EDITORIAL - Tribute to volunteers

The late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin often lamented the selfishness or "kanya-kanya" attitude that has retarded Philippine progress. Not all is lost, however. There are many Filipinos who are quietly working to make the country a better place, even if they don’t get publicity for it. There are many Filipinos who dedicate at least part of their lives to helping others.

In the Philippines and around the world, there are many unsung heroes who are ready to help alleviate suffering anywhere, even in conflict areas. The nation pays tribute to them, and all the other people across the globe who readily volunteer their services even at great risk to their lives, as World Red Cross Day is marked today.

Each year over 90 million people volunteer to help more than 275 million others all over the planet. You see members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Iraq, Afghanistan and all the other conflict areas. Volunteers were at the tsunami-hit countries in Asia, at the site of the earthquake in Pakistan, in New Orleans after the killer hurricane. They were among the first to arrive in Guinsaugon after the town was buried under tons of mud. They rushed to Quezon and Aurora after the deadly floods, and even to the Philsports arena in Pasig after the stampede. "Volunteers are the backbone of our work… they symbolize the power of humanity," said Juan M. Suarez del Toro, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

There is always suffering and conflict around the world, and never enough volunteers. Even as the work of millions of volunteers is hailed today, the challenge is to find more people willing to share their time and energy in easing human suffering. It takes a special breed to bring hope to those in need without expecting material gain or anything else in return. The world honors these volunteers today.