (YFC), one of the family ministries established by the Christian organization, Couples for Christ (CFC). He moved on to became a full-time GK volunteer and was later one of the few hand-picked by GK Founder Tony Meloto to spearhead projects in the provinces, where he was originally assigned to the GK pilot site - now known as the Human Nature-Gawad Kalinga Village in Barangay Tambulilid in Ormoc, Leyte.

As GK's Head of Community Building in the Area Coordination Team for Region VIII, Boboy's main responsibilities involve reaching out to informal settlers who are interested in joining the GK program, as well as securing the welfare of the 96 communities that he is in charge of.

Boboy Igot

"One of the main challenges of my work is presence," Boboy explains. "You always have to be there for them. To build personal relationships with the communities, you really have to take the time to do on-the-ground efforts. You have to know how to listen to everyone."

As an area coordinator, there are times when Boboy struggles to instill the spirit of bayanihan in his communities. "Sometimes, it's difficult to encourage other people to give the same kindness given to them. If a person's house is already built, it's difficult to ask them to help out a neighbor with the same dilemma he used to have. It's difficult to empower them."

"There will always be the temptation to make our love conditional," he admits. "People are always complaining to you and about you. They demand so many things from you that sometimes, it feels unfair. But that's when I go back to God's limitless love."

 

Love as a cornerstone

"I see my family and friends who were with me when we experienced the flashflood. I see that they now have their own homes. Squatters no more," Boboy emphasizes with a smile. He is happiest for his children, who at one point in their lives would have to change their address every year - now, they are blessed with a well-built and permanent home built on love.

"Before I die, I want to see more people owning their own homes," Boboy expresses, his eyes welling up with tears. "I want GK to be not the only solution, but also for it to inspire more goodness."

"At the end of the day, I thank God that I am a part of this, that I can serve - even a person like me who is poor and has no power," he smiles. "My inspiration is to have the privilege to serve."

 

Photos courtesy of Jansen Cheng and Love Princess Igot