What an ispiring way to know the faces of poverty and gratitude!
Nonon Villamor pitched my way the BISDAK-California LOVE PROJECT for TAGO when Sendong was yet planning where to unleash its fury. I readily agreed, knowing the impact it would bring to Tago’s poor community. However, I kept everything under wraps for a while because though I trusted Nonon, I had experiences before where project ideas like this didn’t get past the drawing board.
I began focusing on the project in earnest only after Nonon had informed me that he had sent the money through Land Bank of the Philippines. That was days after Sendong had wrought havoc in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. I felt guilty thinking the victims of Sendong needed the money more than my townmates. But when assistance poured in like flash flood to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, somehow I felt better. And when we distributed the stuff to the beneficiaries of BISDAK LOVE PROJECT for TAGO (BLPT), that was when we felt much, much better. They may not be flash flood victims, but our townmates very well deserved the love from California!
I suggested to Nonon that we’d make BLPT all about food because for the poor, Christmas means having food on the table. (Forget about clothes, I told him, because Ukay-ukay joints make it easy for the poor to put clothes on their back.) But make no mistake about it, I said, because we don't want to be boxed in the usual idea that for as long as you have something for the poor, quality doesn't matter. More than us, the poor deserve something better. In short, we didn't want to distribute goods that will elicit not gratitude but bad words for well meaning people like BISDAK. And Nonon agreed when I said that we'd give them nothing less than the best, after all it’s Christmas.
Originally, we targeted 150 beneficiaries whose bundle of joy would contain the following: 2 kilos Sinandomeng rice; Alaska Milk (80 grams); Nescafe (25 grams); Milo (80 grams); 1 kilo White Sugar; Argentina Bee Loaf (150 grams); Argentina Corned Beef (200 grams); 3 Mega Sardines (200 grams); 3 Lucky Me Noodles. The total cost went beyond what BISDAK-California had sent. Fortunately Nonon gave us free rein, and so we reduced the beneficiaries to 130---excluding Kulas and six Tandag City Jail inmates who received a towel and 3 underwears each---as we didn’t want to go for cheaper substitutes of the identified foodstuff.
Though Atty. Eric Lumactod texted me to offer his and Titser Mae’s assistance in packing the goods, I just didn’t bother them knowing my nephews and nieces could handle it.
A day before the scheduled distribution on December 30, everything was set: beneficiaries had their claim coupons; goods packed and labeled with BISDAK-California; the tarp was done and the t-shirts were distributed to volunteers; the acknowledgment folder was fastened; service vehicle had been negotiated; volunteers had been briefed on their duties and responsibilities, including distribution mechanics, assembly time and place.
December 30 came and the weather showed compassion. The driver arrived earlier than the agreed time and Ramil Patrimonio, Florephi “Bingbing” Dagaang, and Emily Patrimonio were just about ready when I reached the assembly area at 8:00 AM. As agreed, the distribution sites and schedules were: 9:00-10:30 Mangga Dos (Soong); 10:40-12:00 Citrus Dos (Kasaw-kasaw); 1:30-3:00 PM (Iran); 3:20-4:00 Sapa and Boulevard; 4:10-5:00 Tandag City Jail; 5:30-6:00 Tago Terminal.
When the clock hit 8:30 and Atty. Lumactod, Daisy Luna, and Titser Sharlynmae Murillo still hadn’t arrived, we decided to go ahead. But when we reached the corner where Nonon Villamor’s house stands, Atty. Lumactod and Titser Mae popped up just like that. It was Dee who had to do catch-up.
We identified ‘Ya Dading Bautista’s house to be the distribution site because it was along the road, thus easier for us to carry and distribute the goods. We didn’t start the briefing until all beneficiaries had arrived and were done filling out the acknowledgment folder. And when I did, I hammered on what’s BISDAK-California as a group; how BISDAK LOVE PROJECT for TAGO came about; how Tago was identified as the pilot area and other pieces of information we deemed important for them to know. And because BISDAK-California happens to have two Tagon-on family members, we made sure to mention the names of Nonon and Marjorie Villamor and Robert and Razel Vaz-Cortes. We emphasized the fact that BISDAK-California had thought of this project out of pure love, and that we were just conduits of that love. Jokingly we said that we don’t have intentions of running for public office. I ended the briefing by telling the beneficiaries to offer a prayer of thanks to God and to all the members of BISDAK-California for this unexpected, undisguised blessing.
Because earlier we did scenario-building, the distribution went without a hitch. Although there were some who were not pre-identified and went to ask for their share, we politely told them that we had made ocular inspection of the sites so we could identify the most deserving beneficiaries as we didn’t have enough bundles of joy to give.
The same hitch-free distribution mechanics applied to all love sites. One thing happened in Iran that hit me where it mattered. While Bingbing was taking the video as Emily, Dee and Titser Mae distributed the goods, I was looking at the pregnant woman beneficiary as she carried the goods to one of the dilapidated houses. Too eager perhaps to see what she got, she put the cellophane bag down and opened it. And when she finally saw the contents, her eyes lit up and matter of factly said:
hulog ng langit!
Manna from heaven indeed!
By the time we were done with Mangga Dos and Citrus Dos, we didn’t have spaces in our hearts to put the joy and the gratitude we all felt. As we shared lunch at Goldbar, we all agreed that BISDAK-California LOVE PROJECT for TAGO was the ultimate Prozac! But more than that, we were so privileged to be part of this very laudable project.
In the afternoon, we went to Iran, Tandag City Jail and back to Tago Terminal to distribute bundles of joy to trisikad drivers. This time, Dr. Borin Villamor joined us. We must have been efficient because we finished earlier than planned.
And because BISDAK-California LOVE PROJECT for TAGO turned out way beyond our expectations, we treated ourselves to dinner at Café La Jara in Tandag. (We still have to turn-over a special BISDAK-California love gift for Kulas.)
The BISDAK-California LOVE PROJECT for TAGO began as a collective need for California-based Bisdak to share their resources to poor families on the other side of the globe. What this group had just done to Tago is a testament that ours is a world where dreams, despite distance, can be connected by bridges of love.
To paraphrase what was printed on our t-shirt: California dreamed; Tago got its blessings! Thank you so much BISDAK-California, USA for making Christmas wishes come true in Tago!
(Note to Nonon Villamor: I’ll send you the liquidation report soon as I can finalize it.) (For more photos, please find somewhere in my FB wall two BISDAK-California folders.)
