Bayanis on the Ground Speak:
 
Nagpapasalamat kami kay Allah dahil maisasagawa ang Highway of Peace sa amin. Masaya po kami, magbabago ang aming buhay dahil sa Gawad Kalinga. Kung sino man ang makakakita sa amin, mabuti ang pagitan ng Kritsyano at Muslim.
 
Nagpapasalamat kami sa inyo dahil kayo ang binigyan ng biyaya ni Allah para sa amin.  Sa mga kapatid naming mga Kristyano sana po ay mamahalin ninyo kami at ganun din mamahalin din namin kayo. Sana po bubuksan ninyo ang pinto para sa mga Muslim at ganun din ang mga Muslim, bubuksan din ninyo ang pinto para sa mga Kristyano para magmamahalan, magtutulungan sa lahat-lahat dahil yun ang tunay na Pilipino.
 
(We thank Allah that the Highway of Peace will be held in our land. If anyone sees us, they will know that the relationship between Christians and Muslims are well. We thank you because Allah gave you the blessings to give to us. To our Christian brothers, we hope that you will love us we will also love you. We hope you will open the door for us Muslims and I ask the Muslims to open their door to Christians to love and help in all things, because that it the true Filipino.)
 
- Ibrahim Balabagan, KB President, Wao, Lanao del Sur
 
 
I am just overwhelmed and blown away by all the amazing wonders I saw at GK this morning. I've always been impressed with what I saw and heard of GK. Now, after having seen it myself, I am at a loss for words of gratitude and inspiration. God has given you charge of so noble a task and what a tremendous blessing and responsibility. May all of you never get discouraged and lose heart when trials come. GK must be very pleasing to God for I have seen today so many unsung heroes!
 
- Fr. Savio, Bukidnon
 
 
Nakaka-inspire talaga yung iba ibang grupo na nagsama kayo,iisa lang yun talagang sadya niyo, may taga-Luzon. Gaya ng mga anak mayaman diyan sa La Salle, Ateneo, kaya magbigay ng panahon, bakit hindi kami, kaya rin namin maibigay yung panahon naming para sa mga kapatid, para sa Panginoon din.
 
( I am inspired with the groups that came together, with one purpose in mind, like those from Luzon. Like the kids of wealthy families from La Salle and Ateneo. If they can come here to give their time, why not us? We can also give our time for our brothers and for our Lord.)
 
If not for Couples for Christ, siguro hindi ko maintindihan yang Gawad Kalinga. Yung talagang nakaintindi sa salita ng Panginoon, yun talaga ang nag-iintindi sa GK. If not because of CFC, hindi ko kaya ang GK na trabaho, biro wala kayong suweldo pumunta dito, pahirapan. If not because of the spiritual nurturing of the community, hindi tayo ganito ka-inspired kahit mahirap.
 
(If not for Couples for Christ, I won't probably understand what GK is. Those who understand God's word are the ones really doing the work of GK. If not because of CFC, I can't do the GK work, there is no salary and it's difficult. But if not because of the spiritual nuturing of the community, we won't be this inspired.) 

- Bebot Sarmiento CFC- Zamboanga del Sur
 
 
I was inspired to join because you can see all kinds of people gathered here with one common goal. I could really see the work of the God's spirit here because if you won't do it out of love, it would be really hard. It's pure sweat and you really give your all for others.
 
I am doing this because I want to show my love for my brothers and for my God. I just put my faith into action.  Within the 5 days we are going to build, the families here see that they are not alone, and they are having hope because they see that there are other people who are here for them, even ready to risk their lives for them.
 
My inspiration is the foreigners working here. They do not belong in this country but they embrace the Filipino maybe because they see the love in Gawad Kalinga. It's really all about love. If not for love, this won't probably last long.
 
-- Weng Cahindo, Singles for Christ, Team Pagadian
 
 
We are building houses and building family. Even if I come from a broken family, I see families being made complete and whole through Gawad Kalinga. We can see that there is really hope for our country in GK. We also see that whatever nationality you have, there is unity here, everyone is a hero.

