How I spent My November Pandemic 2020

 

November is my mom's birth month. We usually travel and spend 3 days in the resort of her choice. She must be near the sea, even when she was already wheelchair bound, we never stop swimming. So i dont know if i will consider the disaster therapeutic because it numbed the pain and misery of her passing.

I was sashaying my way to a hanging bridge on November 1, Rolly was whistling quietly, knowing that November is the month where most destructive typhoon visit the county, (Yolanda & Ompong are the most recent prior to Rolly, Quinta and Ulysses) the community prepared itself. But Mother Nature have its plans. Now more than ever, preparedness onsite must not be prioritized but rather the paradigm shift of long term effects through mitigation and planning.

Since 2008 when I started the idea of literacy program, the plans always include disaster and humanitarian aid involving friends and acquaintances for collaboration with logistics and distribution. We always start with our community.

The last week of October was collection of food packs to give to possible recipients. We never thought our community will also be affected. This is the first time that the actual community was directly affected. I know nearby communities such as the low lying ones are prone to flooding so most of my food pack drives are geared towards them.

Now it is pandemic, most donors are also affected but it never ceases to amaze me how my former students, their parents, my acquaintances and friends who knew me would come full circle and send messages to pick up the food packs. We were able to raise 1500 food packs and distributed around Luzon and Bicol area.

It is a collaboration of same minded individuals. Shout out to each and every one who contributed to the restoration of humanity in their own capacity.

So as this month is about to end and my birth month right at the doostep, I

hope the following days will be happier and safer for the entire humanity.

The difficulty of being Poor in COVID19 Philippines

The projects, programs and each sector I advocate for is related to each other’s existence.

The created programs are and can be sustainable, this entails the assistance of one sector to another. While my IP community till the land, the single mothers will act as our salesperson and sell the produce during weekend markets. The cycle was designed so both sectors will be compensated for the day. Whatever is lacking financially, will be sourced out from another fund. The produce is bought and paid directly to the IP community, the compensation of the sellers will be deducted from the sales. Simple enough, the people involve get to live with a full stomach for the day, that is until COVID19 derailed our routine.

And these sectors are all below the Philippine Poverty Threshold.

Meriam-Webster’s definition of poverty as stated is  “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions”, so in the Philippines, how much do we need to get out of poverty? Or at least have enough money to get by?

According to Philippine Statistic Authority Report with reference No. 2019-209, the Philippine Threshold for Family of Five in the Philippines is around PhP 10,727. If this is true, then the minimum wage earner would be living the luxurious life.

How can a family of five be able to live with Php 10, 727? Consider alone the transportation fees, the cost of food? How about milk formula and diapers?

The reality is this, the cost to live is expensive, and the local government did not have the foresight to consider the effects of the lock down on the family living below the poverty threshold. Those living hand to mouth existence for a day have to find a way to live.

I will not try to disprove the data managers of the country but where we are at, that data is totally different from ours.

We prepared our stockpile thinking in between the hard days the government will provide our members the relief goods just like any government does during a disaster. We have two stockpile, 1 for our IP community and the other for beneficiaries of existing partnership with other communities.

From March 15, 2020 to April 14, 2020 the relief good was only delivered once, the bag has 2 kls of rice, 2 sardines and 1 pack of noodle. The LGU that has jurisdiction on the area seems to think that these relief will be able to feed the family until the lockdown ends. How pathetic. Meanwhile, private companies have the burden to feed the people.

The national government have said that they will be sending financial aid to everyone that is affected by the lockdown through its Social Amelioration Card. Apparently, before you can get one, you must NOT be from a family that has Senior Citizen and Person’s with Disability beneficiary both getting monthly stipend from DSWD or Living with a fully employed relative or a tenant. Again, our single moms cannot avail of the social assistance from the government. Why? 3 single moms live in a compound with their working relative. How sad! Even if our organization have provided some food relief and milk formula it will not be enough to last until the lock down ends. The dilemma is simple, how can we continue to be sustainable if the opportunity was taken from under our feet.

Our location is quite NEAR from each other but FAR enough with ACCEPTABLE distance.  I live about 30kms away from the Sitio’s where the mothers are and they live about 16kms from the IP community. We have to find a way to co-exist to survive the COVID19 challenges.

I am always aware and are updated with the current situations of my communities. I bring assistance whenever it is needed. If the government cannot provide us assistance, we look for ways and be creative with how we can live with dignity on this trying times.

Our IP Community cannot provide the produce that we need as we have harvested all of it prior to the lockdown, what we have now is charcoal from carbonization (old community style charcoal making), it is quite difficult to get them down and deliver to the moms, so we opted to get the eggs and had it sold on a small egg shop. We did get some veggies to peddle and it is enough for them to survive for a few days.

In the meantime, as a LEADER I must encourage everyone to be creative even if I am getting frustrated with how difficult things are for the poor to survive in a country where politics seems to be governing the nation rather than serving the HUMANITY.

I was told by a friend who is very concern for my wellbeing to stop already, as he said, “ you have given much to your community, your volunteer work just ended, go home and be safe”

When you no longer care you ceases to be HUMAN. Maybe I do care too much, but as a LEADER am I not supposed to care?  And as HUMANist are we immune to those in need? I know in this pandemic, we all should be careful and heed the call for safety. But if you are safe when your community is already at risk of hunger, what is better for HUMANITY?

I lead through HUMANISM and as a disaster risk manager I do take precaution and embodies all the safety guidelines there is. Bleach became my best friend and I am now officially distant socially J

I am not asking you to do what I do, stay safe, remain at home where you can control your environment and take all the precaution against the virus, but please remain a HUMAN BEING.

Learning by doing

 

Scouting movement is very influential in my life. Scout method had been a tool that without me knowing was the rule book I base my work with. I do join other organizations and movement but the basic fundamental of being a great human being starts in the scouting movement. It taught me how to hone my leadership skills by being a good follower, gave me an insight of what is governance sans politics.

The skills I learned and the methods I have polished to my way of mentoring, affects others. It may not be in a large scale but one human being at a time is a better impact than trying to change a 100 person to your way of thinking.

Grateful for funding’s that came in chunks since April 2019 through introduction of HAPI (Humanist Alliance Philippines International Inc.) to other international humanist organization, Foundation Beyond Belief Network (FBBN) for our 2020 Learning Kits, Humanist International (HI) for our COVID 19 Relief Food Packs and Humanist Global Charities (HGC) for our seedlings. Through this we are able to kick start and specifically fund programs of the project. The community is grateful and we will evolve and adapt but we will create our own change.

Change that shall ensure protection of their land, culture, customs and tradition. Change should be for the good of the future while embracing the past. Technology is a tool to connect to the present but should conserve the past.

Teaching the children not to succumbed to the influence and the romanticized idea of what is city life.

My special class is dedicated to the young leaders of the community. All that I have learned are passed on. It is designed to prepare them for the future, part of the class is public speaking, community governance and human rights.

Awareness create change. Ignorance breeds poverty. Fame signals end of an advocacy.

the older children are expected to gather younger children

discipline is strictly enforced in all my classes, the children are aware that without discipline there will be chaos