love chic

How we use our freedom speaks of our priorities. It’s been a week since Yolanda, but thousands will be reeling from its aftermath for weeks more. For those of us who won this lottery and were spared, offering a bit of our time, resources and sensitivity is the least we can do.

Despite that (or, because) we are not directly affected, we can make use of our freedom to help out, just as we would if the storm struck one of ours. Yes, life goes on—given enough time to recover. Would we be comfortable showing our shopping loot to a friend who just lost everything in a fire? Sharing PDA photos with a friend whose loved one just died? Recounting our fancy dinner to a friend who just got laid off his job? We’d be free to, but we wouldn’t. We’d let them know that we are one with them in their suffering. We’d be responsive to their needs. 

This weekend, the Ateneo de Manila college covered courts is open 24 hours to donors and volunteers. While there are many other centers (there are actually two other courts for relief operations on campus), this is where I always go to help out. It’s like coming home. This is where the OrSem is held, where freshmen are first taught the Ignatian value of magis: the pursuit of excellence, not merely for one’s own benefit but to be men and women for others. Sentimental reasons aside, it’s also because volunteer work here doesn’t feel like work at all. 

It’s more like a fun exercise. Volunteers are given a short briefing by batch, informing them of all the different roles: there are unpackers, shoppers, grocery aisle attendants, knotters, packers and carriers, among others.

The line starts at the back, where there are plastic bags filled with six kilos of rice. Shoppers are the ones who carry one or two bags around the grocery aisles. 

The grocery aisles are lined with sardines, corned beef, coffee and noodles, in that order. The attendants stand by with their assigned goods (three to four cans, eight coffee sachets and noodle packs) and wait to place these in the shopper’s plastic bag.

The shoppers then carry the plastic bags to the knotters, whose job is (guess what?) to tie knots. I took these photos while everyone on a break, which is why there aren’t many people on the floor. Breaks are really the only chance you get to take photos without disrupting the flow of operations. 

The packed bags are neatly lined and stacked in one area of the court for deployment to their assigned areas. There is a long line of volunteers along these aisles who then pass the plastic bags one after another until they reach the trucks. 

If you don’t get to be part of the lines, there are many other tasks to take on. You could open plastic bags—it may not seem much, but if you’ve ever had to hurriedly pry open a brand new plastic bag or sack with your fingers, you’d know what I mean. 

It’s more fun when you can get together with your friends. You can bond away without realizing you’ve gone through hundreds of bags and sacks already. And seriously, the seconds staved off from these microtasks really do add up. 

What makes the process efficient and fun is that you don’t really have to put much effort into what you’re doing; you just have to do it. 

Especially if you enjoy working with your hands, like during Home Economics classes or when doing handicraft projects. Other tasks include labelling and dating the sacks for reference. 

With the assembly lines and the music playing 24/7, it’s almost like Santa’s factory filled with his little helpers (and I feel quite old to be making such a childish reference, but that’s how it feels, really). 

Ateneo is one of the satellite repacking hubs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, hence the DSWD labels on all the bags and sacks. Since they contain perishable goods, dates and reference numbers are recorded for along with the inventory.

These family packs are then carried and wheeled to the deployment trucks. For this task, the volunteers they call on are able-bodied guys. That’s a full-body workout right there!

Break-time banter: some boys look on while the others take turns in loading the family packs. Beats the gym in that you get to help out while you burn calories. 

The College Cov Courts is open to the public, not just students, alumni or employees. Say hello to these boy scouts! They were on break after working for hours.  

Click here for a list of other DSWD repacking sites. From what I know, the relief operations here at the Ateneo College CovCourts will go on until tomorrow. I’m not sure if they will extend, but with still so many families needing clothes, footwear, food, groceries and medicines, let’s hope so. They need more volunteers late at night and very early in the morning. If you’re reading this right now and you feel like going out, head on over to Ateneo! :) The few hours we give will mean so much. ♥