The greatest weakness of man is Callousness

Third part of speech given at the Rotary Club sponsored Youth Congress 2008.
STI Kalibo, September 27, 2008
Theme: Building Leaders for Tomorrow
Topic: Fundamentals of Leadership and Volunteerism

One of my most dramatic experience in Aklan was my encounter with Ulaw – a nine year old boy who came to our base in Laguinbanua with his chest heaving and his shoulders raised. Naramdaman ko agad ang nadarama niya nang nakita ko siya dahil ako ay isa ring asthmatiko. On the day I met him, he was turning blue – nangingitim na ang kanyang mga labi. He came with his mom… a lady who couldn’t speak… mind you, not because natataranta siya, ngunit dahil siya ay isang pipi.

It wasn’t the first time I’d met his mother. She had been to the base a number of times. She came at first to ask for help from Cataract Foundation because their house was destroyed. The next time I saw her, she was asking for medicine for her child. And then I saw her again when she came to ask for food and for change to pay for the fare to get from Numancia to Makato, where she lived. I wasn’t surprised then that when the people at the base saw her coming in for the nth time, I heard comments like, “hay nako eto na naman yung pipi na makulit!”

Truth be told, had I not seen the little boy, I might also have reacted in the same manner. Mabuti na lang at nakita siya agad ni Ninang Linda and she immediately called my attention to the boy. As I couldn’t converse with the mother, I talked to Ulaw. Tinanong ko siya kung kailan siya inatake. Sabi niya, matagal na. I asked him if he had difficulty breathing every day. He said yes. So I asked him if today was like every other day. He said no because his chest really hurt. Kuya Pete and I decided to rush Ulaw to the provincial hospital. His mom came with us, but when she realized that her son had to be admitted, she fled. Naiwan ako sa tabi ng kanyang anak.

I spoke with an official I knew from the area where his family lived, the official said, “manloloko yang babaeng yan.” I checked with the nurses about hospital policy regarding admission. They said a backer would be needed to admit the child. I told them to admit Ulaw to the charity ward since he came from a poor family. They just looked at me oddly so I reminded them that the doctor said, "Ulaw has to be hospitalized because he's turning blue." The doctor wasn't even sure Ulaw would make it past the night. They got him admitted at 4pm and at about 630pm, the sister of Ulaw finally came to the hospital. I spoke with her and told her that her brother needs to stay in the hospital. She said they had no money and couldn't afford the hospitalization. Sabi ko sa kanya, "asikasuhin na muna natin na mapabuti si Ulaw, saka na natin problemahin ang pera." She looked at me and then she said, "wala po kaming pagkain, pwede po makahingi ng pambili ng pagkain?" I promised to bring her some food.

My young friends, how do you look at the poor, the wet, the cold, the hungry, the lost, the last, and the least of our society?

We are prone to be suspicious, aren't we? We suspect they want to fool us when they beg, don’t we?

Leadership however demands from us so much more. Leadership expects us to know how to make decisions because a leader is expected to have a basis for decisions. The word ‘akala’ does not belong in the vocabulary of a leader. To presume is to take a risk. Sadly, the risk can be such that we lose a life. Had we not moved to get Ulaw to the hospital and had we not opted to get him admitted, we may have lost him that night.

Para sa akin, It matters not that sometimes people try to take advantage of your compassion. Compassion is never lost. When you help, you never lose. Helping makes you a better person. It makes a hero before God. That is what truly matters. Not what people think and not what people say. You and I have a God… whoever your God may be… We have a God who is eternal and who will forever remember the good we do.

Now, let me tell you the story of Tara Santelices, the 23 year old girl who got shot in the head last August 6 in Cainta, Rizal.

Tara was with her friend, Joee, a little before midnight last August 5. They were on their way home on the eve of Tara’s 23rd birthday. Nakasakay sila sa isang Jeep. Somewhere in the area of Karangalan village, a dark stretch of road in Cainta, a male passenger pulled out a gun and ordered the two girls to give their bags. Tara’s instinct was to take hold of her things and according to Joee, a struggle ensued. It was then that the gunman pulled the trigger, and shot Tara on the forehead.

