Ondoy, Part IV: Supply vs. Demand

Brgy. Hagonoy, Taguig
06 October 2009

Taguig, still submerged in flood water

residents coping with the situationheartbreaking, isn't it? :'( - their house is probably still submerged in waterher turn to grab some sleep, maybe the 'pail of hope', as I call it..not everybody, however, went home filled with HOPE residents from another barangay in Taguig learned about our relief operations and flocked to the 'distribution area' begging for relief goods Unfortunately, we only brought relief goods for about 400 families/residents of Brgy. Hagonoy and this sight was just overwhelming!

We went home yesterday with mixed emotions. Sad, because of the still depressing situation of some of our 'kababayans' who were devastated by Ondoy. Happy, because we were able to bring smiles to residents of Barangay Hagonoy. Apprehensive, because we almost got mobbed by residents from another barangay in Taguig pleading for relief goods - but really, can we blame them for just wanting to survive?

I am still hopeful that with the enormous help coming from a lot of good-hearted individuals/organizations out there, the lives of all those who were affected by Ondoy will soon be back to normal.

One at a time. One at a time.

Ondoy, Part III: Reaching Out

I joined one of the distribution teams we had yesterday (02 October 2009) and we distributed around 400 pails of relief goods, bottles of distilled water and blankets/towels to residents of Bayanihan Village & Brgy. Tribu, Cainta, Rizal. Here are some photos I took:

Cainta residents swarming our container van loaded with relief goods - sadly, they were not the intended recepients of the relief goods we brought yesterday :(Residents running towards an arriving relief truck from another organization's relief operationsresidents of Bayanihan Village and Brgy. Tribu, Cainta and PEZA distribution team still recovering from Ondoy's fury It may look funny, but he probably wasn't able to save any of his clothes during the typhoon

si Lola..getting her relief goods, maybe for her grandchildren..For us parents, I think in these times of tragedy, we don't think too much about ourselves..

...we are more concerned about our kids, especially the little ones..

We don't want them getting hungry or sick..

..we don't want to see them lonely or scared..

...we just want them to be ALWAYS happy!We hope that the little help we brought gave them a little HOPE. Really, it was nice to see their happy faces and hear their grateful hearts.Yes, the 'distribution' was tiring...but very rewarding. :) Thanks again to all the sponsors/donors! God will surely bless your kind hearts! :)

Ondoy, Part II: Despair and Hope

"Tonight, I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance'." - Pablo Neruda

News about the damage and loss of lives caused by typhoon Ondoy really broke my heart. I feel so blessed that I wanted to reach out to the victims and help in any possible way I can. What amazed me was everyone's willingness to share their time, energy, and resources to those who were greatly affected by the typhoon. In our office, we started our own relief operations and we solicited donations from willing individuals and corporations. Here are some of the relief goods that we are currently distributing to affected areas:

Bigas and other basic food items Distilled Water
Detergent (and shampoo, soap, alcohol, etc.)towels and blankets to keep 'em dry and warm

All set for distribution :D
happy to help :D

Yes, there is always hope. :)

Valentine's at Payatas

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (New International Version)

So where did I spend Valentine's Day? My Flickr group had another outreach project which we called "Capture a Heart" and we distributed goods (bigas, canned goods, and toys!) to the kids of Payatas in Quezon City. We had a short program, and then we served lunch, and then the kids lined up to get their bags of goodies to bring home to their families. Tapos, kami naman kumain - the best ang ensaladang ampalaya ni Manang! - hehe. Now, that's what you call a 'date'! Here are the photos! :)

By the way, Danny and I are having our date next week..puede ba namang wala? :D

Reaching Out

The Flickristasindios, one of the Flickr groups I joined where I’ve met photographers (mostly, hobbyists like me) who are very passionate about their craft, has partnered with Red Cross, to organize its first outreach project. So last Saturday, 11 October 2008, about 40 photographers, along with Red Cross staff and volunteers convoyed their way to Pantay Elementary School in Teresa, Rizal. A short lecture and a puppet show about personal hygiene - proper hand washing and brushing of teeth, were conducted by the Red Cross volunteers. The kids listened and watched intently and participated in a few quiz-like games. They were each given a bag of toiletries (which I call the bag of hope!) - soaps, shampoos, toothbrush, toothpastes, and towels. Some members donated slippers and educational books, too. After the program, hot champorado (rice porridge) and milk were served. It was so hot at past 1 o' clock but everybody enjoyed the meal! These were the photos I took last Saturday. Go check it out and see the kids’ smiling faces! I hope that the few hours we spent at Pantay Elementary School conveyed a message of hope to the kids and to their parents, as well.

I realized that an outreach project like this is not expensive at all! That is, if you organize a group, with members who are willing to donate a few bucks and to share a few hours of their precious time. In our group's case, the original plan was for each member to give PhP100 (or more) until we could come up with enough funds to start an outreach project, but before we realize it, money started pouring in from members abroad! Nakakatuwa! Some didn’t even need to contribute money at all (although everybody intended to share, kaya lang sobra na talaga yung funds!). The excess funds will serve as the group's seed money for future projects. Of course, everybody’s willingness to share their time and effort in the project was just remarkable!

On the other hand, your group may want to partner with an established organization (like Red Cross, in our case) for your initial outreach project - for sure, they would be eager to assist willing sponsors. Then, once you are already familiar with the nitty-gritty of doing outreach, your group can probably organize its own project. By the way, I am amazed at Red Cross' dedication to reaching out to other Filipinos in need!

I am happy we were able to touch some lives last Saturday. I made new friends, too! I’m sure it was a gratifying experience for everybody - the kids and their parents, the group, the Red Cross staff and volunteers. I also learned that we have to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing and rinsing our hands! :)

I think we are all aware of the fact that there are millions of hands reaching out for help all over the world, or in the Philippines alone, but let's not be overwhelmed. We only need to start grabbing and pulling a few hands at a time until we've covered everyone!