Selfless acts of generosity in the war vs COVID-19

Do good. Be kind. Pray. These five simple words are Fr. Tito Caluag’s advice to those asking what they can and should do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How heartening it is to see that many Filipinos, whether they are celebrities or ordinary citizens, are doing their best to make a bad situation better by performing selfless acts of generosity in the war against COVID-19.

Here are a few inspiring stories:

Always quick to lend a helping hand, Angel Locsin launched the #UniTENTweStandPH campaign to raise funds to install isolation tents in hospitals. The tents will supplement hospital beds and can accommodate more patients who need immediate care and treatment. As of this writing, the campaign has raised enough funds to procure eight isolation tents for four hospitals. Angel has also raised funds for a sanitation tent with a misting machine and UV light for PGH.

Bea Alonzo has donated thousands of face masks and protective shields, some of which she made herself. She’s also distributed relief goods, vitamin C and alcohol to frontliners in public hospitals.

Kathryn Bernardo celebrated her birthday on March 26. She shared her blessings and gave over a thousand Rice in a Box meals to various barangays in Quezon City and 6,000 face shields to hospitals.

Kim Chiu preparing 500 relief bags for some baranggays in Marikina.

Kim Chiu prepared 500 family relief bags for four barangays in Marikina. Each bag had rice, canned goods, coffee and more.

Known for her culinary skills, Pokwang lovingly prepared sandwiches and meals for the soldiers and policemen manning the checkpoints near her residence. She delivered some of these personally and also sent relief goods to some barangays and community workers. She also gave five hospitals in Antipolo much-needed face shields.

Empress, Michelle Vito, Alexa Ilacad and Ria Atayde — whose parents Sylvia Sanchez and Art Atayde tested positive for COVID-19 — sent packed meals and milk tea to various hospitals. Ria also teamed up with Enchong Dee to donate acrylic boxes to PGH and St. Luke’s. Doctors are using the boxes to intubate patients.

Gerald Anderson bringing food to soldiers in their barracks.

Because he has a soft spot for soldiers, Gerald Anderson sent packed meals and toiletries to their barracks. He is also raising funds with Jodi Sta. Maria, Bianca Gonzalez, Arci Muñoz, Sue Ramirez and Rayver Cruz to set up a quarantine facility in Caloocan City.

Carlo Aquino visiting soldiers manning check points and bringing them hot meals.

Carlo Aquino is another actor whose heart goes out to our soldiers. He’s been sending them food packs regularly at the checkpoints they man.

Miko Raval has tapped donors to provide the supplies and materials needed to make personal protective equipment (PPE). Miko and his friends have delivered 1,065 coveralls to several hospitals.

Frontliners from UERM Memorial Medical Center wearing PPE’s from Kamiseta.

Cris Aldeguer-Roque of Kamiseta is another PPE donor. She’s personally donated a thousand PPE sets to UERM Memorial Medical Center and another 2,000 PPEs to other individuals and hospitals. Though Cris adhered to the strict design and protocol of a real PPE, she made them in fun colors like fuschia, baby blue, periwinkle, pink, yellow, red and white with contrast piping. Because the pandemic is stressful enough, she believes the colorful PPEs will help lift the mood of our health workers. So far the recipients have said her PPEs are the best since they’re cool, comfortable, waterproof and fashionable!

Mon Eugenio of Myron’s restaurant and restaurateur friends from Gourmet Gypsy and Barrio Fiesta Greenhills formed a group called “Franco’s Friends PH” to serve meals to frontliners. To date, they’ve prepared over 10,000 meals with the help of similarly generous friends who donated cash, food containers, food ingredients and balikbayan boxes (to pack the meals).

Guidance counselor of Ateneo Junior High School Carlo Carlon began a Lend-a-Bike project so that used bicycles could be lent by their owners to frontliners who desperately needed an alternative mode of transport to and from work. The initiative became so successful that Carlo was not only able to lend more than a hundred used bikes to health workers, he was also able to purchase more than 200 brand-new bicycles from cash donations! Not only are the bikes being used by frontliners in hospitals in and around Metro Manila, the Lend-a-Bike project has even caught on in regions outside the National Capital Region like Davao.

These are just a few examples of how our countrymen are doing their part to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic in unique ways. Like them, we too can make the situation better by praying, being kind and doing good deeds. No prayer or act of kindness and generosity is too small. Whether it’s sending condolences to a friend who has lost a loved one or giving a bigger tip than normal to the Grab delivery guy, such seemingly small acts do make the world a better place. As Blessed Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”