Four months have passed yet COVID-19 still continues to plague our lives. In the Philippines, apart from the health risks forced upon us by COVID-19, economic crises also rise due to the suspension of work in most areas. The most vulnerable to these risks and problems are the frontliners, and those in the informal sector—the people who are affected by the “no work, no pay” policy such as PUV drivers, storeowners, and factory workers, who have no means of income during these times. Fortunately, even in the midst of this health crisis, many able people have stepped up and heeded the call to serve and help others, and some of these people are our very own seniors from the ASHS.
Noelle Placer’s Drive for PUV Drivers
Noelle Placer (from 12-Bobola) had the idea of starting her donation drive simply by thinking of how PUV drivers could provide for their needs amid the pandemic. She couldn’t find a donation drive specifically for these workers and there was no clear statement from the government on how they would move forward and provide for such people, so Noelle knew she had to do something.
“The initial goal of the drive was to send relief packs to families of 75 PUV drivers,” Noelle said in an interview last weekend. To start off her initiative, she contacted TODA and terminal presidents and made a list of relief recipients, making sure drivers with big families were prioritized. The relief packs were distributed through the TODA presidents, and everyone in the list had been given their pack. According to Noelle, donations kept coming after the first wave was done, so she looked for volunteers who were willing to distribute the remaining packs to areas like Bulacan and Taytay.
The drive began on March 21, but was unfortunately closed exactly a month after since it became more and more difficult to find suppliers, donors, and volunteers amid the restrictions set upon by the enhanced community quarantine all over Luzon.
Project Frontline (Miguel Mendoza)
Wanting to live out the value of being a person for others, Miguel Mendoza (from 12-Evans) began thinking of ways to help frontliners maximize their time on aiding COVID-19-stricken patients. According to him, he wanted to help frontliners by raising funds for face shields to ensure that instead of focusing on making their own, frontliners in the medical field can focus instead on aiding ill patients.
From this initial thought, Miguel gathered a team with nine of his batchmates (Batch 2020). The team created a solid plan with schedules, procedures, and other processes to make the initiative happen. As of now, they are planning two waves for Project Frontline—the first wave will be funds gathered only from the ASHS Batch 2020, and the second one will be funds gathered from the general public. According to Miguel, the Project Frontline team will continue to sustain the drive as long as there are medical frontliners who are in need of face shields.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/miguelgerardmendoza/posts/1461802710646807
Fronliners’ Kitchen (Jeanill Migraso)
Seeing a lot of fundraisers for frontliners in need of safety equipment like PPEs, Jeanill Migraso (from 11-Pignatelli, one of the first ASHS classes) realized that there’s little to no initiative that provided food for frontliners in the Metro during the first weeks of the lockdown. According to her, for our frontliners to be in their best shape, they have to protect themselves from the inside as well, and what better way to do that than provide food to boost their immune systems.
According to Jeanill, her classmate Paolo Macasaet contacted their grade 11 class group chat asking for medical supplies for the PGH. Not knowing where to get suppliers, she then asked if the frontliners also needed food. He said yes, so Jeanill and her close friend Alyssa Belda (from the same class) went to work, and this was where the Frontliners’ Kitchen initiative was born.
The FK family has been sending out meals to 10 hospitals and areas every night. According to Jeanill, the kitchen will operate as long as the opportunity is there. The staff has been enjoying one another’s presence while working together and helping others, and has been looking for more ways to further help the community.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/frontlinerskitchen/
Love can be expressed in many different ways, and one of those ways is acts of kindness through service. In these three seniors, the Ignatian values of cura personalis and being persons for others are very much alive. It takes guts to be able to pull off such amazing initiatives, and that’s exactly what it took them to make everything work. For people who want to start their own drives, Noelle, Miguel and Jeanill have a few things to say.
First, you must always hold onto your ‘why’ because it will give you courage to keep on going. Second, gather help from those who can inspire and motivate you to keep the ball rolling. Third, the execution phase requires a lot of time, thought, and effort, but going back to your ‘why’ will always save you from giving up. And lastly, prayer is such a powerful tool. It will help you remain steadfast and strong because there’s always one person who has your back. If you want to start a drive but are still looking for a sign, this is your sign to heed the call of love and service.
Author
Ian Bartolome
Editor-in-Chief
HiLites ASHS 