by Jonah Romero, Kaya FC

Waking up at 6 AM on our day off is not something most people would want to do. Getting to the pick-up site on time only to wait an extra hour to depart to our final destination could test someone’s patience but…. TODAY was different!

On this day, none of that mattered. It did not matter if you showered when you woke up because you were about to get down and dirty. We were off to Gawad Kalinga Brgy. Hugo Perez in Trece Martires in Cavite. 3 small vans with no room to sleep traveled for about 2 hours early in the morning to a field with cows, dirt, cement, a few trees and a few people but plenty of shovels! We came as Kaya Futbol Club to give back to the community that supports us so much.

When we arrived, we got straight to work and started to dig holes for pillars to be put in place. We also created an assembly line to work more efficiently. The heat did not matter this day, dirt on our faces did not matter, and messing up our shoes was never even considered an issue. We jumped straight into putting in the labor. We were all about it!

Kaya FC gets down and dirty to build homes in Trece Martires, Cavite

After a few hours of hard work, the best part was yet to come. We all got to eat lunch. We experienced a Filipino tradition known as the “boodle fight” and we ate with our hands, all standing across from each other. From what I was told, this was the style of the Armed Forces and how they eat lunch. It was a good experience. The food was great! And yes, we did make sure to wash our hands before!

Boodle fight with the volunteers: A dining experience like no other

After lunch we got to kick it, literally kick it with the kids of a nearby village GK village called Munting Paraiso. We got out a few soccer balls and man, you think we would be tired after working in that heat half the day but NO WAY! The smiles on those kids’ faces gave our whole Kaya Futbol Club a second wind. Something we needed on and off the field. It amazes me seeing a lot of these kids playing in their slippers and some were even barefoot. It was very touching and I can’t wait to go back.

Playing football with the Gawad Kalinga kids

As footballers, sometimes we forget how good we have it. We forget that we are blessed to do what we love and have so much passion for. We do not know how good we have it and I feel we take it for granted. I know I can say for myself that there are times that I do. This day helped me to see that and to feel gratefulness for where I am in life. There are good and bad times but everyone has their struggles and some people’s struggles are a lot bigger than your own. Just be thankful every day for where you are and what you have.

Even after working under the heat of the sun, the smiles on the kids’ faces gave the whole Kaya FC a second wind

Thank you GK and LBC Build for having me and I would love to come back ASAP!