Tzu Chi Foundation spreads seeds of love, compassion in Philippines

TAIWAN — In the quaint Hualien County, a 45-minute flight from Taipei lies Jing Si Abode, the headquarters of the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Tzu Chi, which literally means “compassionate relief”, is an international humanitarian organization and non-governmental organization with an international network of volunteers and employees that has been awarded special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1966 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the foundation is volunteer-based and responds to disaster and calamities around the world.

This year, the foundation celebrates its 50th year and in the Philippines, its 22nd year.

In an interview with The STAR on the sidelines of foundation volunteers’ visit to Dharma Master Cheng here on the occasion of Chinese New Year, Tzu Chi Philippines president Alfredo Li said a lot of activities are in store for the year.

 “We will be finishing the Tzu Chi Great Love City,” he said. Li is referring to Tzu Chi Philippines’ housing village for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in Barangay Lilo-An, Ormoc City, which the foundation opened last Mar. 28. The site will house 2,000 families when completed.

The housing project was made possible through a donation of a 50-hectare lot in Barangay Lilo-an by Ormoc City mayor Edward Codilla and his wife Violeta.

During the visit to Master Cheng here, the mayor’s wife Violeta thanked Master Cheng for giving them the opportunity to help.

Li said the foundation plans to put up more housing and other projects, such as an Eye Center in Bacood, Sta. Mesa with four operating rooms.

“We hope to serve more indigent patients,” he said, adding that the foundation is scheduled to inaugurate an expanded center today.

When there are no relief operations, Tzu Chi is also busy with medical missions.

It also has roughly 1,300 education scholars and conducts youth camps for young people who are college students. 

Tzu Chi Foundation in the Philippines has come a long way. According to its history, it was in 1991 when Master Cheng received a Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for Community Leadership.

 The Master gave half of the prize money of $30,000 to victims of China flooding and the other half to victims of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption.

 “The award paved way for the exposure of the Master’s compassion to the Chinese community in the Philippines,” the foundation’s history in the Philippines states.

Years later, the account continues, a group of local Chinese led by volunteer Linda Chua, visited Tzu Chi’s different establishments in Taiwan. The group vowed before the Master to bring the seedlings of love back to the Philippines, and help the Master in carrying out the mission of alleviating the sufferings and inspiring people in the country. The Master gave her blessings, setting November 8, 1994, as the official date of inauguration of Tzu Chi Foundation, Philippines.

Eventually, the number of Tzu Chi volunteers in the Philippines – inspired by the Master’s devotion to relieve the suffering of individuals – increased, Li said. Thus, the missions reached out to more people, bringing countless individuals to be inspired and discover one’s value in life.

“By reaching out to the needy across the Philippine archipelago, the seedlings of love spread further, leading to the establishment of other liaison offices, such as Cebu and Zamboanga,” the foundation also said.