SIC Batch 1994 Outreach in Madridejos, Bantayan Island, Northern Cebu

Going to Bantayan Island over the weekend was a blessing. I went with the good will of my Santa Isabel College High School Batchmates of 1994 in order to reach out to the people of Brgy. Tarong, Madridejos, Bantayan Island. The town was badly hit by Typhoon Yolanda last year, with over 500 houses still waiting to be repaired. From September to November, I rallied for donations and, with the grace of God and my batchmates' support, we were able to collect more than a hundred thousand pesos to buy the materials to rebuild some 35 homes! With the amount, we were also able to fund the repair of the town's daycare center! As of this writing, I am glad to say that some donations are still coming in.

This all started with a comment from a batchmate in our Facebook page, who asked what we could possibly do this year to celebrate 20 years since our high school graduation. I just commented back: why not an outreach work in a place that most needs help? Since I know a particular town in Bantayan which has not received enough aid, thanks to the information from one of my colleagues in the study center where I am residing, the idea of raising funds for the outreach project was broached. I said, if they really want an outreach project, I was willing to go and do the legwork because I am here in Cebu. As early as May, I initially proposed a mini-reunion-cum-outreach for our batch scheduled on November 29. But as the months progressed, I was getting a lot of 'send donations only' as reply. It is hard for them to leave Manila, their work and kids, or fly in from abroad, where many of our batchmates are now.

And so, we worked on gathering donations via a bank account exclusively opened for this purpose.

Our Bantayan contact, Cony, works in the Municipal Hall of Madridejos. She is the sister of Maribeth, a student at Cebu Normal University, who goes to our study center occasionally to study. Cony would come to Cebu every other week to do some work-related errands. We agreed that when she's here in Cebu, that's when I could turn in the funds collected. The donations will be used to buy galvanized iron sheets (yero), plywood, and coco lumber for the repair of the houses.

An ocular visit was conducted last August 21. After the first report I made to my batchmates in our Facebook page --- and since the bank account details were already out, pledges here and abroad started coming. By September through early November, our funds steadily increased. And with the last tranche of donations turned in on the day of the outreach, November 29, we were glad to note that with the amount we raised, we can help 35 families have a roof over their heads this Christmas. 

With Kath, our office volunteer.

With this outreach project, I learned that if we truly have the heart to accomplish something, we will be able to reach our goals, and even exceed them. But I'd like to note here that with the will to realize something comes the need to entrust matters of social work and efforts to alleviate human suffering and poverty to God, because He is the only One who can make things happen. 

Many, many thanks to all my batchmates who made this project possible. While I know that many could've still been tapped to help with their donations, I am sure that with the kind-heartedness of my SIC High School Batch 1994 batchmates, they surely have contributed something for this outreach in one way or another.