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----- Forwarded by Daffodil Santos/API/ABS-CBN/PH on 03/11/05 07:00 PM -----
| Sheryll Ong/API/ABS-CBN/PH
03/11/05 04:37 PM |
|
the last statement was really touching...
And He's Not Even A Filipino...
> >* An Interview of Dylan Wilks by Bo Sanchez
> >
> >Dylan Wilk was born to a poor family. But at the young age of 20,
he
> >started a computer games company that made him a millionaire.
Soon,
> >Dylan operated in nine countries and ran his own TV channel. Then
at
> >the age of 25, Dylan sold his company for multi-million British
> >pounds. He became the ninth richest person in the Great Britain
under
> >the age of 30.
> >
> >But one night, while lying in bed, he was distressed by a nagging
> >question that wouldn't let him sleep.
> >
> >"God, why am I rich?"
> >
> >He asked if there was a reason for his immense wealth.
Ironically,
he
> >also felt terribly empty inside. This, despite his ability to have
> >any kind of pleasure he wanted. He had just bought himself a
> >brand-new Ferrari and took one holiday after another. But he was
> >discovering that pleasure was like fire... it constantly needed
more
> >fuel to keep it going. And he realized he would never be happy in
the
> >path he was taking.
> >
> >One day, a Filipina friend visited him. She said she felt guilty
> >going there because her plane fare could have built two homes for
the
> >poor. That made Dylan pause. How can you build two houses for that
> >measly amount? He decided to investigate.
> >
> >In January 2003, he visited the Philippines. And for three hours,
> >Gawad Kalinga (GK) Director Tony Meloto brought Dylan to
different
GK
> >villages for the poor. With his own eyes, he saw something that
would
> >change his life forever...
> >
> >Bo: What did you see on that day?
> >
> >Dylan: I saw hope. More than newly built houses, I saw transformed
> >lives. We were entering rather dangerous slums, breeding ground
for
> >thieves and kidnappers... yet in the middle of that was an
oasis...
> >the Gawad Kalinga village. I saw people smiling, men working,
> >children laughing... I've seen many other projects in South East
Asia
> >and across the world. And I've never seen anything like GK. This
was
> >different. This really worked!
> >
> >Bo: So what did you do after your trip?
> >
> >Dylan: I went back to England. I saw my BMW parked in the garage
and
> >realized I could build 80 homes with it... and affect the lives of
> >600 people. I saw the faces of the children I could help. I
called
up
> >Tony Meloto and told him I was thinking of donating $100,000 to
Gawad
> >Kalinga and asked him if that was okay...
> >
> >Bo: What did Tony say?
> >
> >Dylan: He said, "No, I don't want your money."
> >
> >Bo: Only Tony can say something like that. (Laughs.)
> >
> >Dylan: He said if I was really serious in working for the poor, I
> >should go back to the Philippines. So two months later, I sold my
BMW
> >and flew back to Manila. And in June of that year, I made a
decision
> >to stay in the Philippines and work for GK for seven more years.
> >
> >Bo: Wow.
> >
> >Dylan: I've decided to invest in the poor of the Philippines. Not
in
> >stocks or bonds. If I can help in uplifting the poor of this
country,
> >I can say that I spent my life well.
> >
> >Bo: I presume your family wasn't too crazy about that decision.
> >
> >Dylan: No! They thought I was brainwashed by a religious cult!
> >(Laughs.) So my mother came and spied on me. But she was soon
> >convinced of the beautiful work we were doing and went back home
and
> >told my sister about it. And my sister said, "Oh no, they
brainwashed
> >you too!" (Laughs.) But today, all of them support what I do.
> >
> >Bo: You've made a decision to give up your wealth for the Filipino
> >poor.
> >
> >Dylan: I don't see it as a sacrifice. When you give charity out of
> >pity, you feel pain parting with your money. But when you give
> >charity because you love, you don't feel that pain. You only feel
the
> >joy of giving to someone you love. That's what I feel.
> >
> >Bo: I hear you built an entire village for GK in Bulacan.
> >
> >Dylan: I don't see it as my village. I just provided the
materials.
> >Architects, engineers, volunteers gave their labor. Together, we
> >built 63 houses for the poor.
> >
> >Bo: Amazing. What else do you do?
> >
> >Dylan: I go around the world telling everyone that Filipinos are
> >heroic. Because I work with them every day... the volunteers of
GK.
> >
> >Bo: What do you see in the Filipino that we take for granted?
> >
> >Dylan: You're hardworking. You're always laughing, always eating,
> >always singing. Even in your problems. You're loyal. And honest.
> >Sure, there are exceptions, but generally, that's been my
experience.
> >And you have the bayanihan spirit. The pyramids of Egypt are
> >beautiful but they were built by slavery. GK villages are more
> >beautiful because they're made through the bayanihan spirit of the
> >Filipino. It's especially this bayanihan and love of family and
> >community that makes the Filipino more valuable than gold. If you
> >take a golden nugget and kick it on the floor for 400 years,
> >afterwards you won't be able to see much gold, just mud. This was
> >what happened to the Filipino... for 400 years you were slaves and
> >then you suffered under dictatorship and corruption. This is where
> >the crab mentality came from; I don't think it's a natural
Filipino
> >quality because every day I see the gold under the surface of
> >ordinary Filipinos. If we wipe away the mud by bringing hope and
> >being brothers to one another in bayanihan, the gold will shine
> >through and the world will see it.
> >
> >Bo: Let me get personal here. I hear that you don't only love the
> >Filipinos, but you've fallen for a particular Filipina.
> >
> >Dylan: (Smiles.) Two months ago, I married Anna Meloto, the eldest
> >daughter of Tony Meloto. She grew up with the GK work, so we're
> >totally one in our mission. And yes, I'll be having Filipino
> >children. The best way I can secure a future for my kids is to
> >continue to help raise this country from poverty. Instead of
building
> >high walls in an exclusive subdivision to protect us from thieves
and
> >kidnappers, I will go to the breeding ground of thieves and
> >kidnappers and help transform their lives.
> >
> >Bo: Thank you for this interview. You don't know how much you
> >inspired me.
> >
> >Dylan: Thank you for being our partner in GK. I read KERYGMA every
> >month and I'm happy to see GK stories in every issue.
> >
> >Bo: It's our immense privilege to tell the world about it and ask
> >others to join the miracle.
> >
> >Dylan: To me, GK isn't just Gawad Kalinga. It is a part of "God's
> >Kingdom" in this world. Thank you.
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