It has been over two months of roller coaster ride for me and my team since Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, totalled our humble and beautiful island Negros. Yet, we can’t seem to wrap it up just yet!
Whilst others have died down with the Christmas spirit, people’s generosity, coupled with our combined efforts to manifest the latter’s grace, have kept us going. Bringing compassion to a whole new level through sustainable help.
With the help of Engr. Quim Torres‘s expertise, we managed to agree on the nearest cost estimate of P20,895 for every totally-damaged house.
That is to say, people whose houses were totally washed out get a priority in rebuilding.
We also had to consider the degree of urgency for every family in need, in deciding the order of allocating help and rebuilding homes.
And with the former mentioned, families with infants and toddlers were the topmost priority, followed by the elderly people living alone, and finally, families who are landowners.
We carefully agreed on helping these unfortunate recipients in coordination with their local government, identifying landowners with totally-damaged homes.
Practicality was seriously contemplated to make sure all donations didn’t go to waste.
Locals living along the coast were supposedly qualified of aid as well but most of them, if not all, are bound to be relocated by government or the rightful landowners anyway.
Even then, the government must do something about their unfortunate circumstances. Per adventure, at least give them options, or better yet, bring up a strategic plan of relocating them to prevent unforeseen challenges in the future.
March Methanol Luzuriaga, a native in the town of Tayasan, along with his friend Edsel, played a big role in assisting us since Day 1.
These were various other locals willing to spare their time for their fellow townsmen.
March Methanol went from one barangay to another to sort out the families in urgent need of rebuilding their homes.
With consolidated efforts, we were able to pool in cash of a little more than P365,000 that could accommodate 17 totally-damaged homes.
Our team recently decided to focus on rebuilding, after doing several trips of distributing relief goods of around 1,000 food packs in total, over 200 boxes/sacks of clothes, medical kits, lots of toys for kids, and kitchen wares to several towns, namely, Bais, Tanjay, Bindoy, Guihulngan, Ayungon, with Tayasan being our major recipient considering the massive damage there — the worst I’ve seen amongst all of them, to say the least.
And aid was helplessly limited, considering the distance of 101.8 kilometers from Dumaguete north to Tayasan, traveling at normal speed for two and a half hours each way.
But there’s just no stopping here now. Serving these people have also allowed them to see a glimpse of the windows of Heaven giving hope that indeed, better days are coming.
Some people were actually suspecting if anyone among us volunteers was running for the elections because of our persistent efforts to partially give comfort to these victims.
Then they would show some disappointment to know that none of us would ever want to be part of such burdensome political positions.
Others would selfishly judge us for what they perceive as egotistical posts each time we updated people on social media on our progress.
Not realizing that our posts on Facebook are actually for awareness purposes, our evidences for our generous donors to see how their contributions did not go to waste.
But I also believe that these ‘bashers’ are the kind of people they actually are. So given the same situation in their shoes tells the disposition they hold.
There was just more than what meets the eye. It’s easy to express sympathy to anyone in distress, but it takes empathy to actually feel and experience from their perspective, and realize that it could’ve been us in their position — and all that separates us is luck.
Thank you to the generous donors who trusted us, and believed in us continually for our efforts to slowly materialize.
We are also grateful for Engr Daryl Suasin who helped us sort out construction materials, whose terminologies were new to our vocabularies, and for escorting us from one barangay to the next, distributing relief goods.
We also recognize the kind consideration of the Tayasan Mayor Susano Ruperto Jr., and his son Devah-Bong who, without hesitation, offered transportation for our rebuilding materials, with the help of Ian Villarin coordinating with us smoothly, not just once but twice.
And we are bound for what might be our last trip next week.
Allow me to acknowledge the following and say thank you on behalf of these happy recipients who have now developed newfound hope through your generosity in kind or monetarily: 8th Yoga Shala & Wellness Hub; Kapeng Lokal Dgt; Swiss Water Refilling Station; Metro Dumaguete Water; Tokai BJJ Dumaguete; Boochee Beach; Ryu Sushi Dumaguete; Shucking Oysters; Waves for Water Philippines; Eric Bolli; Sasi Ugarte Teves and team; Laura Pearce and friends; Mhelani Lucila Yber; Soukaina Magdalena Veloso; Hezekiah Galan; Marianne Iris Makasiar and family; Delia & David Harris Del El Bor; Renna Raissa Pastor and family; Jubelle Narciso Buloron; Beth Lim and family; Indai Delfino Galvez; Chuna Cataylo Buloron; Ferdinand A. Lantaca; Mitch Halls; Quim Torres and family; Rusile Salimbagat Mendez; Steven Sycip; Suna Yildirim; Harvey Gee Garciso; Wilma Olivar; Lourdes Duran; Theresa Lourdes Corro; Michelle Corro Tero; Hassaram Homes.
And to those who want to remain anynomous, thank you for allowing us to believe that kindness is still alive.
The following barangays were the happy recipients of generous donations from random people with big big hearts: Tamao, Poblacion 1, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 3, Sitio Taroy, Palaslan, Poblacion Taytayan, Iniban, Lutay, Cabulotan, Purok Nangka.
It was amazing to witness Our Heavenly Father’s grace in these very trying times. If you wish to be a part of this cause of rebuilding and changing lives, please feel free to donate through any of these payment channels:
GCash: 0915-301-5336
BPI: 9499181679
Paypal: [email protected]
As for my team, we are eyeing on progressing these efforts into a non-profit organization founded by more than just friendship, with a common vision and goal to uplift people in need anytime, anywhere in the country, and with an ambitious goal of supplying help even outside the country, as far as our determination and funds can afford.
Grateful for our girl power team and other volunteers over the weeks: Jasmine Barcelona, Ona Bengoechea, Kate Hassaram, Suna Yildrim, Soukaina Magdalena Veloso, Babette S Gil, David Gordoncillo III, Kenneth Calijan, Patricia Nicole Reambonanza, Nikki Corsame, Khai Hontiveros, Fatima Alsowyd.
To this day, the wisdom of one of my favorite authors, J.K. Rowling, continues to echo: “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
And together, we can prove there is certainly no sorrow on earth that Heaven cannot heal.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
