LOVING THE PHILIPPINES WITH ALL MY HEART
My business started to really take off in 1998 and early on I had searched for the deeper meaning to my success. I knew that not having experience or even the proper education in that which I was having success meant I was really blessed and for a higher purpose. I wanted to give back to others as a conduit of God's love. Since I had already had experience in helping poor Filipino's when I was a serviceman I decided I would share my blessings with the Philippines.
Upon receiving my first bonus in 1998 I flew to the Philippines to give it to a family who were devastated by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. I did this as kind of an offering to the Lord for the incredible idea he had given me in my business. And as life is fair, my business started to go through the roof and continued nearly vertical for many years to come. So every year I would take my bonus and head to the Philippines to give in some way. Below are a few of the ways I showed Filipino's how much I loved them.
The great wall project in the mountains of Cebu |
When I discovered a landslide in the mountains in Cebu that closed a critical road to a barangay, I bought a bulldozer, dump truck and bucket loader so I could clear the slide and make a giant retaining wall so it would never happen again.
Making a culvert/ bridge in a dangerous location |
When a Barangay Captain told me that a mother and two children were killed when they tried to cross a gully with no bridge I got my friends together and we worked hard to make a culvert so that the people in the remote barangay had a bridge to cross.
Making cemented roads in rural areas |
That when your road was too dangerous to travel on I gave you a beautifully cemented road. Before you were sliding and crashing and many people got injured. Now you are traveling on a first class road and all kinds of delivery trucks and even taxi's can make it to your place now. I thank you for the experience and opportunity to improve your lives so much. God bless you truly.
Mila was so brave during the year long treatment |
That when I found you on a remote island and saw you had been walking on a broken leg for 7 years I brought you to the best orthopedic surgeon in the Philippines to have your leg fixed. I stayed with you and your family for a year to make sure you were treated good. I am so proud of your brave heart!
Against all odds we fought together and you made it! |
When your street friends told me you were hit by a car and left to die in a hospital parking lot, I came to help you. We fought together for 45 days and nights in JBL Hospital and even though the doctor told me you were going to die, I never gave up on you. And we made it! We walked out of that hospital together.
You really deserved this house my dear friend |
When I saw your good heart and struggles to be able to feed your family. And when I saw your house falling apart. I was moved deeply in my heart to make you a house. A beautiful house in the mountains. I am proud that you are a man who fears God and has no vices. You deserved it!
Teaching a family of Alan how to use the Ambo bag |
When I saw them bring you into ICU and the doctors were too busy to teach your family how to use the Ambo Bag I came to teach your brother and sister how to care for you. I am so proud of the fact that even though you were in a coma, you responded to me when I gave you a paint brush. You my painter friend started to recover from the moment I handed you that brush.
Street kids enjoying our pool |
When the world rejected you and labeled you as "street kids" and they told you that is where you belong I opened my home and pool for you to have the time of your lives. To be able to feel what it was like not to be poor anymore. Your laughter and smiles I will never forget. You are winners, all of you!
Keeping an eye on a patient after open heart surgery |
When your uncle came to me and told me you were dying I felt so sorry for you I decided to pay for your open heart surgery so you could have a second chance in life. I will never forget how hard I prayed for you while you were being operated on. You amazed me, you had no fear.
Baguio Ondoy victims could actually smile in adversity |
When I saw on the news your suffering in Rosario Pasig after typhoon Ondoy (ketsana) I went to Macro wholesale and bought a whole van full of food and sundries to give to you the day after it happened. I am so touched to see you could smile even though you lost everything. Only you my dear Filipino friends can do this. I love you so much!
One of the dormitories for the deaf school in Palawan |
My deaf friends in Palawan that I shipped my truck from Luzon and went there to join missionaries from Hand's and Feet Ministries to build you two dormitories for your deaf school in Aborlan.
I was touched by your hearts and the sign language you taught me.
Donating a first aid/nutrition kit to a native family |
So many of you living in rural places suffer from the lack of basic first aid not being available. So I decided to make up home medical kits and give to families so that minor problems would not turn into major ones as so often happens there.
The beginning of the house for my Ayta friend |
My dear Ayta friends when I discovered you were living in a tiny house with your 10 kids I built you a new house and made sure all the children there got the medical help they needed.
Mom at the ground breaking of the highest basketball court |
I made you a class A Basketball court.
My mom came over for the ground breaking of your basketball court that is the highest cemented basketball court in the Philippines. Thanks for teaching me how to play wearing slippers.
Local people employed in the making of our dream home |
My dear neighbors that when I built my dream home in the Philippines I made sure 300 + of you were employed at sometime during the project. I know you needed the work so much.
Getting a load of drums to make community garbage cans |
To make you feel better about your living conditions I made a giant barangay renovation day. Painting, cleaning, cutting and gave you 40 custom garbage cans so you had a trash collection system.
Getting experience at rice planting in central Luzon |
I wanted you to know I was not too proud to watch you break your backs planting our rice. So I got out there made you laugh at my slowness and we planted those fields together. I really know how you feel now. Ouch on the legs!
It was an honor to be able to share my blessings with you dear Filipino's. I truly love you.
Below are a few more pics I would like to share with you.
