Open Hearts Amid the Lockdown
/Calamity-inured but resilient Filipinos thought the worst was behind them when mercurial Taal Volcano finally calmed down after asserting her potentially lethal temper in January. Little did anyone there -- or anywhere -- know what was about to unfold.
This year, natural disasters in the ancestral homeland, the deadly wildfires in California, socio-political strife in this country, and then the coronavirus pandemic stirred fear and anxiety even among the most intrepid.
Looking back we find death and destruction, hate and sorrow. But buried under the eye-grabbing, hair-raising headlines in this pay-per-click era, were graceful acts of kindness that gave comfort and hope, even joy, and highlighted the better side of humanity.
Simple Joys
Between work, shopping, and Zoom parties in the full rush of the holiday season, San Francisco Bay Area essential workers Nan Santiago, MFT, and Malou Aclan, RN, dropped everything to join fellow volunteers with the violence-prevention nonprofit ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment and a San Mateo County Commission on Aging time-sensitive project.
Recovery services director Junior Flores, pastry chef Bettina Santos Yap, and bank vice president Jose Antonio also broke their frenzied routine to jump at the opportunity to respond to the County Commission on Aging’s call for help in delivering Help@Home booklets to Daly City restaurants about the county's Great Plates Delivered (GPD) emergency program for isolated older adults. Administered by the county Aging & Adult Services, the program provides free three meals a day prepared and delivered by area restaurants and caterers with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
Goodies bound for homeless shelter.
GPD has been a lifeline both to older adults and restaurants, sectors most vulnerable to the COVID19 crisis. In Daly City, many of the recipients and restaurant providers are Filipino Americans.
"It's such a joy to be able to give back," Santiago said as she picked up her booklets listing resource providers that help people in their sunset years to live independently in their homes.
Distress summoned the Filipino bayanihan spirit everywhere. Right outside the gates of their homes in Merville Park, Paranaque, Andy Maglipon, Marlou Ablan, Dendu Anareta, Boogie Javier, Larah Cruz, Marta Ortoll-Lichauco, Sitti Navarro-Ramirez, and Victor Araneta witnessed tricycle drivers lose their source of income when commuters were ordered to stay home. They quickly started the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association Drive, providing food to the drivers and their families.
True Privilege
A Silang, Cavite, community called Ayala Westgrove Heights is home to corporate, political, and show business biggies active and retired. When Taal fumed, privileged residents rued the ash on their precious orchids, yes, but more importantly, they turned their attention to their challenged neighbors.
Beneficiaries learn about caring from concerned Westgrove neighbors.
Then recently-relocated from her home base in Hong Kong as AP Vice President - Sales for Asia & Pacific, Maria Nimfa Fallarme Ronson became the de facto chronicler of the village. In the wake of the catastrophe, she thrust herself into the role of coordinator for emergency services for the Sitio Alcalde folks living below her hilltop home.
"I struggled with the thought of just stepping aside and watch(ing) the virus wreak havoc around me," said Ronson, who by September would be conferred outstanding alumna honors by her high school, St. Theresa's in Quezon City.
Ronson recruited chef-friends to shop and prepare hot meals for 73 families and personally participated in distributing the meals for beneficiaries to understand "the love and care that went with the effort."
"It was heartening to witness the delight reflected in the faces of the recipients and to listen to the Westgrove families involved in the outreach eagerly discussing the following week’s menu and suggesting ways to make these special," Ronson told Positively Filipino.
That "outreach," the term Manilans prefer for "charity," extended into the succeeding months of national lockdown.
Ronson's passion can be contagious. Her reports on the activities inspired friends to send checks or donations in kind, which provided meals for almost 3,500 people for 10 weeks.
Even she was surprised to surpass her goal of raising a few thousand pesos to sustain the programs. Artist Nani Gacho donated his rendering of Michelangelo’s Pieta, which business owner Severino Vergara bought for Php30,000 to bring the total food distribution purse to Php180,000. Per the artist's direction, the funds went to relief efforts for Typhoon Ulysses that ravaged Cagayan Valley in November.
Artist Nani Gacho (left) donated his interpretation of The Pieta that Severino Vergara (right) bought to sweeten Maria Ronson's humanitarian effort.
Allies celebrate as Maria Ronson receives check from Nani Gacho for his meaningful work.
The former journalist's husband, Terence Ronson, opened another avenue for service, this time spiritual. He was already participating in Zoom meetings as hospitality transformation executive when a close friend contracted Covid-19. To comfort the family, the Ronsons initiated virtual Masses with priest friends. Those liturgies united relatives, childhood pals, and former classmates, earning Maria Nimfa a new role as virtual Mass organizer to condole or to celebrate.
