Like the three Magi from the East

IT IS something that is innate among human beings, that unspoken, even unexpected response to human needs that is there whenever something really devastating happens.

It was just like the three magi from the East who travelled far and wide to bring gifts to the child in the manger. This time though, there were three mayors from the municipalities of Balilihan, Carmen and Maribojoc in the island of Bohol who came all the way to personally bring good tidings to the victims of typhoon Pablo just before new year. They were Mayor Dan Lim of Balilihan, Mayor Che delos Reyes of Carmen and Mayor Leoncio Evasco from Maribojoc together with some councilors and staff in their municipalities including a staff from radio station DyTR who made a round trip from the island of Bohol towards Compostela Valley in the wee hours of the night.

Their humble gifts include about 3-million pesos cash with 1-million each for Comval and Davao Oriental, P500 thousand pesos for New Bataan and the rest for areas like Barangay Andap which was allotted P100 thousand pesos and the other areas where Bol-anons were heavily affected by the storm. Likewise, they also brought with them 30 sacks of rice and other relief goods on a ten-wheeler truck donated by the Go family from Loon that they themselves delivered to these areas.

It seemed that the assistance to the victims was bottomless, to say the least, as these has kept coming through the days before and after Christmas.

A few days before Christmas, a team of volunteers, including some sisters of the Missionaries of the Assumption, ACD teachers and some friends, set out on a journey together with the Balsa team towards Davao Oriental to give assistance to the victims of storm Pablo. Taking all of these into consideration, it would seem like the affected people could have had enough to go by.

The little assistance that the team brought was a minuscule in comparison to the huge needs of the people in Davao Oriental. In just a few minutes, the relief goods had been distributed and we felt like we need to find more to respond to the victims’ needs.

It was just not enough. There was some kind of despair felt by the team over the inadequacy of the relief goods brought. But then, a kind of hope is kindled as we see a hint of smile of the faces of the mothers and children who were given such little help.

Perhaps it was little indeed, but the happiness that filled their eyes as they receive the small amounts of goods was more than enough for us to make the resolve that we shall not stop finding help for them.

We are certainly grateful for all the help that keeps coming nowadays for the affected areas. But we are also praying that the politicians and the unscrupulous will not make a blunder but instead try not to be selfish, for once.