I told you guys from my last two posts that I would be writing about my first on-site volunteering experience since I barely got to do any of these when I was growing up 😅.
From my previous post, I mentioned how the One Bohol Relief Drive was a donation drive movement by YouthLead Philippines and in fact, you can access all the photos and videos of the communities they reached during the first wave of relief drives last January 13-15, 2022.
I was only able to join in as the representative for Hive PH on the last day of the first wave (January 15, 2022) since I had responsibilities at work the first two days.
The Briefing
Prior to any donation drive, especially one that requires a huge amount of resources for transporting both the goods and the manpower themselves, I was impressed on how organized the drive was-- from the preparation, to the on-the-day relief distribution and then the post-donation wrap-up.
Volunteers from different organizations who were invited to join the relief operations were called for a briefing days before the first wave of donation drives. Here, the itinerary, instructions and important reminders were given in order for the flow of the drives to run smoothly on the day.
Basically for the first wave, aside from distributing relief goods, they were also planning psycho-social sessions and mass feeding and solar charging for the victims.
One Bohol Relief Drive First Wave
| Date | Target Community |
|---|---|
| January 13, 2022 (Thursday) | Brgy. Buenavista, Ubay |
| January 14, 2022 (Friday) | Brgy. Tuboran, Bien Unido |
| January 15, 2022 (Saturday) | Brgy. Bonbonon, PCPG |
It's kind of cool seeing Hive as part of the Partner Organizations with Youthlead PH for the One Bohol Relief Drive among with other known organizations like Greenpeace PH, The Feast and so on.
Imagine: this community of cool and awesome people from all around the world that I am so proud of and have learned a lot from, and I belong to -- HIVE -- is extending the most remote parts of this beloved island that covers a huge sentimental part of my identity, during crisis-- I don't know how I could ever thank you guys ❤️.
The Call Time
5:30 AM was the call time for all the volunteers to meet up at the repacking site and load the cargo. Philippine Navy students and soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were also present to help, especially in the loading of the heavy cargo.
I found it funny when one of the soldiers smiled at me while I helped in carrying bags of relief goods for loading in the truck: "Dako lagi kag muscles ma'am" (Such large muscles you got there ma'am) 😂. I just smiled and said thank you. But boy, if only they knew what I do regularly to earn these.
The Trip
We left Tagbilaran City well after an hour around ~6:30 AM. I sat right next to driver in one of the vans as we travelled all the way to Ubay, taking the interior highway instead of the circumferential road and passed by several other municipalities like Bilar, Carmen, San Migue, Trinidad and the like who were also affected at varying degrees.
I had my own van-mates who looked like they were in the more active versions of their peers in the mid-40s. All good looking and good conversationalists, and I got the chance to talk to them and exchange snacks and photos with them during the van ride.
Well-around 8:30 AM, I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and despite the coffee I had before the ride, I still fell asleep in my seat. My last memory before having my eyes closed were the green rice fields of Carmen. There were minor damages in some of the houses, especially near its trading center.
When I woke up nearly an hour later, we were nearing Ubay, and the scenario was much more dramatic and shocking before I went to shut my eyes:
Only God and these people know what these poor people went through during the Typhoon landfall. The scenario of East Bohol was more devastating than anywhere in the other municipalities.
Debris and wood remain piled up near the streets. More than 60% of the houses we passed by were damaged, and half of them composed of houses that were completely fell down like a house of cards. Some roofs flew off the buildings and blown off to bits and into the streets, while in some buildings, only roofs remained intact.
When we reached Tapal Wharf, waiting on the barge to get us to Carlos P. Garcia (formerly Pitogo) Island, we got a chance to take photos by the wharf while the skies were clear.
I didn't know anyone else from my age group who volunteered to join the relief operations that day. I guess that's why I was pretty hesitant in engaging in conversations with the other volunteers. I'm usually not the type of person who knows how to make the first move when it comes to conversations (a typical introvert weakness, I know), especially in a setting where I don't know anyone else in the group.
