"This feels like Yolanda," this was my last quote before I readied myself to go out and do some assessment in our city. I must say that my city was totally damaged and devastated. I couldn't imagine that after years of being a volunteer during natural disaster and calamities, I would experience this myself.
So where shall I begin with this passion?
It was on November of 2010 when I set out my first medical mission in Quezon Province. As a nurse, I witnessed several instances of severe sickness and death during that mission, mostly kids. After that, I went up to the northern part of Pangasinan to continue participating with the mission. I went back in Cebu after a month, and continued serving in the City Hospital It was totally fulfilling.
After several years, my friends and I managed to hold several feeding and education campaigns in the city and in the mountain barangays. Again, I had gotten used with this volunteer life. I thought it was the sweetest having served different communities.
I had managed and led several campaigns every Christmas since 2012, and onwards. Even dared to do some operations in an NPA area. Honestly, if it weren't with my mother who has been nagging me to stop some dangerous relief operations, I would continue my "Fight for the Lumads" advocacy and "Marawi Seige" relief operations (my friend sent me a message to volunteer for the displaced muslims from the Marawi). It was that moment when my mom blew off and literally scolded me to stop. I listened but I helped in a different way.
Circa 2013, an earthquake hit Bohol and after a month, Yolanda devastated Leyte. My spirit was nowhere in placed. I hastily signed up for a relief operation to help the victims in Bohol. It was a week after the earthquake where we gave supplies (water and food) and helped with the medical team as a nurse.
A month after, a team of 5 managed to deliver supplies in Bantayan Island and San Remigio to help those victims of Yolanda. That was the bravest I ever did in my life even in the verge of losing my former boyfriend who also volunteered during that time in Leyte. (Don't get me wrong. He didn't die. He fell in love with his fellow volunteer. They got married after three months.)
Now this. Typhoon Rai.
It devastated my city. I never would have thought that from being a disaster volunteer, I became part of the victims of the storm. The place/barangay where I live in and all its entrances were blocked with fallen electric posts and wires. Without electricity, signal and water, our world was doomed. We were in the subdivision, waiting for outside news, gossips, and whatever we could hear from the guards until we were safe to go out.
It was on the 2nd day that I decided to do something. So, my brother and I visited the evacuation center just across my school, skipping some wire posts to get there. I saw a teenage girl at the 2nd floor of the school playing "Inday-Inday" with three other young girls. I hurriedly climbed up the stairs and approached them, and asked if I could talk to their parents.
One of the mothers approached me, as we politely introduced ourselves. I told them that we prepared some meals for the children - burgersteak and rice. (I happened to bug my brother to cook a delicious burger steak from scratch and his special gravy sauce.) He is a sauce expert! Really!
I didn't wait for them to finish eating as we bid goodbye.
The following day at the grocery store nearby, I saw someone who smiled at me and "blessed" my hand on her forehead. The mother smiled at me and said, "Ma'am, kami to imong gihatagan sa burgersteak. Nisunod jud siya nimo pagkakita niya. Nakahinumdum siya ni mo."
I was speechless. I didn't expect that she could recognize me. Later on, I found out that her name is Shine.
I went back to the center and gave them some meals to eat for the night.
As of the moment, this is by far the greatest challenge I am facing as the project leader. As the project leader and coordinator for the Typhoon Rai Operations, I hope I will have the positivity and the strength to continue doing what I supposed to do. #BangonCebu!
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