On the 29th day of December 2021, a friend of mine, who is now the Student Council President of the College Department of our old school, called. He called me because they have arranged a relief operation for those who were hit by Typhoon Odette (Typhoon Rai), and they lacked manpower. He asked for my help, and without any hesitation, I agreed. The next day, I woke up at 3 AM to meet with him and the student council. There were only four of them out of 16 officers. I was about to ask where are the others, but he told me that most of them will not come with us because they have already done their part. I felt bad for my friend but I can't do anything about it so I just let it go.
Aside from the other officers not showing up, we encountered other problems as well. My friend told me that the initial plan was that they will be using a van for their transportation to the site, and the goods will be carried by a pick-up truck. However, an executive from the school offered to come with them and deliver 150 gallons of water. The Student Council already has 201 boxes of goods that contain rice, canned goods, noodles, bottled water, and clothes, with the 150 gallons of water, surely it will not fit. They decided to use the school bus instead of using two vehicles.
We planned on starting the journey at 5 AM, unfortunately, we were still waiting for the gallons of water to arrive. We were told that the preparations were done a day before the operation, but the water refilling station had a Christmas party, and the manager got drunk that he forgot to sign the release of the order. We had to wait until he was sober. The water arrived around six in the morning and we have to transfer it from the delivery truck to the school bus. Despite being in such a predicament, we were still able to proceed within the improvised schedule.
We left the school at 7 AM and traveled for almost four hours and 93.1km (57.85miles) before reaching the Municipality of Consolacion. While traveling, we encountered bad traffic because the road clearing operations are still ongoing. While we were on the bus, I heard that we will just be dropping off the items we brought to the town hall, and the people in charge will be the ones who will distribute them. I really thought that we'll just drop the goods off, and hit the road without any interactions with the recipients. Fortunately, it didn't happen because I know that it will be an anticlimactic experience for everyone.
When we arrived, the organizers that the student council had contacted greeted us and gave us instructions as to how we will be distributing the goods. A survey was already done by the organizers, and those who have been severely affected by the typhoon were provided tickets. The tickets will serve as a one-time pass for the recipients, and to prevent hoarding of relief goods.
A man stop by and asked me what the commotion is all about. I said that we are from Bogo City, and the Student Council of Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges organized a relief operation for people who were affected by Typhoon Odette. His face lit up, and as soon as I was done explaining, he asked me where he can go to follow a line. Unfortunately, they should have a ticket first before receiving the goods. His expression turned into disappointment, and I felt hurt for him. I understand how hard it is not being included. And even though I want to give him at least one bag of goods, it was already reserved for those who have a ticket, and we have a limited amount of goods.
People who have tickets started pooling in while we were unloading the goods. We were still not done unloading but it seemed like everyone was there already so they had to start giving out the water gallons and the bag of goods. I was able to give some to the people but I noticed that the pace of unloading was slow, so I decided to go back inside the bus and help with the unloading. I sat on top of the headrest of the bus seat while I was getting the boxes that contained the bags of goods. It was put at the back of the bus. Though my position was uncomfortable if you're watching me do it, it felt comfortable and I was not tired at all. My friend kept asking me if I was fine, and I continued to reassure him that I feel fine. I was in fact, happy with what I was doing.
While I was busy doing my job, I noticed unfamiliar faces on the bus. Aside from us volunteers, some of the beneficiaries of the drive went inside the bus to help us unload. It increased the pacing of our tasks because of the manpower we had when the others gave us a hand. It amazed me because even if the only thing they needed to do was to stay in the line and wait, they had the initiative to assist us.
This is not my first time being a volunteer. When I was in high school, I was part of the local church youth, and every summer we organize a church activity called Flores De Mayo. It is a Filipino tradition every May where Catholics spread the word of Christ to the children through Catechism. I was one of the catechists and it was such big responsibility. I worked with kids younger than me, and it felt good to be of service not only to the children but to the Lord. Aside from this, our community has mandatory clean-up every Sunday afternoon where we beautify our part of the village, and I always come with my mom to help.
When I was in college, a fire sparked in a village near our university. I was running for a position in the student council back then, and our party had organized a relief drive for the victims of the fire. I initiated to go with them, and though I participated in community service back then, it still opened my eyes to how volunteerism brings joy to those who are affected by disasters in life. I am not an altruistic person, but I am willing to be of service to people who need my help.
As we left Consolacion, the smiling faces of the people filled my heart with joy and utmost happiness. It felt like my heart was light and problem-free. Through these trying times, Filipinos still manage to smile and be thankful for what they receive. We still have the "Bayanihan" culture, and I hope that in its little way, the relief operation that I chose to be part of, helped bring ease to the victims of Typhoon Odette.
Thank you for reading!