What The Storm Did “For” Us

To say what Yolanda did “to” us is unprecedented — destroying communities and somehow crushing the lives of thousands of people.  Scenes from the typhoon still remain ubiquitous to this day but I believe with all my heart, as many other Filipinos from all over do, that behind tragedy and disaster, are miracles waiting to unfold.  Our homes may have collapsed, but not the Filipino spirit.  Sometimes, it is in the worst of circumstances that rays of hope perch through the darkness.

What did the storm do “for” us?

1. The great equalizer

For the first time in our history, both the prominent and the poorest of the poor have reached the same footing, revealing our joint vulnerabilities yet leading to the equality of all people.  It teaches us humility — for the wealthy never to look down on the poor and the poor never to begrudge the rich.  Too many instances have proven the sharing of resources without any judgment.  Even looters who took out of the desperate need to survive shared whatever they had with the rich.  Yolanda broke statuses and economic boundaries for people to have mutual respect for one another.

2. A powerful unifier

The rest of the Philippines couldn’t bear to see their Visayan brothers and sisters suffer any longer.  From Aparri to Jolo, a country known as an archipelago finally became one nation in spite of the political unrest in Manila.  While we see a nation torn apart by some corrupt leaders that we put in power, our countrymen from all walks of life shifted their focus on what’s more important — saving lives.  Relief items packed in various places, organized fundraisers of different levels and every possible creative idea just to help, brought us as one.   We have become others-centered instead of being self-centered.  It was no longer every man for himself; it has become every man for others.

3. Generous giving

The benevolence of every Pinoy and the aid of international aid from various sectors and nations poured in.  Sensing our inability to stand on our own (for now), the world responded and poured out generously, financially and in kind.  Pledges, donations, contributions, celebrity auctions, and other mediums in different magnitudes (from children selling iced tea on the streets to points scored in a basketball game i.e. Alaska Aces and Pau Gasol of the Lakers, to name a few) — the abundance of generosity has been groundbreaking.  Perhaps our ‘investments’ in the world from our unique brand of hospitality to industrious manpower has made the world give and it was nothing sort of revolutionary.  There is truth in sowing and reaping.

4. A clear exposer

While sincere hearts gave (from taxi drivers to yayas and OFWs from the farthest cities of the world), another group of givers wisely positioned themselves to look like the most generous of all.  Many reliable accounts have reported about relief goods being repacked in different plastic bags with logos of organizations or leaders (specifically their names), making it seem like a campaign material.  Obviously, it is the wrong place and time for such.    Whereas, another group of people kept it simple: “You are not forgotten” – People of Davao City.  Sometimes anonymity is the best measure of generosity.  In times like these, we should be nameless and faceless but not purposeless.   We need not magnify our names but instead, magnify the name of our God.  After all, everything belongs to Him.  There is a passage in the Bible that says “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)  Godis interested in the true intentions of our hearts — to serve and not be served (or self-serving).   Each time we organize relief operations, or post pictures on social media, let’s check our motives and be careful.

5. Huge sacrifices

Labeled as “The world’s most powerful storm of the year” we were not thoroughly prepared to receive its massive onslaught.  Yet after the storm, people from all walks of life made big sacrifices.  They could not rest in the comfort of their homes and offices knowing the rising death toll, the anxiety of separated families and the scarcity of basic supply.  Most of us who were safe from the storm felt “unsafe,” that we decided to sacrifice our lives for others.  And it came in various ways.  Utility companies risked the lives of their men who left families and children to restore electricity in the city (Cebu City proper), civic organizations launched large-scale missions, churches collaborated with ministries, while companies have cancelled some of their sales campaigns, reduced their Christmas budgets (even cancelled Christmas parties), and postponed their business plans to re-channel finances and efforts in this nationwide undertaking.   And individuals were not far behind: many families called off their trips abroad (and chipped in their vacation funds), employees are giving up a percentage of their 13-month pay, went on overtime, joined telethons and numerous other efforts.  People were willing to sacrifice and not count the cost.  And the giving for some was painful too, but it was worth it.

And just when we were knocked out and cold, the timely victory of our (pambansang kamao) boxing champion gave us the much-needed morale boost, glimmer of hope and motivation to fight on.

Image Credit: www.sportsnet.ca

The contender was bigger, stronger and taunted an attitude like the storm.  But thanks to our champion and his own personal sacrifices, he ruled the squared ring for 12 rounds serving as a perfect metaphor for us Filipinos that yes, we can “come back!”

It may take us six months to three years to fully recover from this catastrophe but deep in the heart of every Pinoy is a resilience never seen before in the world.  As Anderson Cooper of CNN said it  “I just keep thinking about this and I cant stop thinking about it… the strength that it takes, not just surviving a storm but the strength it takes for a mother to survive the aftermath of the storm when six of her children are dead when she cant find their bodies or water to give, even on a good day, to live in a shack and deal with the indignities of the poverty forced upon them… the people of the Philippines are incredibly dignified even in the face of very little in the last week. They have managed to stand tall with humor, I mean people laughing, finding ways to smile amidst the heartbreak, it’s a privilege to see.”

You won’t see this elsewhere.

Resilience leads to brilliance.

(End of Part 1 of 2 series)