Joee asked the driver to take them to the nearest clinic which was some 20 minutes away. Pumayag naman daw yung driver but on the way, he made several stops pa to let other passengers off dahil nagpapara pa yung ibang pasahero. When they finally got to the nearest clinic, the jeepney driver didnt bother to help joee carry Tara, umalis pa as soon as nakababa sina Joee. Sadly, hindi rin equipped yung clinic na napuntahan nila so Joee had to hail a cab and take Tara to the nearest hospital. Nakarating sila sa Amang Rodriquez Hospital 1:30 a.m. na. By then Tara was already unconscious because she had lost so much blood.

I wonder… if you were there that night… what would you have done if you were in that jeepney? What would you have done if you were Joee? What would you have done if Tara was your sister?

My dear young leaders of Aklan, some leaders are born… some leaders are made… If at the end of this talk you were to ask me what I would like you to remember, it is this… The greatest weakness of man is callousness.

Ang pagpapabaya ay kahinaan na walang karapatang mabuhay sa puso ninuman.

Seek to be aware and to be committed to find reasons to help.
Seek to be passionate about what you believe in.
Seek to remember that we are our brother’s keeper.

Volunteer.
Volunteer to serve.
Volunteer to lead.
Volunteer to live for others.

I assure you, there is no greater joy than to sleep at the end of the day knowing you have contributed to making a difference in someone else’s life.

Live and Help Live

Second part of speech given at the Rotary Club sponsored Youth Congress 2008.
STI Kalibo, September 27, 2008
Theme: Building Leaders for Tomorrow
Topic: Fundamentals of Leadership and Volunteerism

I met a boy last week. A 12 year old boy who told me that when he turns 13, he plans to leave the country. I asked him where he was planning to move and why he wanted to move. He said he was going to Canada because life is better there. Sabi niya, he wants to move to Canada because there are no Filipinos there. I reminded him that his parents are both full Filipinos, and that he was Filipino as well. His answer to me was that he was Filipino not by choice. Hearing those words coming from a 12 year old Filipino boy made my stomach turn over. I couldn’t understand how someone as young as 12 could dislike his fellowmen and his country so much to want to leave and cut ties from this country so early in life. It saddened me even more that these words came from a boy who I later found out had a brilliant brain. Ang galing niya sa math and science! It seems though that conversations such as this is nothing out of the ordinary anymore. For how many years now, we’ve been losing out best and brightest because for a lot of Filipinos, the dream of a better life is a dream of leaving the country forever.

Don’t get me wrong, the dream of leaving the country is a dream I fully understand. I left the country when I was eighteen so I could study in California. I got my bachelors degree in international relations with a minor in Economics . After graduation, I lived out my dream of working in Washington DC as a political researcher. I was out of the country for six years, but I always knew I would return. I always knew that my place was here, with my family, and with my people.

Now believe me, I don’t discourage Filipinos from leaving the country… I’m just a nationalistic cheerleader – Go Filipino go! Relate to the world, Go global! Ang sa akin lang, remain a Filipino and be proud you’re a Filipino. If you are ashamed of the Philippines, then do something to change the image of the country. Hindi nararapat na mahiya tayo dahil tayo ay Pilipino. Kung may dapat baguhin sa mukha ng ating bansa, magtulungan tayo. Naisin natin ang pagbabago. Tayo tayo lang naman ang makakapagbago sa bansa natin. It’s time to stop pointing fingers. It’s time to stop whining. Wala naming naidudulot na mabuti yan… Sama ng loob lang ang dala niyan. Pero sige, if you really want to rant and whine and complain. Go ahead. Let your frustrations out. But perhaps after that, it would be more constructive to act on those frustrations. Why do we have to wait for someone else to fix a problem that you've already identified?

Sabi nga ng professor ko dati... "Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise what is the use of seeing?" And really I have to stress on the importance of doing or acting. Why? Because over the past year, I've noticed that we filipinos are not lacking in information. We know what's going on around us. We're complaining all the time! But really we have to get past that stage of complaint.

I mentioned earlier that I left the country. I was gone for over six years. Much has changed since I left. Unfortunately though much has also remained the same. The traditional politics of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours is still dominant. Corruption is still rampant. Now this statement that corruption is rampant is not my original statement. Paulit ulit na sinasabi yan ng mga nakatatanda at ng simbahan. Moral leadership is badly needed. But how can we have moral leaders when we don’t even have enough good citizens?

