Oplan Salamat

After two weeks of continuous (well, almost, but let’s not go there) operations and driving over 20,000 people all over Luzon or shouldering their plane and/or bus fares to Cebu, CDO, etc, I was asked again by another concerned volunteer for the umpteenth time, “Why are you stopping Oplan Hatid?”

I answered as I always have. We are not stopping Oplan Hatid. You cannot stop it ––just ask whoever it was that tried to when they moved everything to Camp Aguinaldo. Because while Oplan Hatid may have started off as a volunteer program, it has evolved into what can only be described as a charity SWAT team that can be deployed in a moment’s notice to where we are needed most. So while our operation in Villamor has been turned over to the DSWD as of last Sunday, we, as a group of almost 2,000 active members, are not stopping. We are just awaiting our next assignment.

But before I talk about that, I hope you will be kind enough to indulge me for a moment, as I feel the need to say thank you to a few people. Regular readers of this column will know that I have never used this space as a greeting card, but I’m always willing to make an exception for a good cause. 

So in no particular order, I would like to thank the organizers, the core group, and mostly, the volunteers of this incredible movement that have not only driven 20,000 people home but have moved an entire nation. I wish I could list all of your names here, but just be at peace knowing that the most important one of all knows who you are. Thank you.

I would also like to thank the Tuason Racing School (TRS), for being one of the first to answer the call for help. At first I was afraid that we would need to provide helmets for all the families riding with them, but thankfully that wasn’t the help they were offering. Yes they sent around four cars with instructors and drivers, but it was their expertise in setting up their own events to provide us with tents, chairs, coolers, sound systems, radios and staff in just a few hours’ notice that was really amazing. Thank you.

Lifeline Ambulance. These guys were there from Day 1. They sent four vehicles around the clock, operating on full 24-hour-a day shifts, and have done more runs than anyone I can think of. Not only were they drivers, they were paramedics who treated a few people before taking them home. Avis also sent a coaster and some other cars that were dedicated to Oplan Hatid 24/7, as did Hertz, LBC and Viber (yes, the free call program) Many other coaches and vans turned up, and while it would be impossible to know who sent them, once again, the only important one in all this knows who you are. Thank you.

Petron, Shell and Total. When they heard the call, despite the fact that they had already helped so many official charities and allocated all their fuel to them, they still dug deep and were able to chip in at a minute’s notice without any red tape or paperwork. Even Petron’s PR agency (ADBM) gave their own personal fuel cards, which we later raffled off to those who were making ‘hatid’ to areas outside Metro Manila. Thank you.

The car companies. I’ve always known that I work in the greatest industry on earth, but now it is official. You guys rock! Not only did many of them provide cars, like the trusty HiAce Super Grandia that became one of the biggest heroes in all of this, shuttling families, volunteers, food, clothes, supplies and even the British and Canadian  Search and Rescue team, but many others, like Hyundai, Foton, Mazda, Mini and Volvo who provided regular cooked meals for the troops.

Some helped out in other ways, like Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar and Land Rover, who sent tents, tables, chairs and company cars with drivers, as well people like Chevrolet who offered to pay for the thanksgiving dinner of the 16 UN volunteers when they knew they had not eaten anything but rations for 10 days. Thank you.

Smart and Globe. Who would have ever thought in a million years that we could unite these two, yet just 30 minutes after a Facebook post, both companies agreed to work together to offer a free SMS component in our website, and both companies either lent or gave us pocket Wi-Fi systems and modems to stay online during the whole operation. Salamat.

Teleserv. Another unsung hero in all of this. How Raffy David, Bryan Zarzuela and their team of geniuses pulled off a website for us in just four hours that served as our database just baffles me. Then again, if they were able to organize the DFA, it really should have come as no surprise. Yet still, I remain amazed.

A special mention also to Resorts World Manila, the Remington Hotel, Army Navy (the restaurant, not the base) Brand on Demand for the long range two-way radios, JB Balloons and party needs for the tables and chairs for the party, as well as the cooperation of Major Pilar, Col. Okol, Col. Julio, Col. Buhayo and Wing Commander Jun Palisoc of Villamor Air Base. Thank you.

So what is next for Oplan Hatid?

Using our extensive contacts that we have gained from all of this, we plan to find work for at least the bread winner of each family we took home before Christmas. It will be under the name Oplan Trabaho. I can’t give you exact details as yet, but while we take a one week break to put a system together, if you have work that you can offer, send me an email and we will match you up.

I know that that may seem like an impossibility, but so did Oplan Hatid.