-- Charmie Pedrosa, GK youth
 
 
It's my first time to experience the Bayani Challenge, and it's beautiful. Next year, hopefully, I can find more others in our department to join.  I am inspired by the way we help each other regardless of position whether you're staff or a teacher. Our team is a combination of partners (La Salle and St. Benilde) kapitbahayan and caretaker team. It's really a showcase of Filipino greatness, the bayanihan spirit.

-- Bocboc Benson, DLS-College of St. Benilde
 
 
We in Couples for Christ, we always have the heart for the poor. It's our commitment to our God and our country. If I still see poor Filipinos, we still have to keep moving on, in order to build our country.  This is God's work in action.
 
-- Raul Ramiterre, Caretaker team, GK Hiyas ng Maynila
 

Tinulungan kami ng GK, gusto ko ring makatulong. Masaya, nagcelebrate ako dito ng birthday ko kagabi. Nandito kami sa bundok, mababait ang mga tao dito hindi tulad ng naririnig natin sa Maynila. Mas safe pa nga ang pakiramdam ko dito.
 
(I was helped by GK and I want to help, too. I am happy, I celebrated my birthday here last night. We are in the mountains, and everyone is good here unlike what we hear in Manila. I feel very safe here.)
 
-- Gary Gatdula, Kapitbahayan Member, GK Hiyas ng Maynila
 
 
Gusto po rin naming ishare sa mga kapatid namin na handa rin ang pulis na maibigay kung ano man ang aming maitutulong. Dito ko lang nakita ang ganito sa duration ng pagiging pulis ko. Yung mere fact po na magkaiba yung faith natin, sabi nila gap na talaga, yun po yung gusto natin na i-erase po yung gap ilapit din po ang sarili naming sa nandito sa taas (sa bundok).
 
(I want to share with our brothers here that the police is ready to give whatever we can do to help. In all my yeares of being a police, this is the first time I've seen something like this. The mere fact that we have different faiths already serves as a gap, but we would like to erase that gap and we want to bring ourselves closer to the people in the mountain.)
 
-- Erickson Banaga, Deputy Group Director, Police, Wao, Lanao del Sur
 
 
It's a little bit of a sacrifice. For the first couple of days, you feel like going back home because you have a lot of things to attend to but as the days go along, you have a goal to accomplish parang ayaw mo nang umalis hangga't hindi matapos eh. With our team, medyo tapos na kami, that's why we're helping out other teams as well. It's really nice to work hand in hand with the beneficiaries. It's our pleasure to build for them. I hope it's a start of a good family life, for your children as well.
 
-- Mike Giloan, Team World Youth Alliance
 
 
Naiinspire ako sa volunteers in our province, napagandang example yung nakikita ko sa kanila. Sabi nga kagabi, God will disrupt you… hindi kuntento si Lord na hindi tayo nakakatulong sa mga mahihirap.
 
( I am inspired by our volunteers in the province, they are showing me a good example. Like what was said last night, God will disrupt you… The Lord is not contented when we are not helping the poor.)

-- Alexis Bituaran, Team Compostella Valley 
 
 
This is what we've always wanted to do. We're here to support GK.  I started to think of wanting to do something bigger than myself. Most of the young people in my team come in thinking punch a hole in the wall. When we attend builds, we still see the bigger picture, but it becomes more real. We become friends with the community. 

-- Tammy Tan, Team World Youth Alliance
 

Nakita naming na walang nagbubuild sa isang bahay, nakita na namin, tinawagan namin si mayor, hiniling naming na kung pwede ba kami na lang ang gumawa. Kung anong makita naming gawain naming, yun ang gawain namin. Nagpapasalamat kami (sa mga volunteers) kahit nakikita naming napapagod sila, ginagawa pa rin nila ang trabaho. 
 
We saw one house not being built and we requested from our mayor if we can do it. Whatever we see that we can do, that's what we do. We are thankful; to the volunteers here because even when we see that they are very tired, they still do their work.
 
--Engineer Raul Umbai, local government of Kitatao, Bukidnon
 
 
It's a good experience because the Bayani Challenge taught me more about Filipinos. For me, I was really surprised with this friendly country and all the people here. It's a change from the west. It's so different from what they were telling me in France that it is dangerous, I come here and I feel safe. My hope is to participate to build the country.
 
-- Pierre Henri Berard, volunteer from France, Team Ateneo de Manila University