When service becomes a habit

Manila, Philippines - An act becomes a habit when you do it at least 15 consecutive times. Now try 15 years of engaging in community service while having an office department and a household to run.

Three women who have been with Operation Damayan since 1996 continue to make the program an important part of their lives, even getting their loved ones involved in the spirit of giving.

“The happiness cannot be explained,” says Angie Isidro, finance head of Pilipino STAR Ngayon. “After I get home from a Damayan project, I feel very happy that I became part of somebody’s life, even if only in service.”

The happiness Angie was talking about comes from hours of travel to remote communities, with the barest of facilities, even clean water.

“I have a lot of responsibilities but I make time for it (Damayan) because I’m very happy doing that. I appreciate the blessings I have even more because I see there are people who are less fortunate,” she says. 

Rose Marie Portes, purchasing department supervisor, recalls a mission in the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte in 1998 to distribute food and medicine. A flash flood had swept the village, leaving hundreds dead.

“We spent five days there….When we got there, some of the missing had not been found yet. Nakita namin kung paano nangulila ang mga tao (We saw how people missed their loved ones),” she says.

Being a Damayan volunteer is not a walk in the park. Not only do volunteers have to put up with the discomforts of the mission, but they will also have to make sure that the demands of their jobs are met.

“You should embrace the responsibility because there are risks involved. But it also means that you have to repeat the effort,” says Emie Cruz, Star Group billing supervisor and overall coordinator of Damayan.    

Being heads of their respective departments, Angie, Rose Marie and Emmie can delegate tasks to their subordinates. But they still have to catch up on their work after every mission.

“That’s what we do not tell Sir Miguel (STAR Group of Companies CEO Miguel Belmonte) anymore. I guess at the back of his mind he thinks we can still do our job well. That’s why we want to assure him that our jobs are well taken care of,” says Emie. “Kapag nasa labas nga kami, umuusok talaga ang mga cell phone namin (When we are out, we burn the telephone lines from making so many calls).”

She shares that sometimes they extend their work hours or work on weekends to finish their tasks, but still see to it that they give time to their families.

In her early days of involvement with Damayan, Angie managed to have quality time with her young children by taking them on missions.

“Before, I was thinking it might be a burden on my children, but eventually, I saw the result of those excursions in their activities in school,” she says. Her children became presidents of students councils and likewise engaged their friends in volunteer activities.

Children exposed to the activities of Damayan, according to Rose Marie, develop sensitivity and a sense of responsibility.

“The children we take along also do what we do. We do not have to ask them,” she says.

Nothing lost in giving

Angie believes that the more one gives, the more he will receive, and Damayan is proof of that.

In 2007, when the world was swept by the global financial crisis, company executives were meeting about raising company revenues but she was discussing Damayan projects with Belmonte.

“The company was working out ways to raise earnings but I was there in Sir Miguel’s office talking about how the company will donate...Back then, we (Pilipino STAR Ngayon) did not have an anniversary party, but we did have Project Kalinga,” she says.

Emie recalls that the company weathered the crisis with all employees intact.

“It’s like the blessing is returned to us. Don’t they say that the more you give, the more you will receive?” Angie says.

The three encourage employees to volunteer for Damayan adding to the current force of 40 volunteers that grew from an initial handful.

Touched by an angel

For Damayan volunteer Wilma Santos, a proofreader for The STAR, service is not only in the form of medical and relief operations, but in giving simple joys as well.

In April 2007, she met six-year-old Angelo Baniel, a cancer patient supported by the program. She was told that the boy is suffering from the final stage of the disease and would only have several months to live.                                                    

Learning that the child from a poor family in Sorsogon had never had a birthday party, she willingly spent from her own pocket to throw him a birthday bash in Jollibee.

To make things merrier, she asked Damayan volunteers to bring their children to the party and to bring simple gifts.

“His parents were in tears, they were so happy because they never dreamed Angelo would have a birthday like that,” she says, her own eyes misty. “The kid was so happy, he was hugging the gifts and would not let go.”

During the party, Wilma learned that the boy had always wanted to have a basketball, so she asked the sports desk if there is a way she can get for Angelo a ball autographed by professional players.

It took a while and sometime in July, she received from sports columnist Quinito Henson, a basketball lettered with good wishes from PBA players.

The players wrote: “Angelo, get well soon,” and Quinito, “Angelo, get well soon, kita tayo kapag magaling ka na (Angelo, get well soon. Let’s meet when you are already well).”

Sadly, Angelo at that time, had passed away.

Three years later, an ice cream brand with a likewise heavenly name held a promotional visit to the newspaper office. In a game hosted by the promo representatives, Wilma was asked to share an experience when she was “touched by an angel,” and Angelo’s story naturally came up. She won a prize.

“At that time, I smiled to myself and felt he was watching over me,” she says.