MAYMAY BALATAYO
Rey, Banad, Reggie, Reynald. His peers, family, and co-workers call him. To us, his nine kids, and Mama, he is Papa or Pang.
In Gawad Kalinga (GK), where he worked as a missionary for 25 years, Papa found his best expression of caring for nature, promoting personal well-being, and advocating farming communities.
The values he learned, taught, and shared in the communities he interacted with are those he and Mama espoused for family.
Values Cradled at Home
A guide to fundamental family values that we try to live out at home and even witness beyond our familiar corners would include:
FAITH – Papa’s unwavering faith is a source of inspiration amidst life’s highs and lows. Papa reminds us of God’s faithfulness. He shows us how faithfulness works in stories of his relationships with people and how he works to deepen these to fascinate us.
And, well, raising a big family as a missionary takes a leap of faith and a certain amount of crazy.
GENEROSITY – While this is our most admired trait in Papa, he almost does it to a fault. I remember him saying, ‘Generosity is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to God for all the blessings on family.’ He firmly believes we will always have what we need because God faithfully provides for these daily.
RESOURCEFULNESS – This is one thing I like to learn and watch Papa do. From using old wood to build our garden plots or rebuild our kitchen to mobilizing resources in different forms and for varying purposes and beneficiary numbers to conduct relief operations in disaster-stricken areas through the years, Papa always found a way! He has a contact list in his heart of relationships that he can always lean on when needed. Rarely, though, for himself or the family, these are to answer the needs of poor communities.
ZEAL – Rarely have I encountered this word used when describing a person’s value. So when a volunteer friend who had worked with Papa described him as such, I did a quick definition search and gladly discovered a word that describes Papa to a ‘t’! The word fully captures Papa’s view of how life should be managed. Papa works hard for the people and causes he stands up for, including us and his family.
SENSE OF MISSION
A co-worker once teased Papa that ‘Volunteering was part of the Balatayo household’s chore list!’ When we were younger, our volunteer place was serving in Youth for Christ camps. When GK started, we joined the house builds, mobilized volunteers, and played with the children in GK communities.
Our 30-square-meter home was always open to missionaries and volunteers back then. They have made our small home their home, filling it with their laughter, heartbreaking stories shared in between, and lasting memories. Because of this, we find families opening their homes to us wherever we go.
Papa’s presence is felt everywhere he goes. Papa’s way of being physically present was to bring us to serve with him in the GK communities outside of home in Cebu City, whether in Leyte, Southern Leyte, or Samar. He assigned us to ‘Ate’ (Big Sister) and ‘Kuya’ (Big Brother) volunteers and gave us tasks to complete. This taught us to organize volunteer activities ourselves.
Volunteering, as well as being a farming and environment advocate, was never imposed on us. We always enjoyed making our choices freely.
A Lifetime Process
Looking back at how all these started, Papa was initially assigned as GK’s Green Kalinga coordinator in 2000. He then led a team to train on the environment. Nurturing all he had learned and information acquired, he started implementing the work at home. He connected with “like” hearted individuals in the environment space who continue to be part of his life today.
His mindset shift started our family’s lifestyle change. Papa considered it essential that he walked his talk.
“Be a good steward and a mindful caretaker! God has entrusted us with caring for nature and people; our lives are intertwined.” We hear these words repeatedly from Papa at the dining table when addressing Kapitbahayans, farmers, and cooperatives, sharing new learning, or encouraging young leaders.
At 62, Rey Balatayo is a ray of hope wherever he goes. The seeds of love and caring that he plants grow and… overflow!