Come election time how much money do politicians spend to get votes? How many people accept the money thinking pare parehas lang naman yang mga politico na yan? And yet, we expect our leaders to be morally upright! Paninindigan ba yan? Di ako magreregister dahil pareparehas lang naman? Tatanggapin ko ang pera dahil pareparehas lang naman! Paninindigan ba yan o gawain ng mga duwag?

The heart of democracy lies in its active citizenry. We cannot have a thriving democracy if the culture of selfishness persists. What is this culture of selfishness I speak about? Others call it the live and let live philosophy. This is prevalent in individualistic societies but I see it now in our country as well… Sure, we care about the members of our immediate family, but what of the people who live beyond the four walls of our homes? Bahala na lang sila? I contend that we need to go back to the culture of live and help live.

I remember when the team of Dios Mabalos Po first got to Aklan, parang gulat na gulat yung mga tao kung bakit may mga Bikolanong dumating para tumulong sa Aklan. But what we were doing… what we are doing…. is nothing out of the ordinary. Filipinos have always been a helpful people. History tells us of the Bayanihan spirit. Bayanihan - taken from the root word ‘bayani’ meaning hero. In the classic tradition of carrying a house, each man would carry a portion of the weight of the house and in effect would become a hero for all the other volunteers because he lightens the load for others. Each man thus becomes a hero to everyone as all the others become a hero to him. I ask you, where has this spirit gone? What has happened to the value of social responsibility? Why have we ceased to care about the people around us?

Ang bayan natin ay bayan ng maraming Juan at Juana… Malakas man o mahina… Mayaman o mahirap – may kakayahan na iabot ang kamay para makatulong. Sabi ng mga mas nakatatanda - Walang sinuman na lubhang mahirap na di makakatulong sa kapwa. No one is so poor that he cannot help.

Leadership requires a sense of selflessness – to give even if it hurts. To express connectivity by being present. Tao sa taong nangangailangan… may pagpuna, may damdamin, nagmamalasakit, nakikiisa… di kailangang bayaran.

It’s been said, One man’s hunger is another man’s duty… The call to service is a call to every individual. It’s not a call to government officials, social workers, or charitable institutions – it’s a CALL TO ALL. Young leaders of Aklan, Step up. There’s much to be done here at home. Your people need you. The country needs you.

Leadership is a process... It's not a title

First part of speech given at the Rotary Club sponsored Youth Congress 2008.
STI Kalibo, September 27, 2008
Theme: Building Leaders for Tomorrow
Topic: Fundamentals of Leadership and Volunteerism


I know you all have had a long day. It’s almost time to pack up. You’ve had seven speakers before me. That’s a lot to take in. So, I figure I’ll give you a break, I’m not going to bore you with different theories of leadership and volunteerism. Instead, I just want to share with you some of my experiences in the field in the hope that you’ll be able to take home a learning or two from these experiences.

So first, let me tell you the story of how I came to Aklan…

When I heard about the damage wrought on Aklan by Typhoon Frank, I had to sit down with my mom. My family was scheduled to leave for Europe to attend an international trade fair in Germany. It was also the 150th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes. So it was timely for me to go on my pilgrimage to Lourdes, France 25 years after my parents asked for Our Lady's intercession for my safe passage into this world. In 1982 kasi the doctors advised my parents that they shouldn't have any more kids after my mom suffered from a temporary paralysis upon giving birth to my brother. So upon finding out that my mom was pregnant with me, my parents went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. They asked Our Lady of Lourdes to intercede for me and by God’s grace, mukha naman daw akong normal when I was born in March of 1983. Hence, I got my name Ma. Lourdes... And so, two months ago, my ticket was booked. I was scheduled to fly to Europe on the 3rd of July. I couldn't however find it in my heart to leave for Europe knowing full well what was happening in Aklan.

See, in November of 2006, when Typhoon Reming devastated my homeland, Albay, I was out of the country. I was working in Washington D.C. I wanted to fly home soon after I learned about what happened to Albay but I wasn't able to do so until March of 2007. When I came home, 4 months after the typhoon, my Albay was still very much hurting. But I was comforted by the realization that the country had come to the aid of Albay and even after four months, there still remained a number of local and international organizations and groups that were working tirelessly to help my people. So it was that come June 26, 2008, after hearing about the plight of the Aklanons, I knew that the time to pay it forward had finally come.

