Balay Mindanaw was formalized in 1996. But years before this, Kaloy had been envisioning of having a small NGO to truly work for equity, development and peace. To begin doing something about it, he started from the basics: humility, self-respect, commitment and friends, Kotoy, Luz and Reggie.

Balay Mindanaw has evolved eventually with the commitment of strong-willed people who later made up the member of the Board of Trustees. Kaloy registered Balay Mindanaw as a foundation in May 8, 1996 and has encouraged quite a number of staff and volunteers. This foundation then operated on a limited scale wherein selected barangays became partner communities with the support of partner LGUs, other NGOs and partner agencies, both government and donor. Its first year was celebrated through the sharing of Balay Mindanaw’s vision, simply printed in a plain white cloth, to partners and friends. That was the start of the foundation day celebration. Yearly, after that, having successes and failures, Balay Mindanaw has been celebrating its foundation day with heartfelt gratitude to all partners that have touched and journeyed with Balay Mindanaw all through these years.

And all of us who have journeyed with Balay Mindanaw would like to thank Kaloy … for sharing his hope, for pursuing peace and continuously touching our lives.