The Chronicles Of A Stubborn Filipina

I wrote this on October 2,2009. A week after the Typhoon Ondoy. I still work with Ondoy victims now. We work on rebuilding their lives by helping them with their livelihood and finding employment. Some of them are still traumatized by what happened. They were victims then and are still victims now. I’ll write about their stories soon. 

God Bless Everyone’s Efforts

Till when can I volunteer to help? 

This is a question I have heard numerously the past 2 days. I am both happy and alarmed by this question they have posed. Happy because there are still tons of people ready and available to help. Alarmed because still there are people who are not aware that the result of the disaster that we have been through will prevail for months. I have been volunteering for the Philippine National Red Cross the whole week. I was given various roles – from packing to distributing to just helping and talking to evacuees. On Monday, I go back to work but the people I have met at Red Cross will continue to assist the people indefinitely and tirelessly. The Red Cross is one of the most reputable organizations in the world. I chose to volunteer for them because of this. I have seen how they work and how efficient the organization is. After what I have seen this week, I don’t envy their job. It can be thankless and emotional. Heck, I don’t envy Dick Gordon this week. I have only seen him once and he was busy organizing people. I have met his family and they have been packing and carrying boxes and distributing just like everyone else. We all have our different roles. A lot of my friends have been coordinating and using their network to gather more donations. They have been wonderful.

More than anything, being a Red Cross volunteer is an emotional job yet one cannot let emotions take over. There are just too many devastated people who are hungry, tired and angry. Who wouldn’t be? They lost everything. Volunteers and staff can only do so much but they do it with everything they can. We went to several areas distributing relief goods sometimes, what we brought wasn’t enough. In my head I didn’t want to be the person who would be giving away the last piece. “Parang awa niyo na” and “Gutom na kami” or “Nagpunta pa kayo!” was sometimes what you hear. Different reactions, from despair to anger. We could only understand and sometimes cry on our way back. 

It wasn’t easy for me. I am sure it’s no easier for those who are actually Red Cross staff members. Some of them haven’t slept in days. Most of them haven’t eaten a good meal in days. My admiration for this people cannot be measured. They should be given an award or something. This week is not a joke. Their job is not a joke. I go back to work tomorrow but they continue to work the way they have this week. God bless the volunteers and staff of Red Cross and every single person who have done their part this week. Every single effort by EVERYONE is needed and will continue to be needed. It is not just about helping but it’s rebuilding the lives.

My answer to the question above? It doesn’t take a week to rebuild lives. Keep the donations coming, keep calling in for donations, keep volunteering..continue helping.

To volunteer: http://www.redcross.org.ph/volunteer