Valle: Balsa brings hope to Sendong’s orphans

Saturday, January 14, 2012

I HAVE always thought that the Filipino people have got what it takes especially in times of crisis. Another wave of what is touted as the citizen-led assistance to victims of the recent rush of calamities in Mindanao called BALSA-Mindanao is now on its way to affected areas in the Northeastern part of the island hit by typhoon Sendong. Several volunteers of all ages but most especially the youth from our City have taken upon themselves to get involved and be part of this magnanimous effort of sacrifices to bring hope to our devastated brothers and sisters who lost almost everything that they have.

I feel so blessed to have two of my sons volunteering their time and efforts without much prodding. Arfi and Sandi who both finished the Community Development course from the University of Southeastern Mindanao in the Philippines (USEP) a couple of years ago are joining members of the Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) and other 70 young people who are going to provide psychosocial assistance to over 300 very young children in Iligan City who have become orphans after they lost their parents and other members of their families in the ensuing flood.

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Indeed, such a great task in rebuilding these affected communities have faced Mindanao peoples but with the way many among our fellow Mindanaoans are taking upon ourselves the initiatives to give assistance on our own and not dependent on government services, we are showing to the world that we can do it. We can rise back to our feet even if our government seems to fail us in these efforts.

We still have a lot to be thankful for after all. The immensity of the devastation has not maimed our resolve to pursue justice and the ends of PEACE even under grave and daunting situations that we find ourselves.

Sailing on now is BALSA on its 3rd wave of assistance, bringing hope and relief to God’s people in the midst of so much greed and indifference of so-called leaders and public servants who cannot act decisively in the face of so much misery.

Balsa is led by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao and Panday Bulig disaster-response NGO, BALSA Mindanao is also joined by Panalipdan Mindanao, Sisters’ Association in Mindanao (SAMIN), Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc, Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao, Makabayan Coalition and Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC).