Visiting Taal Victims Days After Eruption
Dear Diary,
Donating isn't a new concept to me since I attended Catholic schools my entire student life. It's been a requirement ever since - to bring canned goods, etc. - for the less fortunate and victims of calamities. Until I reached college, when your donations don't reflect on your grades anymore or coz they don't take attendance. I mean, we still go to immersions and outreach programs as part of Humanities/Theology classes... but it's different when classes are suspended due to storms/floods and you just intuitively got to go to school still in order to drop off some stuff for donation.
My empathy comes from considering myself as an orphan, even up to this day. Since my mother died, I could never forget how lucky I am to have a roof under my head and that I never go to sleep with an empty stomach. I have seen enough movies and documentaries to know that THINGS CAN GET WORSE; but it's not, so I'm forever thankful. Being "more" fortunate is enough reason to extend blessings to those who need it most.
This time, I was given an opportunity to help once again. It's the first time in my 26 years of existence that I experienced ashfall in our front yard. It was all over the news but when I stepped outside, I felt it, too. Not as bad as those who live nearby Taal Volcano, but it was bad.
I had just recovered from viral exanthem. In the past week, I had rashes all over my body. It was itchy and my immune system is down which caused me to catch cough and colds. When the volcano erupted, my rashes were just subsiding and I was still coughing, so it was difficult to breathe when I stepped outside to bring the dogs in. My toes instantly turned red in just a few minutes of exposure to ash, so I couldn't help but think about how much worse it might have been to those who live nearby.
People were advised to evacuate but we all know that not everyone will follow the protocol. In my personal opinion, I can't blame others for not wanting to because it was so instant that they must have forgotten something important to them that they have to get back to. And, have you seen what it looks like at evacuation centers? Not everyone is comfortable about leaving their homes.
I was able to hitch a ride to personally deliver some relief goods with Mau and her family. Luckily, they wanted to hand the donations to victims directly, too, and not just drop them off at some storage area. We met at South Station in Alabang, and although it's already dusty here, fog builds up even more as we head Southward via SLEX.
Actually, I haven't fully recovered. I still have a cough and was anxious about catching up with work, but I thought whatever it was that made me feel under the weather, I am still in a better place than those whose livelihood is directly affected. I can help and I will.
Their house in Talisay, Batangas was also affected by the eruption. They went back for their pet Akira and to check on their chickens so I got a closer look at the aftermath of the "initial" explosion. We experienced an earthquake while we were there and it was really devastating to see how the ashes affected their house, the crops, and electricity lines. Needless to say, there's also no signal at all. It's literally a ghost town.
While hopping back on to our van right after having lunch in Sto. Tomas, a minivan parked right next to us. A lady came down from it and approached us crying as if she was carrying a huge burden in her heart that she had to let out, even if it means talking to strangers. Turns out, she was supposedly scheduled for chemotherapy that day but couldn't as hospitals are busy tending the victims. She said that she couldn't even get her meds and showed her recently removed right breast. My heart broke into millions of pieces... coz my mom died of breast cancer and there she was standing and crying right in front of me, fighting for survival with this tiny glimpse of hope, and then Taal erupted.
It is true, I saw it with my very own eyes - there isn't much difference between the rich and the poor when it comes to calamities. Everyone is at the same level of grief. I shared this encounter and realization with a friend of mine who lives in Tagaytay (Millie) and she said yeah, they walked the same path with those who lived in huge houses as they evacuated.
En route to Laguna, we passed by residents cleaning up their neighborhood without face masks so we rolled down our window and started handing out. People started to run towards us just to grab some. They are braving the dusty air to bring back their town to life and I'm so glad we got to bring them just what they need. We then arrived at a private sports complex in Brgy. Bunggo, Calamba where some evacuees were relocated. The police and their Brgy. Captain was also there at the same time working together to clear up the streets.
Our last stop was in Brgy. Kay-Anlog (still in Calamba, Laguna) where more of their relatives stayed together in a house. It was quite far from Talisay so imagine how far they have to run away from the volcano. I can't. And even though they have traveled far, the area was still affected by ashfall.
It was really a humbling experience that made me look back at the most important things in life. What has been revealed to me was that a home is not just a house, it is your family, the entire neighborhood, the community, and even your fellow kababayans with whom you build and rebuild your life around. With them, we can withstand any calamity.
With love,
G.
