Bayanihan Spirit Alive, Altruism 140301

What Is Bayanihan?

Helping others they don't even know, and for no apparent reason, other than "because helping feels good". It still happens. I still see it here & there. May it be forever & ever.

I'm encountering these mainly at the Yolanda/Haiyan-devastated areas of Region 8, with the help that keeps pouring in from everywhere, from all walks of life, in all forms.

Bayanihan Misnomer!

I just realized, many of us (yes, me included) thought/thinks that bayanihan is about "lipat-bahay" or heavy manual labor things associated with constructing or building.

All because, we saw in our school textbooks; we saw on broadsheet editorials; that bayanihan was always portrayed like this: mga taong pasan-pasang ang isang bahay!

In reality, it's not only on houses or tangible physical assets! At times, it can be about "makeup" or "barkada nyong bigo sa pag-ibig" - mag-bayanihan nang pasayahin yan!

Very often, it is "ambagan ng tulong para sumaya ang isa or maraming tao".

Sharing "fun" is a contribution.

Take birthday celebrations for example. Two days ago, I witnessed a birthday party of a Catbaloganon, celebrated with kids at a severely wrecked barangay in Marabut.

Goal: her contribution (ambag nya) to make the children feel less of the heartbreak.

Not a single house, tree or plant was spared by Yolanda/Haiyan, but life must go on.

Forget Yolanda minsan-minsan, to keep sane. Kahit isang Sabado lang. Mag-party!

Tandem with the expertises of others

They started with a holy mass at the now roofless chapel. But where there's a will...

There will be a way! I heard the priest & choir were even 'imported' from somewhere!

I noticed some parents and teachers brought in chairs from just about anywhere!

There were newly-donated wooden school chairs borrowed by kids from their rooms!

Amay Namon...

After the mass, I returned to the chapel for this shot. Maharlika Highway is at left.

Did you read what's written on the canvas? Yes, the 'tolda', a donation from USAID. If you haven't noticed yet, tents came from various donors. Nag-bayanihan ang mundo!

Some are pre-sewn tents, while many are multi-purpose wide plain sheets.

There are now many of that in the region - mainly as temporary cover or shelter. You can see how two houses (in the 2^nd picture above), use the same material differently.

Note: help me be observant by checking my pictures henceforth. I am very sure that that plastic material will get captured many times, even 'without my intention', since they are everywhere. It's a versatile helpful material for both victims and aid groups.

Good that most of those 'tolda' have printed names of the donor agencies. Easy for us to know which institutions (local and foreign) we should thank, for being 'of help'.

Hindi epal yan. Ang epal eh yung name talaga ng politician ang naka-lagay, tas pera naman pala ng bayan ang ginamit pambili. These are legit humanitarian aid groups.

Anyway..,

Patronize things contributed by others

I followed the group to the elementary school where the birthday party was held.

That tolda is actually a big tent for various uses like a 'hospital ward' or a 'classroom', but just raise their 'flaps' (walls) extending outside, and it becomes an 'event center'!

Yes, JTS Korea is a UN-recognized international relief organization.

In that photo the school principal and the birthday celebrant are at right, standing at the shade of a makeshift classroom, prior to being called to join the children's party!

What is "makeshift classroom"? A temporary learning space for the kids. Like this:

These "rooms" (if we can even call them that), can be made of various materials. It is dependent on who's offering to build the structures, and (of course) their own funds.

Even if simple, materials are expensive, and usually need to be sourced from afar. In constructing this set of temporary classrooms Terre Des Hommes was/is the donor.

That's pronounced tair-day-zom. They're a child-rights organization since the 1960s.

Oy, I learned that sponsoring or donating, even for temporary classrooms like that, do not only mean giving funds. You the giver/donor/sponsor have to "build it yourself".

That's why these sprouting (temporary) classrooms can come in many forms, sizes, or colors, depending on the donor. I'm not sure if there are any 'standards to follow'.

Baka wala pag temporary spaces. Panandalian lang naman, yata/sana.

In general, they're not something you can call "ideal" or "comfy". Basta safe, I guess.

Kaya ikaw teacher at principal, 'wag kang choosy! Aba, pag umayaw ka, lilipat sila!

Kesa naman dito or ganito! It will be unsafe for kids to be around during repairs.

Did you notice the roof structure (trusses, beams, frames) are almost already done? I hope all repairs are finished soonest, at all schools ravaged by Yolanda. It is a must.

Oist let me tell you, I have now seen lots of 'Yolanda-ruined schools'. I know though, the total count is staggering, that those I already saw are just a 'minute percentage'.

On my 'own projections', I think these repairs won't be totally and timely spent for by the government. Good that there are so many groups helping from all over the world.

Imagine that, such a tiny bit of life on our planet, such a short pass in my story, and we already saw a number of entities helping people and places they don't even know.

USAid, JTS Korea, Terre Des Hommes Netherlands... there will surely be more.

But what I have shown in the pictures above, are more on the structures. There are many aspects of/in life that Yolanda has crushed. Like the "feelings" of the victims.

So how did they have fun nga?

Ah, that is where the "birthday party" became valuable. If at all to make the children (and teachers!) feel and realize, that life is not all lost. A reason to make them smile.

Ayun na! Nakakatuwang nakakabinging kaguluhan from front to back to left to right!

Eh children's party eh, with lots of prizes lalo na sa "bring me your favorite teacher"!

And I heard from the children, it was the first such crazy activity they have had since Yolanda. And, they were happy for the school items, toys, even cash that they "won"!

That should have been distraction enough, to keep them away from entertaining the ill effects of that deadly storm in their hearts. Let the adults wallow in 'those things'!

The games were weeks-worth of remembering crazy fun only. Let happiness prevail.

A great thing I observed: bayanihan doesn't have to be all about one thing or task. It can be pooling of talents & resources to create memorable experiences for everyone.

"Everyone" means all involved, not just recipients, but donors and facilitators too - like the teachers. Helping evokes that "feeling of peace" in the hearts of those who help!

Yung maka-isip ka ba naman na gamitin ang teacher's table as a performance stage for a singing contest? Talent yan, dapat i-share - di yan maiisip ng corporate people!

It's not always money that's needed. Creativity is also a factor for happiness.

In this party, I saw friends of the celebrant who recently celebrated their birthdays too, but came to contribute and/or participate. And I discovered: if you can't come, send!

I just overheard the conversations, such as "so-and-so couldn't come, but she cooked this-and-that". Well, I think if you can't come, cash is better para less logistics heheh!

Anyway, and thus, bayanihan isn't contributing materials and muscles only, to rebuild physical structures. It's also being able to help people retake their happy disposition!

You'll never know, your mere smile could already make them smile too. Help na yan.

Teka, to me nothing looked logistically easy in that 'party'. It could've been the same effort, or even more, if she held her party at home with "the usual" family and friends.

You also need a lot of planning, creative juices, and all those things.

Hey, this was buffet lunch with an interesting twist - children were told to bring their own plate spoon and fork in coming to school today - less logistics, less styro-trash!

After that, they had a fun "Dishwashing 101" hehe! Older kids taught the little ones!

They had fun, all of them, pati ako! Truly a more meaningful birthday celebration.

If you do yours like that, ambag mo na rin yan sa recovery process ng community.

Magnanimous!

Question: Where were the parents in all these? Answer: Hello, Children's Party? But let me tell you about that -another wonderful encounter- in my next story. Abangan!

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NB:
I'm not done yet. Birthday celebration pa lang yan. Lately, still during my travels, I've been seeing / encountering so many new "life changing lessons" all along the way.

Let's talk about them as encountered.

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