By Gregorio C. Taag
Of late, TCC-Philippines had been busy contacting other volunteers and groups for updates in the various disaster-stricken areas of Itogon, Kabayan, Bokod, Bakun, La Trinidad, Baguio City, Mt. Province, and Nueva Vizcaya. The monstrous damage to nature and property was well corroborated by the loss of lives and limbs. Over at Itogon, rescue and retrieval operations continued non-stop in order to retrieve bodies buried in the landslide while at the same time hoping to rescue any sign of life, if any. The other retrieval operations elsewhere believed to be locations where families were buried alive ceased since they ruled out absence of other victims.
As more damages are coming to light and multiple posts in facebook showed how Typhoon Ompong have ravaged communities, TCC have activated Operation Hope to alert its Country Chapters, other organisations and individuals that there is an urgent need to help the victims. TCC was delighted that the activation of Operation Hope resulted to unexpected arrival of support. Different TCC Overseas chapters come one after another in sending funds for the operation. These were further augmented by individuals, even BSU employees association, and other third-party organisations who have entrusted financial support to TCC for its relief operations. TCC leaders, volunteers and supporters were so delighted and amazed how the flow of support unfolded.
TCC, meanwhile, conducted relief operations in Loacan, Itogon on September 22 where it delivered food stuff, blankets, used clothes, and grocery items for almost 200 families. Children of the rescuers who perished while trying to save other lives were met, interviewed and assessed of their needs beyond the temporary relief operations. Brothers Marlou and Mark Nover Bautista have now sponsors who will help them obtain an education and even beyond. Siblings Ardel and Affrah Guinsoy have also received pledges from friends and family members for educational support through high school and college. One friend even proposed to adopt Affrah. Currently, we are working on another family whose dad, a backhoe operator, died in the rescue.
As we were doing these, friends and other TCCians contacted us, dropping by at BSU to offer help – in the form of used clothes, grocery and cash. We listed them down and published at our FB page garnering a readership of more than 28K members. These were liked, commented on, and shared igniting a worldwide appeal for help. Help, in kind, continued to flow and filled up our Social Sciences Department Office, so we delivered these goods to the Municipal DSWD office for them to stack pile and give to the victims’ families later.
Then came an avalanche of messages from our country chapters saying that they will send financial help through TCC-Philippines. Thus, we received and documented these transactions and mind you; one after the other, even the BSU Government Employees Association gave a hefty amount for Operation Hope. Our friends in Norway first sent an amount for Loacan, Itogon; then another amount for Kabayan prompting us to suggest that they formally organize TCC-Norway, which was taken positively. In the same breadth, TCC-Finland, which helped finance our recent Medical Mission last summer, asked that we also bring help to Bakun. This was accomplished on Friday, October 5.
The beneficiaries of the Kabayan project were 51 pupils of the Abucot Elementary School and 202 high school students of the Abucot National High School, formerly known as Adaoay National High School – Annex. We brought school supplies last Friday, September 28, since that was their priority need since their notebooks, pad papers, and other school supplies were destroyed during Ompong’s rampage.
While on our way to Kabayan, we dropped at the Sombrero, Ambuclao Barangay Hall 80 grocery packs for the families at Labey, Bokod who were isolated from the rest of the province. These were delivered by the kagawads and carried by the youth of Labey.
All of our stories were told in our FB page where thousands read them. Our fellow OFW Cordillerans and their friends were by now updated on the goings-on of our relief operations and one by one they contacted us to say that they were sending an amount. Sometimes, I fall off from my seat because of the jaw-dropping amounts. Friends and relatives from Aichi and Gifu in Japan sent in more than a hundred thousand pesos prompting us to invite Vicky Yamashita and company to formally organize TCC-Aichi/Gifu-Japan already. To this, they agreed. Another coming from Japan is the Yokohama group of former beneficiary Marissa Pasyalen and company.
The new TCC-Chapters
As our TCC-Philippines Operation Hope Fund Raising was progressing, friends from Korea contacted me that they were sending the proceeds of their concert which was held recently. Arnel Libang, whose brother, Abner Libang, was our former beneficiary, called up this morning before our trip to Buguias, informing us that his group, the BIMAAK Korea planned and held a concert for the victims of this tragedy. Being one of their leaders, he appealed that the proceeds be channeled through us because he believed in our cause and trusted TCC very much. He said that his group empathized very much with the families who have lost a member or were isolated because of the disaster. I was thinking that the law of positive karma is in application.
Meanwhile, there were other OFWs inquiring on how they can help. One Christina from Cyprus asked that I add some of her friends to the TCC FB membership, which I did, and voila, they sent an amount to our coffers!
Volunteerism, indeed, has come a long way for TCC. In effect we are organizing more country chapters who will aid us in all our programs. These are: TCC-AICHI/GIFU-JAPAN; TCC-YOKOHAMA-JAPAN; TCC-CAMBODIA; TCC-CARIBBEAN; TCC-NORWAY; and hopefully TCC-CYPRUS.
Our dedicated volunteers, small in numbers but full of strength and commitment:
THE CORDILLERA CONNECTION 