people deal with various events in life differently from others.
what may seem tragic and hopeless to a vast majority may be considered trivial and hopeful for some. ganyan ang mga pinoy. amidst tragedies and calamities, we always find time to smile and take them all in, not with bitterness and despair but with a smile on our faces, ready and willing to help those who are far worst than we are.
our glass is always half full. never empty.
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| taking care of the elderly |
pag nadapa, babangon. pag masakit, iiyak ng sandali. we don't wallow. we can't afford to. to say we are used to hardships in life is an understatement. we grew up knowing we are not entitled. this may seem negative to others but that's how we are raised. that's why we strive and work harder than the person next to us. nobody's gonna hand things to us on a silver platter. we make things happen.
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| no boat? this boy made his own |
don't get me wrong, we don't trivialize serious matters such as natural calamities. we just don't take them hard. nangyari na eh, what's the use of crying over it for a long period of time. we are handed a bad card and yet Filipinos choose not to fold but to play their darnest best.
when
Ondoy happened in 2009, people didn't have time to feel sorry for themselves or wallow in self-pity. everyone who is able to help, albeit small, lend a hand. the rich, the poor, the young and the old. again, doing so with a smile on their faces.
the Philippines is once again in a state of calamity. the monsoon rains have not stopped for the last 2 days, engulfing most of Luzon in water. once again, i see smiling faces. they know, we know we can handle it just like we always do.
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| reaching out to help |
Filipinos always find solidarity in times of trouble. we always find the silver lining - the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. we remain strong and undeterred and resilient at every blow life throws us. we believe that things will work out in the end. we never lose hope.
it goes without saying that we don't just sit and wait for our knight in shining armor. we deal. we stand and help ourselves up and move on and in doing so, we still have the energy and love to help those we meet along the way.
as in Ondoy, i am not there to witness it all. looking at the pictures and videos, i cannot help but feel not sorry but proud. relief and rescue efforts mostly from private individuals and organizations are immediately in effect. they can't afford to wait for the government to come to their aid. they don't need to as everyone is pitching in.
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| even the animals are not forgotten |
social media once again played a vital role in all of this. prayers and helpful information flooded the web.
twitter and
facebook were filled with real time updates, not to scare anyone but to spread the news in the hopes that they, in their own little way, are able to help pass on information.
kahit maliit, basta makatulong.
of course there will still be the runts of the litter. the opportunists and the pessimists and the so-called haters. to them i say, sorry na lang kayo. Filipinos will not falter nor give in. make fun and hate all you want, nobody's listening anyway as everybody else is busy dealing with it the best way they can.
yan ang Pinoy and i am proud to be one.
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for those who wish to help in any way, here are a few info:
- Cash donations may be deposited to Philippine Star's Operation Damayan: MBTC Port Area Branch Account No. 151-304-161622-9. Or you may call The STAR hotline 527-7901 local 148 or direct line 301-9598 and look for Emie Cruz.
- For Bankard card holders, you may also donate by calling the Bankard hotline 888-1-888.
- A list of evacuation centers and relief operations can be found in this link
*** photos are taken from the web
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