However, I was glad that some of the striking soldiers from the AFP graced me a photo with them in front of the carrier vehicle. I usually get intimidated and/or star struck when it comes to soldiers, especially when they're in their uniforms-- a contrast to what I'd like to think as my squishy and soft exterior. But these two were very nice guys, ones that I wish I had gotten more time to get to know more of.
The Arrival
It took some time to load all the vehicles within the barge, because they needed to be efficient and aimed to carry all the vehicles in one trip. The actual trip only took about 5 minutes until we reached the island.
As expected, there wasn't really any difference in the level of damage between Pitogo and Ubay-- even their municipal hall was stripped off its roof.
Brgy. Bonbonon, was admittedly, an area that was very difficult to access, especially by huge four-wheelers. If the weather had not been so cooperative and had been rainy, the one-way roads would have been way too dangerous to travel through. I guess the Universe was with us that day because while we were graced with sunshine and clear skies, the roads were also dry allowing us to access the barangay safely.
When we arrived, everyone was so cooperative in giving us a helping hand in unloading the relief packages from the carrier. Seeing people from different areas of life from the NAVY, the AFP, to the volunteers from different partner organizations being part of a grander purpose moved my soul in ways I couldn't explain. I was just blessed to be present at that time and place and witness the humanity's goodness and generosity unfold.
The Programs
The people of Bonbonon were already sitting in their chairs outside the Barangay Hall, bringing their umbrellas to shield their heads from the noontime heat. The kids were sheltered in donated tents that were used as temporary shelters for those who completely lost their homes.
Some of them were set up on the roadsides which we passed by on our way to the Barangay Hall. We only observed a few along the way, and some of those tents were already housing more people than it could accommodate.
The good thing about the One Bohol Relief Drive was that they gave out different programs for the target communities. On this day, mass Feeding, mass solar-charging and psycho-social support for different age groups were offered on the same day.
People were invited to eat arroz caldo prepared solely by the barangay officers and the volunteers early in the morning.
I got to observe the games children and teenagers were invited to play. Most of the kids had a lot of fun playing Paint the Picture and Message Relay making me remember and miss what it was like being an innocent player in those parlor games--- such satisfying and fulfilling games (especially when you're with the winning team 😂).
What I did in between
I saw a person whose arm was in a cast because of the typhoon and even got to talk to some of the victims.
One was an old woman whose wrist was injured during the Typhoon while she was fighting to keep her home from getting destroyed. She slipped and fell, and most of the impact went to her wrist.
However, despite all that, she seemed like a joyful old lady. "Bahalag walay balay basta buhi" (It doesn't matter if we don't have a house at the moment, as long as we're alive) she'd say, while reiterating again and again how she is so thankful for the relief drive and all the volunteers who came and helped her community.
It's weird how you could really sense the gratitude in the victims' eyes, being part of the target community. That time was probably the most present I have been. Normally, I would have stayed in the sidelines becoming lost in thought and letting the other more extraverted people do most of the talking (because I suck at talking?).
I guess the lack of signal also greatly helped me be in the moment, and helped me leave the major personal issues back home that I have been wrestling with at that time.
While the programs were on-going, I got to talk to these kids who I observed didn't join the games that were held for them in the basketball court. They instead chose to play takyang nearby the school buildings-- just them and their friend group. They were kind of the shy-type kids, as they said that they didn't want to join because "ma-ulaw sila". I thought, that instead of having them run amock around the buildings (which still had a lot of sharp debris lying around), I figured that it wouldn't hurt talking to them and keep them company in a safe area.
I got to ask them about how their families were during the typhoon, how many siblings they had, what they usually do on their spare time, what they wanted to be when they grew up... just the typical icebreaker questions but somehow, questions like these seem easier to ask when you're talking to children.
Some of their answers made me laugh, while some answers really broke my heart.
Out of the lot, I got to be close to four kids: Abby, Mark, Jirah and Charice.
Mark was the one who kept answering in Tagalog, and I asked where he learned the language. He told me that he came from Manila a year ago, and transferred here with his family. He seemed pretty flamboyant and bright for a boy his age, and even going as far as getting teased by his peers that he was gay. He told me that he wanted to become a soldier growing up, and I do hope he pursues that dream no matter what.
