One is by giving and sharing what we have like cash, goods or anything of value that could be used by the victims. Even our talents and brains can be put into good use by thinking of ways how we can help them stand up once again and move on with their lives. We can help, we can cooperate, we can contribute, or we can volunteer in the efforts of Red Cross, Caritas Manila, Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, GMA Foundation, ABS CBN, and many other reputable institutions and charitable organizations. All these will depend on one's resources and time, since we know, most of us are working and must also earn a living. Understandable. But at least, you are doing your part.
Next is by praying. We can implore God's mercy and Divine Love. There are a lot of things that would definitely be beyond human understanding. There are questions that we dare not ask, for the answers can be human, and not of this world. We would always ask why are these things happening? Why are these being allowed? We us? Why not the crooked and the bad? Why should good people suffer? Why the innocent? What is it that we may have done to deserve these punishment? Or is it? Hence, repeat, prayers will give us the answers. Prayers will help us understand the meaning of all these. Prayers will enable us to receive what we may have perceived to be impossible. Our faith will guide us through all these and emerge from the ruins of the past and stand up once again with the bright sun shining upon us, and the rainbow of hope reminding us of God's promise to mankind.
By sharing. By praying. By learning.
We learn from our experiences, our successes and our failures. It is not really a matter of being prepared for times like what we are going through right now, but it is more of looking at ourselves in a mirror where we are, what we do, and where we want to go. We cannot remain complacent, indifferent or simply lazy amidst the confusion and desperation. We must not be contented with just being resilient or prepared to be one as if we are anticipating some more of these natural calamities. We cannot always look forward that the Bayanihan spirit will lift us up when the time comes. These are good traits. Resiliency, Bayanihan and Prudence. But they are not excuses to disregard the fact that natural calamities, while predictable in cases of typhoons, do occur when we have only a few days left before it would happen, or in case of an earthquake, when we do not have the luxury of blinking an eye even for a moment.
What have we learned then? In the past, we had our share of these natural calamities and taking it from our experience, not once but several, each was traumatic and gives a realization of our mortality. We had to "weather the storm", struggle for our survival and run for our lives, yes, literally. Thus, we know how it was to see roofs tearing apart and carried by the howling winds miles away with other debris and uprooted trees, or water gushing forth towards the house, flooding the entire area with water rising gradually, or a waterspout running after us as we, in turn, were running for our lives, aboard a motorboat with an engine that kept on malfunctioning throughout the chase, or an earthquake strong enough to make us jump from our bed, kneel down and pray af if the world was coming to an end.
Numbers may be significant but not important. Efforts will never be enough for as long as a single human being is suffering, we cannot call it a day. What is really imperative is for the towns and the cities to rise up and be enabled to move on once again and make them work for the benefit of the people.
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