EDITORIALBy Eric Noel Babaran
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
First and foremost, I hope all of my fellow Clubmen and your loved ones are all well and coping with the unexpected experience we all encountered last Saturday due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy. I would like to empathize with each and every one as we try to regain our senses after getting battered by what could be one of the worst “natural calamities” we may encounter during our lifetime. Personally, the “Great Flood” of September 26, 2009 would be one of the real nightmares I would not forget but I would rather not consciously remember and re-live. The harrowing experience and the losses suffered by many of us are just beyond comprehension and just made me realize how humanly vulnerable we are; and that these “force majeure” events clearly do not take any prisoners and do not choose its victims. Rich or poor, educated or not, whether we are in the blossoming age of childhood or in the waning moments of our lives, these calamities do not spare anyone. We are all fair game, so to speak.
I know each of us would have story to tell about what happened last Saturday. I know a few people who helplessly watched as their dreams got shattered right in front of their eyes; the dreams they have built with their sweat and blood gone and destroyed in a few minutes, the fairytale coming to an abrupt end. Now, their hard-earned and cherished possessions were replaced with mud and debris. They were just fortunate to have escaped with their lives. I guess this is a common experience for a lot of people, and it is very easy for us to relate. The big deal about this tragedy is that even if we ourselves were not that affected, I guess we know someone who was actually hit hard by the floods.
Right now, I think more than the experience we all had gone through, it’s dealing with the aftermath that is harder and more difficult for everyone. But knowing how we have bounced back from extreme challenges and disappointments, I know we will get through this. This is another chance for us to show our mettle and act to help out others. There are a lot of things we can do, whether big or small, any effort to reach out will be appreciated. We can allot a few hours of participation in giving out relief goods and conducting medical/ health missions in flood-ravaged areas. But I do support the idea that we concentrate our efforts on the areas other than Marikina and Cainta, since a lot of relief operations and funds have been ear-marked already for the said places. We can just do follow-up missions on these areas later on. We can also do some other activities like a “clean-up campaign.” Why not dedicate one of our fellowship days/ weekends in helping cleaning/ restoring the place of a fellow Clubman/ IWC member/ Rotaractor affected by the floods? I also suggest that we initiate a donation drive within the Club where members will bring clothes, blankets, baby clothes that we no longer use, instant food items and then distribute these to the affected families in SFDM and along Araneta Avenue. Lastly, we can encourage our family members, Rotaractors and Interactors to join us as volunteers in relief repacking centers like the ones being run by the National Disaster Coordinating Center, the Philippine National Red Cross, ABS-CBN and GMA7.
These kinds of events bring out the best in everyone. People forget any and discard and lines of delineation and the walls of social status crumble, giving way to pure and sincere aspiration to help. The time to step up has again beckoned and we are being called upon to be of service above self once more! Let us continue being bearers of relief and assistance to those in need. Despite all these, if we join hands and exert effort from our heart, the future can and will still be bright!
