by RJ G. Estayola

Ondoy, Pepeng, and Santi are some of the typhoons that have hit our country this year with Ondoy, may I say being the worst. Remembering the time when these typhoons hit our country brings back that terrible sinking feeling in my stomach. That terrible feeling that you know that somewhere, at that very moment, someone is freezing wet, scared, and even scampering for dear life trying to get out of the flood’s way. What makes this feeling even more terrible is that I’m cozy and secured in our house, without any worries of even being cold, and knowing that there is nothing that I can do at that moment to help these unfortunate people. Seeing posts in Facebook at that very moment even made the feeling worst and made me think about my family and friends that might be caught in the typhoon’s onslaught.

As expected, as the skies cleared, the destruction brought about by the typhoon was made clearer. Drives, donations, and solicitations were made to raise funds and assist those affected. Feeling the urge to help, I gave whatever I could like a little cash for Red Cross and dropped off some old clothes at La Salle Taft. I opted to do some volunteer work but said they are already overstaffed.

Weeks passed and slowly, news about the typhoons died down and was overshadowed by some other issues. Shamefully, I must admit that I have forgotten about those affected. I became busy in my own world again and thought that it was safe to assume that everything was in order again and we could all live our normal lives.

I was wrong.

Our Company, Pru Life UK, gave me that kick in the shin that brought me out of my reverie that everything is fine again by taking me along in Tanay, Rizal. Together with our President and CEO, Mr. Peter Grimes; VP for Marketing, Ms. Belle Tiongco; VP for Contact Center Management, Ms. Tess Jimenez; VP for HR, Mr. Rey Revoltar; some members of the Management Team and the EWC, we went to Tanay on the morning of December 8. I had never been to Rizal at all and seeing the place humbled me so much and made me realize that I am lucky indeed.

Armed with books collected from our fellow employees through our book drive and a check amounting to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), our group, headed by our Mr. Grimes, went to two schools in Tanay. These schools needed much help especially after suffering the wrath of the typhoons. The fund was given to Plan International who, in turn, used the money to buy books and to pay for the psycho-social counseling of the students who are still deeply affected due to the destruction brought about by the typhoons to their families and houses.

I thought that our travel will only be a short drive away from Manila, but was surprised upon realizing that we were already passing by rice fields, traversing hills and occasionally passing ravines with tight turns. The travel almost took us three hours to our first destination. The first school, Sampaloc Elementary School, I thought was like any other elementary school that I had seen. Having grown up in Batangas, I am no stranger to the conditions of public schools in the provinces, but this was different. The school’s grounds were vast, but the classrooms are lacking, especially upon knowing that each classroom holds up to 60 or more students per class. Most pupils are also wearing worn out uniforms and do not have shoes and are wearing slippers instead. Some even do not have any footwear at all but are still merrily frolicking around the unpaved school grounds.

It was very humbling and heart -warming to see that these pupils are still able to gleefully give us a bright smile amidst these conditions; as if they don’t have any problems. This made me realize how silly I was complaining about petty things like how hot it is or why can’t I get a cab (some students here walk long distances to get to school). They gave us a very warm welcome wherein selected students gave us a traditional dance number and even prepared a sumptuous meal for our group.

After a ceremonial turnover of the financial donation, our group split up and went to different classrooms to distribute the bags containing school supplies from Pru Life UK. The students excitedly received their bags and some even opened it right away comparing the contents with their seatmates. I even noticed some exchanging erasers to have the ones with the designs of their choice.

The students were very polite in receiving their bags as my throat almost got sore from saying “you’re welcome” amidst all their smile-laden “thank you.”. The parents of the students look on from outside the room as we gave away the bags; and as we went out of the room, another barrage of “thank you.” from the parents greet us on our way out. They were very grateful indeed.

