Being away from family, sacrificing long hours, and risking to expose one’s self to a lethal virus. Volunteer work is no easy feat, especially during a pandemic.
Even so, there are still selfless individuals out there who deserve to be honored for their unrelenting passion for service and hard work, providing an outpouring of support to medical workers in hospitals and community health centers, in order to assist the country in its track to recovery.
Among these outstanding individuals who are inspiring hope and bringing back faith in humanity are volunteer workers from the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Foundation.
Choosing to attend to the needs of the people over self
With all the chaos that has been going on, 49-year old Baldwin Kho is not one to refuse when an opportunity to serve the country presents itself. His volunteer journey started 30 years ago when he joined Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, and since then, he has been persistent in his pursuit to make a difference in the world, one community outreach at a time.
He was going about his usual duties, preparing goods and food packs for their Taal Volcano relief operations, when he heard the news about the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Nobody, not even Kho, knew what was going to happen, but despite the risks and uncertainties, he still bravely offered his aid and assistance when TOWNS Foundation called for a team of volunteers for their response efforts.
“On March 14, we started our COVID-19 response efforts at Bahay Tsinoy Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life in Intramuros. I was the first one to respond when they asked for volunteers and I thought it would be a normal relief operation but it’s really different,” shared Kho. Thankfully, his place of residence was not far from their main office so it only takes him around 15 minutes whenever he volunteers his time.
The same does not ring true for everyone. Other volunteers like Larry Boja are not able to go back to the warmth and comfort of their home after a long day of work, but continue to persevere nonetheless. A devoted family man with three children, Boja decided to stay in the city during quarantine instead of going home to his family in Dasmarinas, Cavite, in order to continue his volunteer job at TOWNS Foundation. While it was a big sacrifice for him to not see his family, he compensates by sending them text messages and calling them daily.
Despite being away from his family, Boja still expresses his gratitude about being able to help and do his part for the country. “Natutuwa talaga ako kasi nagkaroon ako ng chance na makatulong para hindi na lumala o lumaki yung pandemyang nangyayari ngayon. Bibihira lang po ang pagkakataon na ito. (I’m grateful to have an opportunity in helping ensure that this pandemic does not get any worse. Not everyone gets a chance to help out like this.),” shares Boja.
On fighting the good fight to bring hope and strength
It seems that the spirit of volunteerism and bayanihan flows strongly among the Filipino people. Along with Kho and Boja, Philline Cruz and Germaine Fay Ramirez stood steadfast and dedicated their time and health as the nation grappled with the consequences of the global pandemic.
Working for the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation has given Cruz a renewed sense of purpose and duty. A typical work day for her includes handling accounts and logistics, as well as organizing requests from government organizations and private sectors. But in the face of this health crisis, she has been working side-by-side with frontliners and leading volunteer teams in their disaster response operations.
“As an aspiring community development worker, now is a good opportunity to take part in building resilient communities and helping distribute donations and medical goods for our frontliners.,” shares Cruz.
There is also no denying how much this crisis has taken a toll on the doctors and nurses who are working round-the-clock at the hospitals. As a former healthcare worker, Ramirez empathizes with the medical workers, using this as a motivation as she devotes her time and assistance to PDRF.
“Iba yung laban na hinaharap nila ngayon. May mga nagwo-work 12 hours daily, suot yung PPEs na mainit, tapos hindi pa well-ventilated yung ibang hospitals. So yung hirap doon, physically and mentally challenging din.” (What our medical workers are going through is more difficult than what we can imagine. Some of them work 12 hour shifts daily, wearing PPEs that can be uncomfortable, and in hospitals that are not well-ventilated. It’s a physically and mentally challenging occupation.” she says.
At the end of each day, seeing the smiles behind the masks of each health personnel is enough reward to keep Cruz and Ramirez going in their volunteer work. Cruz adds, “On deliveries, we can see that they are happy but we can also feel how exhausted and frustrated they are in this situation. That’s why as much as possible, we try to provide everything to help them out – food, protection, facilities for them to stay in and even temporary sleeping areas.”
Driven by the common goal to make a difference
The unwavering commitment and resilience to help the country recover is a mission shared by PDRF, TOWNS Foundation, and Coca-Cola Philippines. Since the lockdown, the Company has been relentless in their support of relief operations by organizations, bringing medical resources and donations to medical institutions.
“We’re really glad to be in this partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines because we have the same vision and goal which is to build a strong and resilient Philippines, as well as to help people and support our frontliners. We currently have a skeletal staff setup in the PDRF and the help from Coca-Cola in delivering the donations is a big help,” expresses Ramirez.
And when the volunteers need a refreshing break, they share how Coca-Cola has been giving them joy during these trying times. “What amazes me is that they (Coca-Cola) are able to give unconditionally. And personally, I enjoy Coca-Cola on volunteer days because it relieves stress and it is a refreshingly cold drink,” shares Kho.
At present, Coca-Cola has reached out to various organizations to aid in their relief efforts, providing 174,382 PPEs to 51,167 frontliners, distributing food packs to over 60,000 families across the country, and donating more than 2M litres of beverages to over 800 hospitals, NGOs, local government units, and national government agencies. Local resources were augmented with grants to NGOs for PPEs and food packs from The Coca-Cola Foundation.
“It is during these challenging times that we really see the Filipino spirit of togetherness and positivity burning bright as they help and encourage one another in the front lines,” says Winn Everhart, Coca-Cola Philippines President and General Manager. “We are inspired by the countless acts of goodwill and selflessness of these people, helping reinforce our faith in the human race and giving us hope that we will emerge victorious from this crisis together.”
Coca-Cola continues to increase its community support and is sharing updates as well as inspiring stories #ForTheHumanRace on https://facebook.com/CocaColaPhilippines.
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