IT was heartbreaking to hear about the landslide in the City of Naga. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the landslide.
The overflowing support to the families and the local government of the City of Naga is amazing. Without missing a heartbeat, everyone rallied together and sprang into action, ready to help and serve. People from far and wide came together and extended a helping hand.
I’ve seen a lot of social media campaigns online asking for support and sending help of any kind to evacuation centers. Donations came pouring in from all over and volunteers readily repacked goods.
The Filipino spirit of helping each other is strong, and the care and support we share is inspiring. Truly, there is a lot of love and care that we share among us.
At work, volunteers were like busy bees and within hours, they tirelessly completed over 1,000 sleeping kits and sanitary kits for all of the affected families. Volunteers spent the entire day repacking goods for the affected families, and with a strong spirit, we achieved their repacking goal.
If you still want to help, there may still be volunteering opportunities around. There may still be goods that need volunteer muscle and you are the right person for the job! I think there’s a lot to be said about the Filipino spirit of helping each other. We take care of our own and we got each other’s back. That spirit of helping each other is truly inspiring—no one really gets left behind.
I recently visited a couple of puroks within metro Cebu and the work everyone does in making the puroks work is truly amazing and inspiring. Everyone looks out for each other and every member is taken care of.
I visited Purok Pungtod in Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City and the overflowing support and care members have for each other is outstanding. Their purok center is a dream—a beautiful big center with a comfortable receiving area that can be home to anyone.
“People come here to rest; it’s for everyone!” says one very excited purok member over a steaming hot cup of binignit. Every so often, members pool in their resources and come together to cook binignit or other crowd favorites for everyone to share.
Purok Pungtod serves as a haven for everybody—from settling disputes and concerns to simply asking for help in borrowing a few pots and pans for home celebrations. You know you’ll be taken care of at the purok.
Purok members were eager to push a hot cup of binignit into my hands. It was delicious! I felt warm and welcome, just right at home.
I guess, as I think about it, the Filipino spirit of volunteerism, love and care is just that—a welcome comforting warmth.
So here’s a challenge for everyone to go out and continue sharing the warmth of care, love and volunteerism.