Fundraising Event

Gawad Kalinga Canada (GKC) was formed in October 6, 2010 as a federally incorporated not for profit corporation with charitable registration number 8415 83917 RR0001.  Its premier project, the One Canada Project, aims to consolidate Canada-solicited resources to a few selected beneficiary communities at a time so that the delivery of benefits is not too thinly spread over too-many recipient communities.

GK Canada has sponsored 82 villages (20-30 homes per village) through donations from corporations and various groups.

GK villages supported by Canadians are scattered throughout the Philippines.

Luzon: Caloocan, Manila, Quezon City, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Marikina, Kalinga, Isabella, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.

Visayas: Talisay City, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, Passi City, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Bohol, Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte.

Mindanao: Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Bubugay, Iligan City, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Ozamis City, Tancub City, Camiguin, Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Kidapawan City, Saranggani, South Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.

 Canadian students are growing a strong interest in GK and are organizing as a distinct group that will bring GK closer to the Canadian academic community. As far back as three years ago, a secondary school in British Columbia has started organizing immersion trips to villages in the Philippines. Independently, and on their own initiative, Ontario students with interest in Justice and Peace studies, as well as Developmental Studies have visited and studied villages. More recently, university students have been forming groups not only to bring GK-awareness to fellow students but also to introduce the GK Model to academic programs.

 GKC has initiated a campaign to help victims of typhoon Bopha/ Pablo at the start of 2013. The most recent and current campaign is geared towards helping the victims of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. These campaigns are consistent with the Walang Iwanan(No One Is Left Behind) initiatives of GK in the Philippines in leading on the ground operations to provide basic relief as well as rebuild or relocate damaged and destroyed homes caused by the typhoons.

Gathering of Heroes. As a major first step towards achieving the One Canada Project goals, a November 2011 event “A Gathering of Heroes,” was held to renew and celebrate bonds with historical partners and to welcome new ones.

4TH Global Summit Host. In 2012, GKC hosted the 4th GK Global Summit in Toronto, On with the goal of increasing its visibility to both the Filipino-Canadian and the mainstream communities. Filipinos now make up the fourth largest visible minority group in Canada and have proven to be valuable entrepreneurs, employees, and community-work volunteers in the Canadian landscape.

pidoy.pacis@gkcanada.org

Alfredo Pacis is CEO of AC Tristar Marketing Corp. in Toronto. The successful marketing firm, the primary distributor of Saladmaster products, was founded by Pacis in 1999. Pacis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, major in Accounting and Business Management. He is passionate in helping the  poor and has worked hard towards building the thriving GK Saladmaster Village in Pototan, Iloilo also known as GK777.

 jose.querubin@gkcanada.org

Jose has been a banker for 27 years and in 2003, he became the President & CEO of the United Coconut & Planters Bank until September 2007. 

While in the Philippines, he was active in professional organizations. He was secretary of the Bankers Association of the Philippines and President and Chairman of Megalink, Inc.  He was also active in civic organizations like the Philippine National Red Cross as Governor, Operation Smile Philippines as Chairman and Rotary Club of Makati West as President. 

Currently he sits in the boards of the Homes First Society as Chair of the Board and Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance & Administration Committee.

Jose has completed two undergraduate degrees: a BS in Mathematics (Cum Laude) and Mechanical Engineering at the De La Salle University.  He holds an MBA degree at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. He believes that building homes for the poor not only put roofs over their heads, but more importantly gives them the dignity they deserve.  He believes in the GK Philippine mission of ending poverty for 5 million families in 2024 and is looking into GK Canada to help fulfill this mission.

 Monique.Fabregas@gkcanada.org

GK’s mission of building a 3Zero world – Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty – resonates deeply with Monique as she believes in working towards building a kinder world that leaves no one behind. A Filipina immigrant and a mom herself, Monique focuses her advocacy on supporting women and children.