"It is a privilege to see how one can muster the energy and the time to be of service, when one would rather blissfully enjoy life in retirement," said the yoga practitioner, quoting her teacher on the endlessness of gratitude. "And so instead of turning a deaf ear, when need beckons, I do make an effort to listen, perhaps not nearly as I often as I should but as often as I can."
Ronson’s college alma mater, Maryknoll/Miriam, named her among its first MCitizen Heroes, honoring graduates who have distinguished themselves for service during the pandemic. Batch-mate Maritess Vargas Reyes, a resident of Vallejo, California, was among the laureates. At their first virtual Christmas party, MC74 alumnae core group president Menchu Genato Henson also recognized classmates Mawie Yan Aglipay and Marilyn Aberilla Mayoralgo for their consistent and prompt contribution to various campaigns providing food, drinking water, and clothes, particularly in recent tragedies.
Maryknoll College 1974 core group president Menchu Genato-Henson, at virtual class party, commends batch-mates for always responding generously to the call for help during natural disasters.
Spiritual Healing
Belmont, California, resident Tessie Madrinan deeply cares.
Retired over 20 years ago from SGV in Makati City and then Gap in California, she is busier than ever. Where there's an unmet need, that's where she goes with husband Jun Madrinan, an ace accountant like her. With their coterie of service-oriented friends, they began producing and distributing masks for adults and children in the spring, before these simple life-saving accessories were widely available.
Redwood Shores Lions Club ex-president Jun Madrinan and membership director Tessie Madrinan bring cheer to their faith and secular communities.
In October they distributed the masks along with sweet treats and crane origami symbolizing peace and healing at their city park and rec center. On Halloween, the seasoned leaders of Redwood Shores Lions Club delivered lasagna dinners at a shelter in Redwood City. In early December, they gave grocery gift cards at a community center. They brought cheer and holiday gifts both to older adults and care staff, who were isolated for at least nine months at a residential facility in their town.
"To show our appreciation to front-liners, our family brought sandwiches and desserts in July and October. We gave gifts to each skilled nursing staff to thank them for serving our older adults," said Tessie.
Redwood Shores Lions Club president Jose Aurellano loads masks and meals for shelter clients.
As a member of St. Mark Church Legion of Mary, Tessie provides spiritual sustenance to fellow parishioners. Every evening since May, they’ve met virtually to stay connected while sheltering in place.
"We offer prayers daily as we remember our front-liners, family and friends, those who are ill, unemployed or going through tough times. We say a special prayer and mention names of those who are battling COVID-19 and those who lost their lives due to the pandemic. Especially for the homebound and members with underlying health conditions, this daily meeting is a source of comfort."
Caring comes naturally to Madrinan, and her part-time job as Filipino Senior Peer Counseling coordinator with Peninsula Family Service enhances her skills with continuing education. It's work she would happily perform for love, she says, having been a volunteer for 10 years. So, when her friend and predecessor Ofie Albrecht retired, she was offered the position. She hit the ground running.
Assisted living staffers are grateful for surprise gifts from the Madrinans.
Family Project
Sharing is a family project for millennials Marty Anton and Chrisel de Leon, principals of Fortrust Education Services in Metro Manila. While hunkering down in March, Marty learned of a device that would protect hospital staff, who were intubating COVID-19 patients, from virus-heavy microscopic droplets. He proposed a plan to develop the acrylic boxes to his dad, Gobby de Leon, who had suspended his luxe display furnishings work at his Steven Gabriel company. With crowdfunding and material donations, they produced hundreds of boxes and delivered all for free to hospitals all over the country
De Leon family posts note for essential workers.
"We're grateful for the chance to contribute to the well-being of our front-liners," said Marty's mother Michelle de Leon. "It's the least we can do at this unprecedented time."
With their parents' support and encouragement, young fashion designers Miel Avena, Dana Mallari, and Tracy Choy of Quezon City, Nicia Bobadilla of Paranaque and Aminah Adriana of Muntinlupa produced personal protective equipment for hospitals in Manila and Baguio. Their army of seamstresses also donated their time and expertise.
The pandemic inflicted stress on already harried families, but it also presented many opportunities for positivity. Before distance learning began in September, children learned more than art and recreation from young parents who turned the unique situation into a teachable moment. By crafting signs to post on their windows and cars, the next generation expressed gratitude to those who had to leave the safety of their homes to deliver basic services.
While there was tumult, the world relearned the meaning of kindness.
Cherie Querol Moreno
San Francisco Bay Area-based Cherie M. Querol Moreno learned empathy, courage and responsibility from her journalist parents. The Positively Filipino and Inquirer.net correspondent is executive editor of Philippine News Today.
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