The nonstop rains of Ondoy flooded main streets in Manila causing huge traffic jams and devastation of numerous houses. Typhoon Ondoy was horrible enough to frighten the people of the region.
However, for those who were fortunate enough and weren’t affected, what else could be the best thing to do but help. Indeed, people didn’t just sit comfortably in their houses while others were in need of help. Bayanihan was something anyone can see almost everywhere. All were out there readily giving their time and effort to whatever simple help they can perform.
The school in particular organized a donation drive and asked some students to be volunteers in Malacanang. Majority in our class together with some fourth years volunteered. When we arrived in the venue, students from various schools and universities were already there so eager to help out. There were some who sorted canned goods while others re-packed the bags for distribution. In that particular place in Malacanang then, volunteers seemed to be part of a bigger family willing to lend a hand to the other members of the family.
But then, I guess we shouldn’t wait for something big to come along in life like typhoon. Anyone is already helping if one really strives to do the little things well. And doing this everyday in the most ordinary things at home and at school, like studying well, paying respect to elders or whatever.
The idealism of youth and everyone I guess has turned this misfortune into something like an opportunity to learn and experience more than what we could get when listening to iPods, going to malls and spending hours of surfing the internet or worse, and spending a week-long of suspended classes on a couch watching cable TV or playing video games.
Ondoy had given the volunteers, especially me, entirely priceless and new lessons in generosity, prayer, sacrifice, service, sympathy, and love. Precisely, this experience has helped me realize that indeed individuals can respond to a call of greater adventures in life if only they would open their hearts and minds to their neighbors’ needs.
However, for those who were fortunate enough and weren’t affected, what else could be the best thing to do but help. Indeed, people didn’t just sit comfortably in their houses while others were in need of help. Bayanihan was something anyone can see almost everywhere. All were out there readily giving their time and effort to whatever simple help they can perform.
The school in particular organized a donation drive and asked some students to be volunteers in Malacanang. Majority in our class together with some fourth years volunteered. When we arrived in the venue, students from various schools and universities were already there so eager to help out. There were some who sorted canned goods while others re-packed the bags for distribution. In that particular place in Malacanang then, volunteers seemed to be part of a bigger family willing to lend a hand to the other members of the family.
But then, I guess we shouldn’t wait for something big to come along in life like typhoon. Anyone is already helping if one really strives to do the little things well. And doing this everyday in the most ordinary things at home and at school, like studying well, paying respect to elders or whatever.
The idealism of youth and everyone I guess has turned this misfortune into something like an opportunity to learn and experience more than what we could get when listening to iPods, going to malls and spending hours of surfing the internet or worse, and spending a week-long of suspended classes on a couch watching cable TV or playing video games.
Ondoy had given the volunteers, especially me, entirely priceless and new lessons in generosity, prayer, sacrifice, service, sympathy, and love. Precisely, this experience has helped me realize that indeed individuals can respond to a call of greater adventures in life if only they would open their hearts and minds to their neighbors’ needs.