MOSES CAME IN A BATYA
by Tony Meloto

“Batya” is the common man’s washing machine, but in the recent floods that devastated Metro Manila and claimed many casualties, it became the lifesaver of infants reminiscent of the reed basket that carried a baby to safety on the Nile who grew up to liberate his people from Egypt. Are these babies destined to be like him – the saviors of our people from a different kind of enslavement?

Moving photos of babies in big plastic or tin basins became a common sight on TV coverage and Facebook as cell phones documented various modes of survival; mothers placed endangered offspring on anything that floated as floodwaters rose, ready to lose everything and risk anything to save loved ones.

One person fascinated by this ordinary lifesaver approached me with an interesting proposition – to start our cleanup and rehab process in our “Operation Walang Iwanan” by giving away thousands of batya gathered from affluent friends. It appears she has many of them, as she was able to gather 3,000 in one day. Vivienne Tan, founder of the Entrepreneur School of Asia and daughter of taipan Lucio Tan, did not mind when I jokingly tagged her “Batya Queen” of the “bakya” crowd in her drive to give them a simple all-purpose lifeline – to wash dirtied clothes, to clean up muddied homes and save their babies when it floods again.

“A batya is important to the ordinary housewife as it is her everyday companion to make life more bearable for the people she loves,” she said in earnest to stress to me the value of her initiative. Continue reading…
 

OPERATION GK WALANG IWANAN GOES TO BOTOLAN, ZAMBALES

About 3,000 food packs have been distributed in Botolan, Zambales province last week in the aftermath of Typhoon Pepeng.  Botolan was one of the hardest hit by the typhoon and many families were displaced. Thankfully, the GK community in Botolan specifically Dichoso-Gray and Massachusetts GK villages are safe from harm and were not flooded. They have served as an oasis for those taking refuge from nearby towns whose homes have been washed up. The evacuees are living in tent cities surrounding the GK community.  See Photos of the relief operations.

NO ONE IS TOO SMALL TO HELP

Young heroes emerged as waters receded in the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Four-year old Phoebe Berba lovingly gave her donation to the typhoon victims through Gawad Kalinga. Her grandfather Jun Berba said that she was originally saving it for any future needs of the poor. „But when we talked about the victims of Ondoy, she

agreed to donate her savings. Only P650 was available from the piggy bank, so we added another P1000 and she was happy,“ her lolo said. Read More…

THANK YOU FOR NOT LEAVING US

GK Camacho, Marikina – It was almost 12 noon and Tita Delia Labrador,54 years old, was still  busy helping clean up her community. In the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy, their homes were left in knee-deep mud, the water had risen 20 feet submerging homes. Last October 16, about 58 employees from Globe Telecoms including their president Ernest Cu have lent a helping hand to clean up their park and surroundings. Slowly but surely, order is being restored.

Tita Delia said she was very grateful that all the members of her family and community are safe, no one died. She still feels disturbed about seeing a mother and child on a shanty’s roof, their whole house being swept away along the Marikina River, waving to them for help. But they too were trapped, cold and wet, but found higher ground. Read More…   

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