Feeding the Hungry by Nathan Mari
Three typhoons struck the Philippines starting Saturday September 26 2006 bringing extreme flooding and devastation. What they showed on TV and in the newspapers couldn’t have prepared us for the task ahead… all we knew is that disaster struck and we needed to respond. That’s the GK way you know, no blueprints, no templates, just heroic response! While most people in the country have already stopped relief work because, well that’s just the way it goes I guess, after 11 days eventually the news gets stale,
“Operation GK: Walang Iwanan” will keep going well into Christmas. Even after 11 days of feeding the hunger cannot be subdued. Unlike the homes we build, at least there is something that remains, hunger is only something that passes. Many of the people we were going too haven’t had any sort of relief in 11 days. That means that for those who have lost everything, they haven’t eaten properly for almost two weeks. But they were glad we came! As soon as they saw the trucks people started walking up to the feeding grounds where thousands of them can finally get much needed relief.
I was amazed at our volunteers on the ground! The burden of: having done this for 11 days, and having to return tomorrow didn’t seem to faze any of them. There were also some previous beneficiaries there who were familiar with the pains of hunger. They did what they could to help, but the reality is that of the millions of Filipino’s going hungry today, they would only be going to 7000. To them it was worth it! They stood in line passing sacs filled with rice, canned food, spaghetti sauce and bottles of water into the ”Bulldogs”. Once all fifteen were filled, we were off. We sat in the back and in my truck was Kat. She shared with me her story: (Click the youtube link to watch -2 Parts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8CWz7xFMJs ) The day before while she was doing a feeding with the military escorts, her truck was one of the last ones there. As people began to realize that there was no more food and her truck was the last, they began to storm towards her truck. She had just finished passing out bread to an elderly woman when all of a sudden hands came from everywhere to take whatever scraps they can from the old lady. Kat was in tears and yelled “Lola!!” She was sharing with me how guilty she felt because she blames herself for the hurt that that Lola went through. You see the reality is that when people are hungry, their predatory instincts come out, but like a lion in search of their next meal! When people are in survival mode, it’s a battle of the fittest. This is what we reduce people too when they are deprived of the most basic human needs such as food.
On our way up to the site, the situation was far worse that what they showed on TV, or what I read about in the newspapers. Nothing could’ve prepared me for it… water absolutely everywhere… whole houses were swallowed up by the floods! Streets became rivers and people carried their families in anything that could float. Walking to their homes were now done through boats and makeshift paddles made from scraps of plywood. But it wasn’t the fact that people had lost everything, or that their belongings remained submerged, or their clothes were still wet and dirty. People were hungry! They were desperate for food. When Kuya Luis told me that they feeding
would continue well into Christmas I was shocked! I though why would you need to do that? But when I saw that even after 11 days the waters still haven’t come down, I understood. So I took my place in the line and began distributing food… the hours passed and the lines never diminished. We were there for almost 6 hours and I was exhausted! My back was hurting, my shoulders painful from passing over 4000 food packs so far, I was hungry because by that time it was already 2pm and I haven’t eaten for almost 7 hours, but what right did I have to complain?! Look at these people who haven’t eaten for almost two weeks… I kept my selfishness to myself and kept on going. We packed and distributed 7500 food packs that day! I felt proud at the extraordinary achievement… I can finally say that I fed the hungry, and add that to my list of corporal works of mercy. But the reality hit me, why should I feel proud?! The true heroes are the GK people on the ground, because long after I return to the US to tell their story, they will still be here packing and feeding the millions of Filipino’s going hungry every day.
The Hero Of The Moment is the Filipino Himself
The Hero Of The Moment is the Filipino Himself
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=510655&publicationSubCategoryId=85
It was a cataclysmic weekend that spurred the Filipino to rise up to his finest self and help those in dire straits. When Ondoy released its wrath and poured mercilessly on Friday evening and continued nonstop the whole of Saturday, the private sector took matters into their own hands and did everything humanly possible to rescue the marginalized who were neck deep in water, hanging on for dear life, many of them on the rooftops of their homes. Big corporations like Petron, San Miguel, Manila Water, Globe, PLDT/Smart, etc., mobilized their trucks, boats and helicopters for rescue missions to parts of Metro Manila where people needed to be rescued and fed. The Filipino’s bayanihan spirit rose to a high level. Some people who wish to remain private about their endeavors started to convert their kitchens into relief kitchens, their children and all their staff helping out to make food and give water to those who needed it. Private individuals and foundations asked for help through text brigade.
