It was the flood that thieved away hope and broke the people’s resilience. But it was a different type of flood, a flood of heroes from all walks of life, that fortified the attempts to fight and bounce back, allowing the communities to pick up the broken pieces and move forward.
For one, rescue teams from various groups came together to help sift through the ruins in the hope of finding anyone still alive.
Donations from charities all over the world have also been pouring in from time to time. The spirit of generosity was thick in the air. Xavier University’s Operation: Tabang Sendong, for one, gathered Php 20, 490, 920.70 worth of cash gifts from walk-in givers without needing to be prompted.
On top of that, many volunteers rallied round to assist in the different relief operations organized in and outside the city. The University was able to deploy 1,724 volunteers who showed that they are indeed men and women for others. Sendong may have ended 2011 with plenty of misery but it also brought to light the benevolence of friends, neighbors and perfect strangers. From typhoon survivors themselves–who had their personal tragedies to deal with–to people from the opposite side of the globe, everyone came to help one another get through the storm.
It has been more than a month since the disaster fell upon us. But since then, despite the circumstances, attempts at optimism have never once petered out. People were able to look at ‘Sendong’ straight in the face and say that humanity isn’t damned. Indeed, sometimes, the worst brings out the best in people. C
