2012 CHIKAHAN SA MANILA: PUSONG PINOY HEROES SUMMIT" was held on July 21, 2012 at Greenbelt, Makati. It was a gathering of dedicated heroes who convened to share their Pusong Pinoy stories, best practices, and dreams for the Filipino children. The following is a reflection of Pusong Pinoy's newest Manila-based Team Leader FLORENCE O. TEMPORAL aka TL Krystala after attending the summit.
It has been about 5 months since I joined Pusong Pinoy. I decided to be a volunteer because I wanted to be a part of an organization with a sincere heart for the poor and the disadvantaged. In just a few months, my perspective has changed and I see life differently. In Pusong Pinoy, we call volunteers superheroes, not as a way to glorify but more to remind ourselves that while serving others is a herculean task, it could also be a happy and fun endeavor.
I used to be angry and frustrated about the situation of the Filipino children – the poor, the underfed, the uneducated, and the powerless. Like many Filipinos, my old inner dialogue was why won’t someone help them? Or, why doesn’t the government do something? I remained in suspended quagmire until I decided to do something. I borrow this quote from George Bernard Shaw: Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.
I suppose the very thing that attracted me to Pusong Pinoy is the verity that its volunteers are people from all walks of life who have decided to step up and do something. Beginning with an ordinary mother whose only desire was to teach her young son the act of giving. That’s how we started and what a beautiful beginning it was!
Through the volunteers, Pusong Pinoy has been able to inch by inch reach its hero donors and supporters from all over the globe. I observed that the superhero volunteers do not have an excess of something to give. We’re not millionaires or philanthropists. Most of us have to work hard for a living. But what we do have in common is that we try to use what we have on hand; our skills, our talents or whatever we have now that we can use to further our cause. There is always something that one can give, if one is willing.
On July 21, I was brimming with excitement as we held our first ever Pusong Pinoy Summit. In keeping with our organizational culture of making things light and fun, we called it 2012 Chikahan sa Manila: Pusong Pinoy Heroes Summit. Perhaps it was providential that the summit was targeted for 2012, the year that Pusong Pinoy was awarded the prestigious Gawad Geny Lopez, Jr. Global Bayaning Pilipino Award . By the grace of God, all things came together. So on that momentous day we all came as a united front; volunteers and recipients alike to fellowship, to assess our work and to plan for the future.
I met some of my fellow superheroes for the first time and what a joy it was to be in their company. They inspire me to do more and to do things with a smile. But the heart of the summit was our recipients who came from different parts of Philippines to share with us how our gifts of children’s books, school supplies, clothes, food and cash changed the lives of their kids in a significant way.
How do I summarize what I saw, what I heard and what I learned from the summit? All of the stories touched me. Stories about improving grades, increasing literacy. Stories about schools from far-flung places now having libraries. Illiterate kids who now not only know how to read but can now read in English as well. Stories about undernourished kids being fed, filling not only their empty stomachs but their hearts with renewed hope. Selfless teachers being equipped with tools to be able to teach effectively. Kids sent to schools through scholarships. Kids warmed by clothes. Kids who can now write. Older kids teaching younger kids how to read, because they now can.
The superhero volunteers of Pusong Pinoy received many thanks that day, but the truth is, the very lifeline of the organization are the numerous donors from all over the world who have given generously to our cause. Without them, there will be no Pusong Pinoy. It is also because of them that our volunteers work tirelessly to facilitate and to coordinate making sure that every book, every centavo, every pencil, every piece of clothing reaches its destination. The donors were not present at the summit but it is to all of them that we channel all the gratitude. Thank you.
As the Pusong Pinoy superheroes fly back to their lives and some to their respective countries, I marvel at this brilliant stroke of luck that led me to be a part of this team. And I close with a firm resolve that as long as there are heroes willing to step up, I will be here.