She was a speaker and panelist at “Celebrate Filipino Women Entrepreneurs and Women in Business” for an International Women’s Day 2023 event at Sheridan College moderated by Minister Rechie Valdez. She is a current Board Member & Officer of b2Bpreneur, an entrepreneurial educational workshop programme serving immigrant and neuro-divergent children and youth in the GTA, and a volunteer Assistant Coach & Scorer for her kids’ House League teams in the Markham District Baseball Association.

While on extended maternity leave, Monique founded “Serendipity Kids,” a small business that produced and sold her original personalized wall art pieces for children, which were manufactured in Quebec from non-toxic and locally sourced materials.

Monique is currently working at the Toronto International Design Centre as a Designer specializing in residential renovations and kitchen design. She holds a Professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto where she was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Honour Roll and the Toronto Society of Architects Medal for Design. She also earned a Diploma in Interior Design from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver.

alice.herrera@gkcanada.org

Alice is an energy professional working at the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) as a Senior Specialist managing the evaluation, measurement and verification of energy conservation programs in Ontario.  Before immigrating to Canada in September 2007, Alice worked as a Research Specialist and  independent energy consultant. 

In the Philippines,   She served for many years as President of the Energy Efficiency Practitioners Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers - Department of Science and Technology chapter.  She has a Ph. D. degree in energy engineering and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of the Philippines, Diliman and a Masteral degree in energy engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand.

In Canada, she is actively involved with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Toronto and is currently the president. By joining Gawad Kalinga, Alice would have the opportunity of helping Filipinos rise up from poverty.

aurora.elefano@gkcanada.org

Aurora established the Filipino Renal Nurses Association of Ontario ( FRNAO ), where she is the Founding President and President for the past 13 years from 2007 to 2019 and currently FRNAO Adviser. As a registered nurse, Aurora worked for 43 years, from 1973 to 2016 in the Hemodialysis Unit at the Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto General Hospital and St Michael Hospital. She is a Director of the Board for Kol Hope Foundation, a registered charitable organization that raises funds for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and two orphanages in the Philippines, namely, the Bacolod Boys Home and the Holy Infant Nursery Home in Negros Occidental. 

She is a board member of Philippines Independence Day Council (PIDC) since 2007. In 2018, Aurora was elected President and presently sitting President of San Pablo City Association of Ontario (Samahang Sampablenyo). In 2000-2002, Aurora was the Vice-President of the Seven Lakes International, Inc. and later was elected President in January, 2020 . This organization keeps San Pablenyos around the world informed about its program and projects that will improve the quality of life of the people in their cities. 

In 2002, Aurora was one of the recipients of the Most Outstanding Filipino Canadians Award of Binibining Pilipinas of the World. She also received scholarship in reference to Youth and Education, Drug Awareness and Health and Environment. In 2017, Aurora was one of the recipients of the Outstanding Canadian to honour outstanding leaders for their exemplary work and for their efforts in promoting diversity in Canada.

Joel.Licuanan@gkcanada.org

Joel currently works for Royal Bank of Canada as Community Manager, Toronto Northeast Market.  He graduated with a degree in Bachelor in Commerce (Accounting Major), Cum Laude from the University of Pangasinan, Philippines.    His other educational accomplishments are: 

• Masters Cert. in Adult Learning & Development (Schulich Exec Educ Centre);
• Fellow, Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI)
• Personal Financial Planning Designation (PFP)
• Specialist in Financial Counseling Designation (SFC)
• Canadian Insurance Course
• Financial Analysis Certification 
• Canadian Entrepreneurial Studies –Small Medium Enterprise Program 
• Goals Based Planning Curriculum 
• Branch Compliance Officer Course 
• Associate in Institute of Canadian Bankers (AICB)–AICB Designation (with Honors)

His volunteer works are as follows:

• TRIEC Mentor (present)
• Mosaic National Pillar member (2019 – present)
• Enactus mentor (2023- present)
• Global Strides Charity member – help in annual fundraising event for orphanage in Kenya (2013 – present)
• Junior Achievement Volunteer for more than 15 years
• Active fundraiser for JDRF and RBC Race for the Kids
• Acces Employment Toronto, RBC Speaker for Newcomer program (2016 – 2019)
• Volunteer, Canadian Bankers Association (YourMoney Seminar Program)
• Youth Leader, World Youth Days (Rome, Toronto, Germany) 
• Community Leader, Scalabrini Lay Movement for Migrants & Refugees (based in Newark NY)
• Speaker, New Immigrants Program –Catholic Community Services of York Region

agnes.manasan@gkcanada.org

Agnes manages the Settlement Workers in Schools Program of the Catholic Community Services of York Region where she helps newcomer students and their families in 300 schools in the region. She practiced as an EAP Affiliate Counsellor for Warren Shepell and Ceridian providing short-term counselling for individuals, couples and families in Toronto. She earned her BS in Social Work degree at the University of the Philippines, Diliman (1976), and completed her Master’s degree in Business and Government Administration (1981-1983) at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Before immigrating to Canada in 1994, Agnes worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs where she was posted to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York City as an Attaché and Special Assistant from 1986 to 1993. She was Division Manager of the Organization Development and Institution-Building  of NACIDA, Department of Trade and Industry (1983-1986).

Her passion and commitment for helping the poor can be traced to her student activism in the 1970s and exposure early in her career with the National Housing Authority as a community organizer and program coordinator of the World Bank-funded slum upgrading program (1975-1983). She made a significant contribution in helping the Vietnamese refugees as a member of the task force who formulated and established the Philippine Refugee Processing Centre in Morong, Bataan.

gizele.mirasol@gkcanada.org

Gizele Mirasol is an award winning "Top Producer", "Lifetime Achievement" & "Hall of Fame" Realtor. She is in the

Top 1% out of 70,000+ realtors in Toronto, Canada. She is also very involved in the community as a TV Personality for MCBN

Media Group & a BOD for Philippine Chamber of Commerce. Aside from being a Board of Director for GK Canada, she continuous

to give back to various charities in Canada and Internationally (Philippines, Kenya, Ghana). Gizele is also a well sought-after emcee/host for festivals, weddings, concerts & has

interviewed famous artists, politicians and olympians. In 2017, Gizele was a recipient of the Most Outstanding Canadian Award & a Community Award from Kababayan Community Centre. Gizele is grateful for all her blessings & believes in the importance of giving back to the community despite her busy schedule.

jean.pardo@gkcanada.org

Gene worked for  Winterthur Insurance and RBC Insurance for 42 years.  Gene’s passion for community service began in 2004 when  she was the fundraising coordinator for KOL Hope Foundation for Children.   She volunteered at the Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) in 2007 in various positions, including treasurer and vice-president.  She chaired different events of PIDC, including the Pageant and Youth Group.  She single-handedly solicited donations for eight (8) houses for Gawad Kalinga,  Gene's co-chairing of the PIDC Yolanda Typhoon Fundraising in 2013 helped raise over $140,000.00 in donations from various sectors, resulting in PIDC donating 33 houses for GK.

Her volunteerism for over 15 years has earned her various community awards, including the Ontario Volunteer Service Award as well as the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Pin. Currently, Gene serves as one of the Board of Directors of GK Canada, 

ester.toribio@gkcanada.org

Ester is currently the bookkeeper and website administrator of GK Canada.  She earned her BS Business Administration degree at the University of the Philippines, Diliman (1968) majoring in Accounting.  She is also a founding member and currently a board member of the Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians and the board secretary, as well the website administrator of the MFFC website.  She is also a founding member and past board member of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Toronto.  Her other volunteer work is with her parish church Blessed Frederick Ozanam as lector and Eucharistic minister.  Her work experience was in Information Technology with San Miguel Corporation, Philippines and Petro Canada.  After retiring early from Petro Canada , she worked as an SAP consultant for Zurich Insurance.