I asked the board of Dios Mabalos Po Foundation if they would agree to sending a team to Aklan. They didnt hesitate. I asked the staff of Dios Mabalos Po Foundation if they could come with me to Aklan. They said I didn't have to ask twice. Now I'll be honest with you, my initial plan was to come to Aklan and feed 10,000 people in a span of one week. But by the 2nd of July, I was informed by the board that we had received enough donations from our partners and friends to feed 10,000 people everyday for one month.

I almost fell from my chair when I read the email! For 10,000 people a day, we would need 50 calderos, and a core group of about 30 individuals . I had 5 calderos and a team of 5!

I must admit I found myself a bit anxious that night. I was leaving for Kalibo on the 4th of July and feeding 10000 people every day just seemed... a bit much... a bit overwhelming really. But that night, as I lay quietly in my bed, the words of Mother Teresa came to me, calmed my spirit, and removed my apprehensions...She said, If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one".

For the first month, that is what I tried to do. With my team of five, I went around the municipalities of Numancia and Kalibo. We spoke with barangay officials, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay health workers and we asked them to help us feed the children of Aklan.

On July 11, 2008, we started feeding in Kalibo. That first day we only fed 200 children. But come the second week of our operations, we were already able to feed about 5200 children every day. Now, two and a half months after we first started cooking, we've breached the 10,000 mark for daily feeding and Dios Mabalos Po Foundation's feeding program is reaching over 30,000 children in the province of Aklan everyday for emergency supplemental feeding.

I won’t say it’s been easy. It’s been challenging. The conditions when we first got here were difficult. Access to potable water was still scarce. Maputik pa noon at maalikabok. Yung mga sasakyan na nahiram namin the first few weeks ay inabot din ng baha at putik, so we had to get off from time to time to push the vehicle to get it to start. Nagkamuscle ako the first week but over the next few weeks, I also lost a lot of weight, partly because of stress. I lost 8 pounds in 2 months. My friends in Bicol and Manila couldn’t understand why I had to personally come. Sabi nila dapat pinapunta ko na lang yung mga staff at volunteers ng Dios Mabalos Po Foundation. No doubt, if I had asked the staff of Dios Mabalos Po Foundation to go to aklan without me, they still would have come. But what kind of a leader would that have made me?

See, having the authority to tell somebody to do something makes someone a boss, but authority alone does not make a leader. Personally, when I’m deciding if I can respect someone as a leader, I observe what the person does so that I can know what kind of a person he truly is. You can tell from someone's actions, if he is an honorable leader, or a self-serving person who misuses authority for his own selfish needs. Leadership is a process. It’s not a title. Let me repeat that…

Leadership is a process. Its not a title.

Feeding begins...

On July 11, 2008, the emergency feeding program began. We started small by feeding the 200 people who were working tirelessly to clean up the Aklan Catholic College and Mobo Elementary School.

*Some of the damages to ACC & to Mobo E/S

But by the second week of our operations, we were feeding about 5285 people per day with the help of the Barangay nutrition scholars and Barangay health workers. (See Chart of Hapagasa areas and beneficiaries here) And come mid July, we were rolling out our calderos to the different medical mission sites in the province. From July 15 to August 17, we were able to feed a total of 4,000 persons in medical missions conducted by the Aklan Medical Society, Operation Blessing, and Operation Compassion.

It was truly a challenging but fulfilling mission. There were days that the cooking had to be started as early as 3 a.m. just so we could get the food out before 8 a.m. There were days we couldn't do anything but shake our heads after meeting with difficult people. And then most days, we came home to our base with sore muscles and with boots covered in mud. Yet, looking back, I have to say that I was really proud of my team during the month long emergency feeding in Aklan. I knew it wasn't easy for Noel, Natnat, Tere, Rosalie (and later on, Tita Linda), to be away from their families and friends but they were truly a dedicated team. Even though I knew that their bodies were getting tired, I didn't hear them complain. And come dinner time, they were all still smiling and laughing as they shared stories about the kids and the communities they served during the day. True to our motto, they served with a grateful heart. I know I couldn't have had a better team with me in serving Aklan.

