PILI, Camarines Sur---When Antonio Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga (GK), told the crowd in Iriga City Friday at the GK village, that he did not know what the local politics in the province is but that he was there because of the project dubbed GK Designer Province of Bed and Breakfast, he was unaware he transcended political barrier bringing opposing politicians together even in an instance.

        For the first time, Meloto, who came here to launch the first GK tourism-oriented project, has gathered in one occasion mayors of Kabalikat ng Mamayang Malayang Pilipino (Kammpi) here since the 2007 election in Camarines Sur that saw a fierce political rivalry against the Lakas-CMD in the gubernatorial post in which Gov. Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte claimed overwhelming victory against Kammpi candidate Eduardo Pilapil.

        In her impromptu speech, Mayor Madeleine Alfelor-Gazmen, Kammpi official bearer in Iriga City, whose uncle Cong. Felix Afelor Jr. has publicly declared his intention to challenge in 2010 the reelection bid of Lakas-CMD provincial chair Gov. Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte Jr., declared that “she did not know what the people would think but she was there for the launching of the project”.

        Villafuerte and Alfelor shared for the first time the same space during the cutting of the ribbons of the two units of GK Bed and Breakfast facility that the provincial government of Camarines Sur built in the four-hectare 114-unit GK village that the Iriga City government established in Barangay Perpetual Help in partnership with the GK in Camarines Sur.

        The same situation was repeated in Libmanan town where Kammpi Mayor Rodolfo Jimenez, who was facing an administrative case before the Lakas-CMD dominated Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Sur, shared the limelight with Villafuerte during the inauguration of another Bed and Breakfast facility that the provincial government built in a GK village that the municipal government helped establish through the local GK chapter in the municipality.

        The GK Designer Province of Bed and Breakfast is a tourism concept introduced into a GK community where units to accommodate tourists are built for parties interested in immersing in the local culture with hotel-type accommodation provided by the community of which the income derived from it would be allocated for the operation of the tourism program in the village.

        Meloto said that in Bicol they have the biggest participation of local governments wherein the GK was able to build 100 GK villages out of the 200 villages in the region as he acknowledged the towns of Calabanga, Cabusao, Goa, Ocampo, Iriga City, Naga City, Libmanan as among the active government-unit-participants in building houses for the poor that he said has reached 5,000 units at present in Camarines Sur.

        All of the Kammpi mayors politically at odds with the Lakas-CMD leadership of Villafuerte, with local-government supported GK villages, were present at the Convention Center at the Capitol Complex in Barangay Cadlan of this town during the colorful launching of the GK Designer’s Province of Bed and Breakfast facility, which was attended by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and graced by singer Rachel Ann Go.

        Jimenez said that he was informed in short notice about the launching of the GK tourism project in his town and did not hesitate to attend though he was surprised the governor had been very cordial to him during the program where he delivered a talk and welcomed and thanked Villafuerte for the project.

        The mayor said he was glad he was able to interact with the governor in a different atmosphere where the interest of their constituency prevails over politics.

        Meloto said the introduction of the tourism project into the GK villages brings the initiatives to higher level wherein the aim of providing decent housing to the poor to regain their human dignity had already been achieved.

        He said that Bed and Breakfast facility would improve livelihood opportunities of GK villages in areas where it is applicable aside from commitments from other corporate entities providing livelihood projects like farm production that included Shell Corp., Wyeth, Globe and Alaska.

        The concept of the Bed and Breakfast facility complements the tourism boom of Camarines Sur brought about by the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) and the growing popularity of the Caramoan Peninsula’s islets, white beaches and coves.

        “We want to build self-sustaining communities with a dash of tourism. Providing housing is one thing but what is more important is for us to help them (GK villages) find means to sustain income. This is for the harmony of tourism and social responsibility,” Villafuerte said.