Be A Volunteer!

Today I spent my time and energy as a volunteer of Operation GK Walang Iwanan for Ondoy typhoon victims at the RFM Gym in Pioneer St. Mandaluyong. The relief operation was well-organized by the Gawad Kalinga and Go Negosyo groups. When we came in, they asked us to register our names and IDs were given to us. There was also a free popcorn for the volunteers!

A lot of work had to be done in the gym---repacking the rice, canned goods, noodles, bottled water, tying up the bags. There was really no time to sit back and relax. We literally were sweating buckets of pawis without realizing it. I was a bagger, a "repacker" and a kargadora all at the same time!

Sure, my back was aching and my muscles were hurting but serving the poor and thinking of the welfare of the victims were more important in this time of national crisis.

Volunteer and serve...that's the way to do it!

Cleaning Up Ondoy's Wrath

Every Filipino is a victim of super typhoon, Ondoy. In my family home, this was the first time that water came inside our garden. I had to show this to my sisters abroad because since they migrated this year, this was one for the records for they stayed in this place for 30 years and never encountered anything like this.

In our condo, water came inside our unit. I was not there but the neighbor said it was knee high and the street was waist deep.

Power and water were cut off from all units. Since our unit was on the first floor, all my appliances were "swimming." My DVDs were floating. I had to say goodbye to my two computers. RIP Mac G5! :)

The greatest lesson is not to be attached with material wealth. I didn't feel any "loss" because the safety of my loved ones were more important. Good thing my family was not harmed or taken away from nature's wrath. Time to clean up...