255 Capiz Yolanda Relief Effort

Written by core member, Gia Tambis

The following day, we were off to our next destination, Capiz. This time, we were led by the Provincial Board Member of Capiz, Ms. Blesilda Almalbis. It was also a rough 2-hour drive from Iloilo, but the scenes this time were more horrible. It seemed like not a single tree or house was spared. It felt so desolate and gloomy. Even the communication towers were destroyed, leaving the town with no electricity and means of communication for weeks. As we grew closer to the town of Pilar, we were astounded with a beautiful sight, a powerful symbol of hope, which left us all teary-eyed and encouraged. On top of a hill, undisturbed, was a giant statue of Mama Mary, with her arms wide open, as if inviting people to embrace her and take refuge. It was very humbling and very encouraging, not only to us as volunteers, but most especially for the people of Capiz, who had nothing left to hold on to but their faith.

We arrived at Brgy. Dulangan of Pilar, Capiz and were again welcomed with such warmth and happiness. Volunteers from Red Cross were also there to assist us in distributing the goods. It was indeed a happy day for the people because we learned that not everyone from their area has received any relief until now. The government supposedly gave relief but was only good for 200 families. The manong I talked to said they haven’t seen this much relief good since Yolanda hit, and was so grateful to us for remembering their small town. We only had goods enough for 1,500 people. We knew it was not enough considering their population of about 40,000, but hearing him say that made me appreciate our task even more. Instead of focusing on the sad part about our government’s “inefficiencies,” I tried to remind myself of our purpose for being there and exerted more effort in reaching out to them by listening to their stories and empathizing with them.

After the relief distribution in one Barangay, we were invited to the house of Board Member Almalbis for lunch. We did not expect the gracious hospitality of their family but we were grateful for the abundance of food they prepared for us. We knew that it was more than what they could offer considering the condition of their town, but still they went out of their way to prepare something for us. It was so moving and humbling. After lunch, we took a short break from our mission to enjoin the people in watching the Pacquiao-Rios fight. The Vice Mayor’s house had generator and satellite cable, permitting everyone to not miss the much-awaited comeback of their hero, Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s win was majorly uplifting for everyone. It was a story they can relate to about defeat and rising up. As soon as the fight ended, everyone was in high spirits, momentarily forgetting about their real-life losses. We resumed our relief operation and gave them some words of encouragement before leaving.

The entire experience has been life-changing for all of us. We came there to offer what little we had, and ended up gaining more than what we had expected. A major calamity like this has brought out the best in everyone even if they had every reason to complain or give-up. Instead, they had grateful and hopeful hearts, and so much optimism it’s contagious. The people who helped us were victims themselves, but it did not stop them from extending their service.
We learned that no effort is “small” enough for people not to appreciate. Our mission started with one’s genuine desire to help. It didn’t take an entire army of powerful individuals to make it work. We were just like-minded individuals, sharing the same passion to help out and spending our time and resources in the most significant way possible. We are also very grateful for the people who made best use of their connections to pave way for the success of this mission, most especially the local governments of Antique and Capiz. Their commitment to service made our task easier, and the people happier. They showed us that there are still government units that are reliable and sincere in their duty to serve their people.

Our mission doesn’t end here. There’s still a lot of work to be done. But in the meantime, we urge everyone to continue helping and reaching out. We can be channels of hope to our kababayans if we keep on extending compassion and genuine service to those who need it. As a last note, let us all continue to pray for the Philippines and be reminded that God is greater than any storm. He is the only one capable of restoring our broken cities, and broken hearts. May He bless all the lives lost, the families who survived, and all the people who continue to serve selflessly amidst this condition.

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