Watch my vlog here to see more:
Donating isn't a new concept to me since I attended Catholic schools my entire student life. It's been a requirement ever since - to bring canned goods, etc. - for the less fortunate and victims of calamities. Until I reached college, when your donations don't reflect on your grades anymore or coz they don't take attendance. I mean, we still go to immersions and outreach programs as part of Humanities/Theology classes... but it's different when classes are suspended due to storms/floods and you just intuitively got to go to school still in order to drop off some stuff for donation.
My empathy comes from considering myself as an orphan, even up to this day. Since my mother died, I could never forget how lucky I am to have a roof under my head and that I never go to sleep with an empty stomach. I have seen enough movies and documentaries to know that THINGS CAN GET WORSE; but it's not, so I'm forever thankful. Being "more" fortunate is enough reason to extend blessings to those who need it most.
This time, I was given an opportunity to help once again. It's the first time in my 26 years of existence that I experienced ashfall in our front yard. It was all over the news but when I stepped outside, I felt it, too. Not as bad as those who live nearby Taal Volcano, but it was bad.
I had just recovered from viral exanthem. In the past week, I had rashes all over my body. It was itchy and my immune system is down which caused me to catch cough and colds. When the volcano erupted, my rashes were just subsiding and I was still coughing, so it was difficult to breathe when I stepped outside to bring the dogs in. My toes instantly turned red in just a few minutes of exposure to ash, so I couldn't help but think about how much worse it might have been to those who live nearby.
People were advised to evacuate but we all know that not everyone will follow the protocol. In my personal opinion, I can't blame others for not wanting to because it was so instant that they must have forgotten something important to them that they have to get back to. And, have you seen what it looks like at evacuation centers? Not everyone is comfortable about leaving their homes.
I was able to hitch a ride to personally deliver some relief goods with Mau and her family. Luckily, they wanted to hand the donations to victims directly, too, and not just drop them off at some storage area. We met at South Station in Alabang, and although it's already dusty here, fog builds up even more as we head Southward via SLEX.
Actually, I haven't fully recovered. I still have a cough and was anxious about catching up with work, but I thought whatever it was that made me feel under the weather, I am still in a better place than those whose livelihood is directly affected. I can help and I will.
Their house in Talisay, Batangas was also affected by the eruption. They went back for their pet Akira and to check on their chickens so I got a closer look at the aftermath of the "initial" explosion. We experienced an earthquake while we were there and it was really devastating to see how the ashes affected their house, the crops, and electricity lines. Needless to say, there's also no signal at all. It's literally a ghost town.
While hopping back on to our van right after having lunch in Sto. Tomas, a minivan parked right next to us. A lady came down from it and approached us crying as if she was carrying a huge burden in her heart that she had to let out, even if it means talking to strangers. Turns out, she was supposedly scheduled for chemotherapy that day but couldn't as hospitals are busy tending the victims. She said that she couldn't even get her meds and showed her recently removed right breast. My heart broke into millions of pieces... coz my mom died of breast cancer and there she was standing and crying right in front of me, fighting for survival with this tiny glimpse of hope, and then Taal erupted.
It is true, I saw it with my very own eyes - there isn't much difference between the rich and the poor when it comes to calamities. Everyone is at the same level of grief. I shared this encounter and realization with a friend of mine who lives in Tagaytay (Millie) and she said yeah, they walked the same path with those who lived in huge houses as they evacuated.
En route to Laguna, we passed by residents cleaning up their neighborhood without face masks so we rolled down our window and started handing out. People started to run towards us just to grab some. They are braving the dusty air to bring back their town to life and I'm so glad we got to bring them just what they need. We then arrived at a private sports complex in Brgy. Bunggo, Calamba where some evacuees were relocated. The police and their Brgy. Captain was also there at the same time working together to clear up the streets.
Our last stop was in Brgy. Kay-Anlog (still in Calamba, Laguna) where more of their relatives stayed together in a house. It was quite far from Talisay so imagine how far they have to run away from the volcano. I can't. And even though they have traveled far, the area was still affected by ashfall.
It was really a humbling experience that made me look back at the most important things in life. What has been revealed to me was that a home is not just a house, it is your family, the entire neighborhood, the community, and even your fellow kababayans with whom you build and rebuild your life around. With them, we can withstand any calamity.
With love,
G.
Watch my vlog here to see more:
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