Michelle Chan of ABS-CBN Foundation sent me this text: “We need lots of help. We need cooked food, trucks, groceries, water, clothes, blankets and more. Please send to Sagip Kapamilya, No. 13 Examiner St., Quezon City.”
From Happy Ongpauco of Barrio Fiesta: “Most centers are in need of cooked food. Due to their lack of cooking equipment, we have converted our restaurants’ commissary into a soup kitchen and have been going around feeding the victims! Hope you could help, too. We are appealing for donations of rice, chicken, or cash. Your P150 will go a long way as it can feed 10 evacuees a big bowl of hot chicken arroz caldo. Donations may be sent to Barrio Fiesta, Makati Ave, Makati; or Bento Box, 116 Leviste St., ground floor, LPL Manor, Salcedo Village, Makati City; World Topps, 109 Perea St., G/F Greenbelt Mansion, Legazpi Village, Makati City; or Pamana Restaurant, Aguinaldo Hi-Way, Tagaytay. Or call Gemma, 0905-274-5268.”
Happy O. and her young friends so far have fed 2,000 persons in San Andres; they also went to the flooded barangays in Taytay where the poor people have not received much relief goods because the water is still high and hard to reach. There they fed 1,500 persons. They also fed 1,000 people at the Rosario Sports Complex, 2,000 in Muntinlupa at Putatan Elementary School and Saguibas Church.
It is so heartwarming to know that young people like Happy Ongpauco have rounded up their friends to go from one relief center to the next to feed the flood victims.
I was informed that Senator Mar Roxas has turned his headquarters at the Farmer’s Market into a relief center. He and Senator Noynoy Aquino have sent truckloads of goods to the victims in many parts of Metro Manila and the nearby provinces.
Other relief centers for interested donors are the San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, White Space Building on Pasong Tamo Extension, some schools like St. Scholastica’s College on Vito Cruz, Ateneo on Katipunan and the Assumption Convent in San Lorenzo Village, Makati City.
From Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga, I received this text: “Gawad Kalinga’s Center for Donation is RFM Gym on Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong. GK’s centers for relief distribution and medical missions in devastated areas are the following: Brookside in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, Napindan and Pinagsama for Taguig, Caliaug in Pasig, Selecta Village for Cainta, PBA Village in Pateros, Sitio Ruby, Sitio Pajo and Tatalon for Quezon City, and Camacho in Marikina. We are expanding to San Mateo, Antipolo, Bulacan and other areas as donations come. The greatest source of support is the poor people themselves, especially the GK residents who are helping those in greater need. There are no casualties in all the GK sites. They have become evacuation and relief centers. The best in all of us is coming out. The hero of the moment is the Filipino himself.”
For those who wish to send donations to Gawad Kalinga, go to RFM Gym on Pioneer Street, behind RFM Building, or write your check to the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation and deposit it at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), account number 3101097756.
When a disaster of this magnitude happens, who are the Filipino people to blame? If the first three hours of rain flooded parts of the city already, what more two days of nonstop rains! A city engineer told me why Metro Manila will always get flooded during heavy rains: there is just too much garbage clogging the drainage system, too many squatter areas (coddled and supported by unconscionable politicians who need their votes) with improper sewage systems, and too many housing projects in some areas without the proper drainage and sewage systems.
Ondoy is a wakeup call to us Filipinos — especially to those in high government — to rectify what was not done in the past and do it now. We cannot afford this kind of calamity every time we have strong rains coming our way. Every citizen has to do his part in composting or doing away with our garbage properly so the city’s drainage system is not clogged. And to all those in high office, is it enough to donate P1 million of your pork barrel to help the victims of Ondoy? Isn’t that being shortsighted?
It is time to examine our conscience and see what we can do so our children can enjoy a better Philippines.