Our second destination required us to do a bit more of traveling and it even involved crossing a river via boat ride. Sadly, due to security reasons and other obligations in the office, Mr. Grimes and Ms. Tiongco could not come along any more. With two (2) of the bosses gone, we made our way to Daraitan Elementary School. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the place. The trip may seem short, but it wasn’t smooth at all. The roads were unpaved and we made tight turns as we passed by the hills and ravines, occasionally passing by roads that were noticeably had just been dug up due to numerous landslides brought about by the typhoons. The state of the road and the seclusion of the place made me realize that help or aid to this place, in times of calamity, indeed could not come through on time or could not come through at all.

One of the volunteers from Plan International hitched a ride in our van and was guiding us along the way. I didn’t notice it at first but he pointed out scenes, in broad sunlight, along the edge of the river, floors and foundations of where several houses once were. There was even a toilet, glistening in the sun, securely attached on the floor fully exposed with the river as its backdrop. He also pointed to us a house (or where it once was) that, according to him is still being constantly visited by the father who owned the house. As I could see from the floor and its foundations, the house was made of cement, but it too was swept away — the house that the father worked hard for, gone. There were no floods now but I could only imagine how terrified the inhabitants of those houses were when their homes were swept away. Maybe one of the students that I would meet that day once lived in one of those houses, and what made me feel better was the thought that on that day, through our Company, I would be able to give that child help, a kind of help that I alone could not give.

We made a stop on the edge of a bigger river. This was the river that we had to cross via a boat. The place was peaceful and beautiful. The water was very clear. You could see the rocks at the bottom. The air is very cool amidst the high sun. It was hard to imagine that panic and tragedy once hit this serene place.

Crossing the river was a breeze, but the next ride which required us to take on a tricycle was very bumpy. Cramped inside the tricycles, our group slowly made our way to the school, passing the rocky roads and the rural surroundings.

Daraitan Elementary school is a quaint school whose features do not differ that much from that of Sampaloc Elementary School but is smaller. One major difference is that this place is way more secluded. We were told that the river we passed once was passable via a 4x4 truck or a motorcycle, but due to the typhoons, it got deeper because the bottom was scraped away with the torrents of water.

We were greeted by the teachers, they were all very warm and welcoming as well. Like in Sampaloc Elementary School, we gave away Pru Life bags containing school supplies to the students whose faces shone with appreciation. After the distribution, I noticed groups of students gathered around and seated on the floor of the covered court, each with a councilor leading the group. As I approached them I saw Mr. Jerry Manipor of HR intently listening to a student who was recounting his experience during the typhoon; curious, I also listened to the student’s story. The fear and helplessness that I was thinking of a while ago when we passed the swept away houses were confirmed. The student recounted the moments when his family ran for safety, ran away from the very house which they expected would keep them safe from the typhoon. This is just one of the horrible events that occurred during that fateful moment when the typhoon struck, who knows what more the other students could have experienced.

This is also where we donated the books gathered during our book drive. To those who donated books, I’m telling you, you really made the children happy. The children’s interest in the books was undeniable. We told them to pick up the books and browse through them so we could also take pictures. But even after taking the pictures, and even after we left, the children were still gathered around the books, some already seated on the floor reading a book of their choice. How I wish there were even more books for all of them to share.

As we bade goodbye to the school, I, and I’m sure everyone else, felt very light and fulfilled knowing that we have shared something very important and very useful for the future of the students. Not only the money but also the knowledge that can be drawn from the books that we have donated is priceless. They may be secluded, but that doesn’t mean that they will be deprived of the awareness and the knowledge on the effectivity of the English language. Even our simple introduction to them of who Harry Potter is through the books will make them a step closer relating to most people in the future.

Looking back at Tanay, as we boarded our vans, tiredness and sleepiness sunk in. But it was all worth it, especially knowing that tonight, I’ll be able to sleep with a smile knowing that I have been a part of something meaningful. Tragedies like typhoon Ondoy brings out the goodness in every Filipino, and I’m proud to say that though our Company may be English rooted, but it is also one that has a heart for every Filipino.