There was nothing wrong about being a gay soldier of course, but I do have a problem with the teasing and the subtle hints of bullying among the boys his age. I just hope it wouldn't lead to an insecurity along the way and I hope he will have great role models that would also look out for him and guide him properly to his dreams.
Abigail and Jirah really love dancing especially with Tiktok. Charice was really a skilled takyang player, and could score up to 40 kicks straight.
Mark wanted to be a soldier, Abigail and Jirah wanted to be teachers, and Charice wanted to be a homemaker or a helper when she grows up.
When I asked one of them about their family and how many siblings they had, one of them answered that she never knew her father, and her two other siblings back home came from different fathers as well. The man who is with her mom at the moment treats her well at least and I really do hope that is the case.
When it was time to pack up and go, they were all so sad because I guess they wanted the conversation to go on, and I guess they still had more stories and things to show me. They even went as far as following me around, hugging me from behind, and escorting me to the van I was assigned to (so I really wasn't able to help out with the cleaning- and fixing-up because of this 😅, sorry co-volunteers ✌️😬).
The funny thing about it was, they really tried waiting for the van to drive off and kept waving bye and saying they love me through the window for a good 20 minutes. I even was able to give them four pieces of sweet bread from all the waiting they did.
The driver I was sitting next to eventually told me "Wa pa gihapon sila natagbaw sigeg buh-bye?" (Are they still aren't satisfied after those many buh-bye's?). Everyone inside the van just laughed.
These sweet kids. Until now, I still keep thinking about them from time to time.
Going Home
We left the barangay around 3 pm in order to catch the barge at 4. It was a satisfying day. It was tiring and hot, but satisfying. People were taking pictures above the barge catching the most picturesque time of the day, maybe as a way of congratulating themselves for a job well done.
The soldiers were there, the volunteers in white, people who chose to set aside a day of their lives helping strangers that were most affected. I am and will always be in awe of these people who chose to show up.
What I learned
Aside from everything I had just wrote in this article, I guess there is one nagging thing at the back of my mind that I am trying to relearn and reiterate day by day, and it's that: "one person's possession, is another person's prayer".
Sometimes, all of us experience getting way too ahead of ourselves in terms of what we want out of life, and we get bombarded of these things everyday. When we pass through social media, like LinkedIn, or Instagram, and compare how far we are in terms of the life we want, and never realizing that what we have at the moment--- a roof over our heads, flowing water through our faucets, a sexual preference that is accepted and isn't considered taboo by the culture we grew up in, and imperfect parents who choose to show up each day instead of being absent no matter how difficult our existence must be--- is another person's prayer.
I do hope that the new little friends I met turn into awesome adults who are given equal opportunity that they deserve to reach their dreams the next time I see them. I also do hope that as I continue my journey through life and face whatever darkness I come across, that I don't completely get lost and forget what I wrote in this article, as humans would, no matter the nature of injustice I experience.
This article was created through the One Bohol Relief Drive spearheaded by the Youth Lead Philippines with the Hive blockchain as one of its consortium of partners.
The second wave is scheduled to take place this February 2-4, 2022 in several barangays of Ubay, Bohol, namely: Camali-an, Los Angeles, and Tintinan. If you wish to donate for the next wave, kindly open this link to access their various donation channels.
Roxanne Marie is the twenty-year-old something who calls herself the Protean Creator. She is a chemical engineer by profession, pole-dancer and blogger by passion and frustration, and lastly, a life enthusiast. She is on a mission to rediscover her truth through the messy iterative process of learning, relearning and unlearning. Currently, she works as a science and research instructor for senior high school students in her hometown, Tagbilaran City, all the while documenting her misadventures, misfortunes, pagka-hugotera, reflections and shenanigans as a working-class millennial here on Hive. If you like her content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. It would be an honor to have this post reblogged as well. Also, don't forget to follow her to be updated with her latest posts, and catch her next intellectual (and most of the time, emotional) rants.
About The Protean Creator
