"We May Not Change The World In One Day" And A Tribute To The Volunteers And Private Donors Who Are Helping Victorias Flood Victims

It will be remembered as one devastating disaster and a bad wake-up call, not only to the people of Victorias, but also the people of the nearby municipality of E. B. Magalona, and cities of Talisay and Silay (in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines).

The floods of January 1 and January 8, 2021 (read blog here), are now part of its history to add to the big floods of January 1907, 1922, and November 1995 (read blog here)😱

  (Evacuees at the Our Lady of Victory parish refectory)

                     (Donations from Bosconians)

From the stories I heard from the 1995 flood victims, they still remembered the height of the waters and the damage it caused to their homes compared with the floods of January 1 and January 8, 2021. 

They also recalled the distance the floodwaters travelled into their neighborhoods, the height the flood waters reached the walls of their homes, and where they had to evacuate then.

(Volunteers from Bacolod City brought help 

            and distributed snacks to the evacuees)                                       

        (Distribution of donated goods at Barangay 1)

Although these tragedies bring out the best in humanity, misfortunes like these have also become opportunities for politicians to exploit. They just know how to make use of other people's misery for their own political propaganda.😡  

They either pass other people's donations as their own, or even join the distribution relief goods as if they were the ones who actually organized it. Some go as far as wading or swimming in the flood waters for a good photo-op.😝

                (Pre-loved clothes are appreciated)

(A mother and child walk through a muddy path 

that used to be neck-deep in flood waters 

with the help kind donors gave.) 

But for the kindhearted and sincere givers (of time, money, and goods), there is no need for them to write down their names on the packages or shout them out every time they bring their much-needed donations to the flooded neighborhoods.

For them, it is their responsibility to help. Period.😎

(Distributing donated goods at Sitio 

Litib-Litib of Barangay 3)

(Volunteers carry relief goods through 

the twice-flooded alleys)

This is why I pay tribute to the nameless individuals, volunteers, and families from Victorias, from other towns and cities of Negros island, from other provinces and countries, who have given their time, donated cash and goods, and even opened their homes, churches, and even garages to shelter and feed our fellow Victoriahanons.👪

(Youth volunteers deliver donations from the parishioners of Miranda, Pontevedra, and San Enrique)

        (Delivering donated goods to South Barrio)

But as these generous citizens are willing to help every time there is a tragedy, I'm wondering whether we are all just waiting for the next big flood and not acting to solve and minimize the impact on the way of life, livelihood and properties of these environmental disasters.

(Fr. Joriz Calsa, SDB of the Saint Joseph, the Worker parish receives donated rice at the Immaculate Conception Church at Canetown Subdivision)

I have always wondered whether our government simply relies on distributing relief goods every time this happens, and not actually having an action plan to solve the flooding?😠

What do you think?😭

(Distributing goods at Sitio Bugtong Lubi of Barangay 6)

            (Packing relief goods for distribution)

Taking a line from Michael Jackson's song, In Our Small Way (which aptly describes the generosity of the kind donors), "we may not change the world in one day" would probably also serve as a reminder that we have to change our ways in order to protect the environment and the future generations of this place.😄

In the meantime, let's pray the next flood won't happen any time soon.🙏