Humility before honor |
Our p-loader was donated for various community projects |
My wife helped these children in need in Palawan |
I donated a couple of these signs for the deaf school in Palawan |
These kids got a free medical check up and de-wormed |
Dodong's wife needed emergency c-section surgery in Cebu |
Sending a medical team to go check on a remote village |
A PARTIAL LIST OF DONATIONS FROM MY HEART FOR FILIPINO'S
1. MONATARY DONATION TO VOLCANO VICTIMS
2. DONATION OF ARTIFICIAL LEG FOR POOR GIRL
3. DONATION OF RURAL HEALTH CENTER
4. DONATION OF OPERATION TO SAMAR CHILD
5. MEDICAL DONATIONS AT VINCENTE SOTTO HOSPITAL
6. DONATION OF JOLIBEE MEALS TO MORE THAN 400 STREET CHILDREN IN PASAY
7. DONATION OF ARTIFICIAL LEG TO ACCIDENT VICTIM IN CEBU
8. DONATION OF A PIGGERY IN SOUTHERN LEYTE
9. DONATION OF A NEW MOTORCYCLE
10. DONATION OF EMERGENCY CESARIAN SECTION FOR STREET PERSON
11. DONATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FARMERS IN RURAL CEBU
12. DONATION OF TUITION FEES FOR NURSING SCHOOL STUDENT
13. DONATION OF NEW HOUSE FOR POOR AYTA FAMILY IN ANGELES
14. DONATION OF EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR AYTA WOMAN
15. DONATION OF KIDNEY OPERATION FOR A STRANGER
16. DONATION OF BUSINESS LOANS FOR FRIENDS
17. DONATION OF COMPUTER TO
18. DONATION TO KIDS WITH LEUKEMIA
19. DONATION OF BRIDGE
20. DONATION FOR A STREET KID HIT BY A CAR
21. DONATION OF TRANSPORTATION FOR BARANGAY RESIDENTS
22. DONATION OF FIREWORKS SHOW FOR BARANGAY
23. DONATION OF BASKETBALL TEAM UNIFORMS
24. DONATION OF TUBERCULOSIS MEDICINES AND TREATMENT
25. DONATION OF HEARING AID
26. DONATION OF CHECK UP AND TREATMENT FOR HEART PATIENT
27. DONATION OF BARANGAY LOGOS, STICKERS, BANNERS ETC
28. DONATION OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 300+ STUDENTS
29. DONATION OF BARANGAY MAKEOVER
30. DONATION OF OPEN HEART SURGERY
31. DONATION OF REPAINTING A BARANGAY CHAPEL
32. DONATED MOTORCYCLE TO FORMER EMPLOYEE
33. DONATION OF BRAND NEW HONDA XR 200
34. DONATION OF USE OF PERSONAL PRIVATE POOL FOR POOR FAMILIES
35. DONATION OF 100 BIBLES TO BARANGAY CHAPEL
36. DONATION TO BARAGAY RESIDENT FOR LEG OPERATION
36. DONATION OF OPEN HOUSE AT OUR RESIDENCE
37. DONATION OF VAN BUSINESS TO CEBU BARANGAY CAPTAIN
38. DONATION OF USE OF PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR CHURCH GROUPS
39. DONATION FOR THE ABORLAN DEAF SCHOOL IN PALAWAN
40. DONATION TO GOSPEL HALL CHURCH IN PALAWAN
41. DONATION TO FOUNDATION FOR BADJAO STREET CHILDREN
42. DONATION OF TRUCK FOR WATER PURIFICATION DELIVERIES
43. DONATION TO CANCER PATIENT LIEZEL ANGELES
44. DONATION OF MEDICAL KIT TO RURAL FAMILY
45. DONATION OF FUNERALS
46. DONATION TO BAGYO ONDOY VICTIMS
47. UNDOCUMENTED CASH DONATIONS
A video of one of the cemented road donations made in rural Cebu
A testimony from an Ayta Friend in Sampang Batu Pampanga
FINAL WORDS CONCERNING RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION
I am reluctant to even release this information because I have always believed as the Bible says that we should not let our right hand know what our left is doing. But after unprecedented attacks on me and my wife I found little choice other than to defend the good I have done in the Philippines. I do not boast about my donations neither will I ever. But the truth is the truth and it is my sincere desire that this truth about my loving and giving character towards Filipino’s will be made known and ultimately set us free from the evil accusations that have caused my family and closest friends unimaginable suffering.
To those who make it their heart desire to make the truth known, may the Lord be with you and bless you a million fold for your efforts on our behalf.
Most Sincerely,
David Graham
Competed this day of February 2nd, 2010 in exile in S.E. Asia
More to come later. God bless you
hi sir david,
ReplyDeletei was reading your blogs for days now, and i was overwhelmed by your kind heart and honor God thru helping people in need.
no wonder you were given a beautiful wife (inside and out) and beautiful and wonderful children. (Proverb 18:22, Prov.19:14)
and i know you will always be rewarded because of your good heart.
i was moved by your love to the Philippines, even though some people persecuted you and your love ones, you still love us filipinos. i thank God for having a people like you and thank you too for helping our country.
i hope you will still move forward and continue doing good to other people (small or big) even if there are obstacle in life (all of us has) but let us see it as just test in life and don't lose hope coz God will always help us in the name of Jesus.
i hope to read more of your blogs and see what you guys are doing now, and i will always pray for you and your family.
ps:sorry for my bad english
An amazing Story of love, patience, care, & humanity, i have ever heard. i wish if could be there to make my hands dirty for those lovely kids & families too. They said, " its better to light a candle than to curse the darkness" and you Mr. David, had lighten Many of Candles already in the Philippines. God Bless you More.. !!
ReplyDeleteI am speechless about the journey of your efforts Mr.David what you have gone through but you are really an amazing and strong person and you have touched the highest levels of humanity..May God Bless you and your family...
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