Philouise’s Weblog

SANGAL DI KULTURA
OF FIRE AND SHARING

Last Saturday May 28, 2016, while we were in Manila, I received a text message saying “prayers and help because fire gutted our home and we only have the clothes on our back, everything gone.” So I contacted people in Baguio what it was all about. They said fire from 10 am to 3 pm in Engineer’s Hill DPWH motor pool and affected more than 30 families. So I contacted some people “to collect relief items and we will collect and sort out Monday morning and bring it by the afternoon.”

We came home to Baguio by the Sunday afternoon and the next day sorted our donations from members of Soroptimist International. By mid-day I went to meet members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 124 at Palace Hotel where we picked up boxes and bags of clothes, shoes, bags and kitchen items. We also got donations from BSBT College, St Louis girls’ high batch 1984 and other donors.

The items were sorted out into the 1) Linen and beddings, 2) Men’s department (pants and jeans, shirts and t-shirt, under wears and socks) 3) Children’s Wear, 4) Women’s Department and then the 5) shoes and 6) bags. These were all brought to the Covered basketball court of Engineer’s Hill. We coordinated with the Barangay and the DSWD as they identified the 42 families and 209 individuals who were victims as of 2:00 pm of May 30, 2016. They said this may increase when the students will be identified. We then agreed that they can get as much as they need, but not everything in one category. The barangay kagawad went to call the fire victims and they came to get what they wanted. We were able to dispose to at least 12 families and so we decided to bring home the items and will bring it back on Wednesday morning.

The Soroptimist ladies decided to share breakfast with them after one day. So on June 1 the ladies brought the breakfast and we shared it with the families and barangay officials. . It was a breakfast of bread, eggs, hotdogs, fruits, coffee, and tea. We coordinated with the barangay to provide the hot water. After the breakfast there was more food to spare. The okay ukay part II was conducted where more clothes were picked up. It was a meaningful way to spend the morning from 6:30 to 9:00 before the Soroptimist ladies went to work, do prayer meetings, back to home chores.

On June 3-4 we went back with the members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 124 and Soroptimist International Baguio where we were able to dispose 15 sacks of rice, 5 packs of used kitchen utensils, water jugs, pots, pans and dishes. Three boxes of noodles, 2 boxes of corned beef and ten boxes of juice drinks. These adds up to the previous collected donations for relief as of May 30, 2016 which included 15 blankets, 4 pillows, set of linen; 6 bag for men’ wear; 13 bags for ladies wear; 2 bags for kids clothes; 2 bags shoes; 1 bag of bags ; 19 bottles mineral water (5 liters) and 39 bags personal items (toothbrush, soap, shampoo etc)

These is their story, the fire victims are employees, homeowners, borders and students. One man shared that he lost 10 years of hard earned home, he just got his 19,000 mid year bonus and he lost everything in the fire. A family were out in Asin when it happened, they owned a three story house and they lost everything except the clothes on their back. They were picking ready to wear clothes as they do not have a proper place to wash clothes and they have to go to work.
During our relief operation one man was picking ukay ukay clothes and was able to get two sacks for him, his pregnant wife and three sons. The men who got the beddings were so thankful because they need it so badly. One boy said that it is sad it happened, while picking clothes for his kid sister.

We were able to meet the man who claimed to be the oldest victim, his blood pressure rose so high when it happened seeing his house disappear in the fire. It was good that Rescue 911 was there and he was given catapres and stabilized. He was so sad when he was sharing his experience. Together with his apo they came to get rice and other food items as they were only camping out at someone’s house.