Of course we couldn't have served at all without the support of the team of Lt. Pete Ruiz of Rotary Community Corps S.E.A.L.S and Rotarian member, Mr. JB Brown. The DMPF Calderos would never have left their kalans had it not been for the logistical support provided by Rotary Club of Kalibo, RCC S.E.A.L.S. Rescue, and the PNP. So on behalf of the kids of Aklan, I wish to say Dios Mabalos po to all the people who helped get the food from our calderos to the children's bowls! May the smiles of these children warm your hearts in the same manner that they warmed ours.

The first week...

Our first week in Aklan was spent surveying… or at least trying to survey.

I can't even begin to describe how hard a feat it was for a group of 6 Albayanos to trek the unfamiliar territories of Kalibo and Numancia. See, when we got to Kalibo, there was still mud everywhere. Most streets were still not passable because of the mud and because the branches and the debris left behind by the storm still lay in the middle of the roads. Working vehicles were very hard to come by as the engines of most vehicles were reached by flood water and mud. If vehicles weren't immobile, they were stalling. Fortunately for us, Nang Marites Gonzaga was able to lend us a vehicle that first week. Her vehicle was not spared from the mud and flood but by God's grace, it was able to take us to the different areas identified by the local government units of Kalibo and Numancia as priority areas.

That first week, we visited the areas of Mobo, Tinigao, Bakhao Norte, Bakhao Sur, Albasan, Bulwang, Bubog, Camanci Norte, Camanci Sur, Joyao Joyao, Laguinbanwa East, Laguinbanua West, Navitas, and Pusiw. We spoke with the different barangay officials about our intent to start a feeding program. We asked them to prepare the list of children in their barangay so we could accurately allocate the needed calderos and ingredients for the emergency feeding program.

By the end of that week, most barangays had complied with our requested listings, but a few barangays only submitted partial listings. When I asked one barangay official why their listing was partial, she said, “Wag na lang natin isama yung mga bata doon. Malayo naman sila mam eh.” I told her we can't work like that because we came to their barangay wishing to feed every hungry child in the barangay. She smiled, and then she asked me if i could give 3 of their Barangay Health Workers an allowance to get the full listing. I asked her how long it would take, she said another 4 days. I smiled my best looking smile right back at her before I said goodbye.

I felt bad each time I realized that we wouldn't be able to serve in one barangay either because the barangay officials didn't want to cooperate with us or flat out turned us down. But I also knew we could only work in communities that were willing to help us help them. No matter how much we would want to feed every hungry child in Kalibo and Numancia, we would still need the support and the commitment of the leaders and the members of that community to have a successful feeding program.

This is why I wish to extend my warmest thanks to the leaders and members of the following areas and schools:

Albasan, Bubog, Bulwang, Camanci Norte, Camanci Sur, Joyao- Joyao, Laguinbanua West, Mobo, Navitas, Numancia Integrated School, Pusiw, & Tinigao.

Dios mabalos po for committing to feed the children in your community 5 days a week, 20 days a month! We salute you for your hard work and we are truly honored to have had the opportunity to work with you to prevent the possible surge of malnutrition that comes in times of crisis and disaster. Maraming salamat po for accepting us into your communities. Dios Mabalos po for helping us serve your community.

The first days...

My first few days in Aklan were hectic.

I had arranged to meet with Father Jobert of the Aklan Catholic College as soon as I got to town. I explained to him what we planned to do and he was kind enough to offer to put us up at the ACC hometel for the length of our stay.

I also met with Fr. Boy Quan to see if we could assist the archdiocese's relief efforts with feeding for the people and their volunteers.

I met up with Pastor Dong of Operation Compassion and we met with some of the local pastors in Kalibo so we could coordinate our relief efforts and avoid duplication.

We approached the PDCC to obtain a copy of the provincial damage assessment report to ensure we were focusing on the right municipalities. And we then spoke with LGU and MSWD representatives of Kalibo and Numancia and asked for copies of their damage assessment reports so we could identify the barangays that were badly hit.

Here's a copy of the first report given to us by PDCC...