The hero of the moment is the Filipino himself
It was a cataclysmic weekend that spurred the Filipino to rise up to his finest self and help those in dire straits. When Ondoy released its wrath and poured mercilessly on Friday evening and continued nonstop the whole of Saturday, the private sector took matters into their own hands and did everything humanly possible to rescue the marginalized who were neck deep in water, hanging on for dear life, many of them on the rooftops of their homes. Big corporations like Petron, San Miguel, Manila Water, Globe, PLDT/Smart, etc., mobilized their trucks, boats and helicopters for rescue missions to parts of Metro Manila where people needed to be rescued and fed. The Filipino’s bayanihan spirit rose to a high level. Some people who wish to remain private about their endeavors started to convert their kitchens into relief kitchens, their children and all their staff helping out to make food and give water to those who needed it. Private individuals and foundations asked for help through text brigade.
Michelle Chan of ABS-CBN Foundation sent me this text: “We need lots of help. We need cooked food, trucks, groceries, water, clothes, blankets and more. Please send to Sagip Kapamilya, No. 13 Examiner St., Quezon City.”
From Happy Ongpauco of Barrio Fiesta: “Most centers are in need of cooked food. Due to their lack of cooking equipment, we have converted our restaurants’ commissary into a soup kitchen and have been going around feeding the victims! Hope you could help, too. We are appealing for donations of rice, chicken, or cash. Your P150 will go a long way as it can feed 10 evacuees a big bowl of hot chicken arroz caldo. Donations may be sent to Barrio Fiesta, Makati Ave, Makati; or Bento Box, 116 Leviste St., ground floor, LPL Manor, Salcedo Village, Makati City; World Topps, 109 Perea St., G/F Greenbelt Mansion, Legazpi Village, Makati City; or Pamana Restaurant, Aguinaldo Hi-Way, Tagaytay. Or call Gemma, 0905-274-5268.”
Happy O. and her young friends so far have fed 2,000 persons in San Andres; they also went to the flooded barangays in Taytay where the poor people have not received much relief goods because the water is still high and hard to reach. There they fed 1,500 persons. They also fed 1,000 people at the Rosario Sports Complex, 2,000 in Muntinlupa at Putatan Elementary School and Saguibas Church.
It is so heartwarming to know that young people like Happy Ongpauco have rounded up their friends to go from one relief center to the next to feed the flood victims.
I was informed that Senator Mar Roxas has turned his headquarters at the Farmer’s Market into a relief center. He and Senator Noynoy Aquino have sent truckloads of goods to the victims in many parts of Metro Manila and the nearby provinces.
Other relief centers for interested donors are the San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, White Space Building on Pasong Tamo Extension, some schools like St. Scholastica’s College on Vito Cruz, Ateneo on Katipunan and the Assumption Convent in San Lorenzo Village, Makati City.
From Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga, I received this text: “Gawad Kalinga’s Center for Donation is RFM Gym on Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong. GK’s centers for relief distribution and medical missions in devastated areas are the following: Brookside in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, Napindan and Pinagsama for Taguig, Caliaug in Pasig, Selecta Village for Cainta, PBA Village in Pateros, Sitio Ruby, Sitio Pajo and Tatalon for Quezon City, and Camacho in Marikina. We are expanding to San Mateo, Antipolo, Bulacan and other areas as donations come. The greatest source of support is the poor people themselves, especially the GK residents who are helping those in greater need. There are no casualties in all the GK sites. They have become evacuation and relief centers. The best in all of us is coming out. The hero of the moment is the Filipino himself.”
For those who wish to send donations to Gawad Kalinga, go to RFM Gym on Pioneer Street, behind RFM Building, or write your check to the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation and deposit it at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), account number 3101097756.
When a disaster of this magnitude happens, who are the Filipino people to blame? If the first three hours of rain flooded parts of the city already, what more two days of nonstop rains! A city engineer told me why Metro Manila will always get flooded during heavy rains: there is just too much garbage clogging the drainage system, too many squatter areas (coddled and supported by unconscionable politicians who need their votes) with improper sewage systems, and too many housing projects in some areas without the proper drainage and sewage systems.
Ondoy is a wakeup call to us Filipinos — especially to those in high government — to rectify what was not done in the past and do it now. We cannot afford this kind of calamity every time we have strong rains coming our way. Every citizen has to do his part in composting or doing away with our garbage properly so the city’s drainage system is not clogged. And to all those in high office, is it enough to donate P1 million of your pork barrel to help the victims of Ondoy? Isn’t that being shortsighted?
It is time to examine our conscience and see what we can do so our children can enjoy a better Philippines.
