Love in the time of volunteerism #28StoriesofGiving

MANILA, Philippines - Happy are the people who, despite having access to worldly wealth, revel in going back to the time when life was simpler and wheels turned a little more slowly. Blessed are those who find fulfillment and happiness in seeing the good in others and selflessly doing good for them.

It was the year 2010.

John Oliver Tablazon was fresh out of college when he was invited by a friend to volunteer for a medical mission. As it turned out, the medical mission required walking for six hours to get to an upland sitio where he witnessed indigenous B’laan children walking down the perilous Sarangani mountainside and crossing rivers for three to four hours just to get to school.

The sight of these children made him oblivious to his own labor.

And then he met Dr. Roel Cagape, a Bayaning Pilipino awardee and founder of Hearts and Brains Inc., who instantly became his icon for passion in helping others without asking for anything in return. In his own words, it was a life-changing experience that inspired him to traverse the road less traveled.

That same year, his father Francisco passed away but not without bequeathing to him the value of pakikipagkapwa-tao (fellowship).

Ignoring the lure of a lucrative career as a registered nurse, Tablazon answered the call of volunteerism and formally joined HABI, a group that advocates health, education, peace and livelihood for the marginalized in Mindanao.

It has been four years since that day.

Nowadays, he leads the team of 15 HABI volunteers while working full-time at the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Sarangani. The prospect of working abroad, where registered nurses earn more than three times their wage here, is far from his mind.

“Masaya ako kapag napapasaya ko ‘yung mga taong natutulungan ko, pag niyayakap ako ng mga bata dahil sa mga na-impart namin sa kanila (I’m happy when those I help are happy, when kids give me a hug),” he beams.

At least once a month, HABI volunteers, together with Cagape, troop to barrios, sitios and remote areas to visit beneficiaries of their “missionary work.”

In the course of their missions, they would every so often hear sporadic exchanges of gunfire from the opposite side of the mountain.

On other days, they look for donors, personally or through e-mail and social media. They ask donations from friends and private organizations, and are sometimes loaned vehicles to help them reach outlying areas.

Continually, they recruit new volunteers, usually creating opportunities for students of Social Work and Nursing, most of whom remain volunteers even after their graduation.

Their projects range from the difficult – medical missions in far-flung communities – to the simple, such as teaching gardening lessons in the backyard or teaching young kids how to count. Volunteers also distribute school supplies; help register children with no birth certificates; hold a Walking Blood Bank; and continually look for donors in hopes of providing more solar panels for the B’laan sitios.

HABI’s Walking Blood Blank project, which seeks blood donors for patients needing blood in hospitals, was recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Community Projects by Smart Communications in 2013.

Much has been said about far-flung barrios or indigenous groups being neglected by the government.

They have little to no electricity; children are prone to suffer from kwashiorkor, or a form of severe protein malnutrition, because it is difficult to obtain animal meat in the forests.

Worse, the ranks of the impoverished continue to burgeon, particularly in Mindanao, and the need for donations and volunteers working pro bono seems unceasing.

At present, HABI is working hand in hand with parents of young B’laan students to build basic shelter where students can stay during weeknights to help ease their burden of walking for hours daily to reach school. Built with corrugated metal roofing and timber posts, which men heave on their shoulders and bring down the mountains, each dorm can accommodate 20 elementary students.

Most of the students, at 10 to 15 years of age, are still in first grade, and are fortunate to be able to go to school with the help of HABI.

The group has already finished construction of the dorm in Sitio Malkahi in Malapatan town, and now plans to build three more – one for each sitio.

“Nais po naming matulungan ‘yung mga bata na gustong mag-aral pero hindi nakakapag-aral dahil malayo ang bahay nila (We want to help those who want to go to school but cannot because they live far away). Gusto naming magkaroon uli ng opportunity ang mga batang ito through our dorm project para makapag-stay sila at makakapag-aral nang buong linggo (We hope through our dorm project they can be in class the whole week),” Tablazon shares.

The project will significantly help the Department of Education in reducing the high dropout rate in the area.

As a volunteer, a smile in the eyes of a child is reward enough for Tablazon and his peers.

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Editor’s Note: The Philippine STAR’s #28StoriesOfGiving is a campaign that turns the spotlight on 28 inspiring stories of people and organizations who devote their lives to helping themselves or others. Everyone is encouraged to post or “tweet” a message of support with the hashtag, #28StoriesOfGiving. For every post, P5.00 will be added to The STAR’s existing “give back” anniversary fund. For comments and suggestions to #28storiesofgiving, e-mail [email protected] , follow @philippinestar on Twitter or visit The Philippine STAR’s page on Facebook.