Ambassador Gaa Congratulates Rev. Norberto Carcellar of the Homeless People Federation
Philippine Ambassador to the United States
Willy C. Gaa congratulated Reverend Norberto Carcellar, Executive
Director of the Homeless People’s Federation, for being one of three
finalists for the Opus Prize, a US$1 million faith-based humanitarian
award annually given by the Opus Prize Foundation to an individual or an
organization working on the front lines of today’s most persistent
social problems.
While the grand prize was awarded on 08 November 2007 to Brother
Constant Goetschalckx for his work in providing high school and college
education to thousands of African refugees through a program
administered by the Catholic University, the Homeless People’s
Federation received US$100,00.00 for being among the finalists.
In his letter to Reverend Carcellar, Ambassador Gaa expressed his hope
that the honor and recognition bestowed on the leadership of Reverend
Carcellar and the Federation will serve to inspire our “kababayans” to
support non-government organizations that are working to improve the
living conditions of poor urban communities in the Philippines.
The Homeless People’s Federation Philippines was chosen as a finalist by
the Opus Prize Foundation for its work in enabling squatters living on
the Payatas garbage dump in Quezon City to create community savings
program and credit programs, purchase land, build housing and set up
waste disposal and water distribution systems. Founded in 1991, the
organization is a national network of urban community organizations,
associations of poor people and scavengers and community-based savings
group constituting more than 70,000 members from 18 cities in the
Philippines. END.