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An airline's cargo house in Parañaque City houses volunteers who drop in on their spare time to pack goods to be flown to disaster-hit areas. Several young people march to the Philippine Army gymnasium in Taguig City to assist in preparing food and items.

Others are assisting the weary staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in at least six sites across the metro.

Metro Manila Universities are similarly buzzing with activity--centers of learning have turned into storehouses overnight after the monster howler pounded on Visayas last November 8. Student leaders keep the momentum at stations for categorizing items, packing them and placing labels and students and teachers alike come and go in between classes to lend a hand.

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A group called Yolanda Citizen Watch, meanwhile, extends help in a unique way: By tracking relief and recovery funds to ensure its disbursement to those affected by natural disasters.

"Citizens say no to the loss of a single centavo to corruption in calamity funds," the group said.

Small acts, big impact

The abounding stories of little acts of kindness show how despite differences, millions of Filipinos share one desire in this tragic period of the country's history.

Student Jem Monedo who still has not received her allowance from her parents spent the little that's left of her resources by placing some biscuits, crackers and bottles of water in individual packs, labeled with "Kapit lang " or "Hold on."


Photo courtesy of Jem Monedo

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Manila resident Ginggay Pajaro encountered the generosity of a certain store owner in Bambang while she was shopping for medical items for victims in Tacloban.

"When I was about to leave [the store], its owner called me and handed me 2 thousand pesos. I asked 'para saan po ito?' She answered 'I-bili mo ng biskwit at ipadala mo sabay ng mga gamot.' I asked for her name but she said 'Di bale na'," Pajaro recounted.

A Facebook user told the story of a Manila cab driver she met who had refugees from Tacloban as passengers.

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Moving stories from overseas

A photo of a 6-year-old Japanese boy, Shoichi Kondoh, who emptied his piggybank for typhoon victims in the Philippines went viral on Friday.


Photo from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo shows Second Secretary and Consul Bryan Dexter Lao receiving the envelope from pre-schooler Shoichi Kondoh.

"Accompanied by his mother, Miho Kondoh, Shoichi visited the Philippine Embassy today to personally hand-over his donation of JPY 5,000 taken from his piggybank savings," the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo reported.

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Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom/Mae Paner - From Mae Paner's Facebook page: Some good news to share: Anton, 9yrs. old gave all of his savings (P979 + coins) to survivors of Yolanda. He wants suffering to stop in evacuation centers. He wants stealing to stop too and that there be peace again. Thank you Anton! (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/)

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Japanese soldier's son

Meanwhile, in Japan, a son of a Japanese soldier who died in the Philippines during World War II gave Y200,000 (over P87,000) for Yolanda victims, the Philippine Embassy in Japan said.

"My father lies sleeping in a mountain somewhere in Luzon," said Kenji Hirakawa, who said he was just three months old when his father left to serve in the Japanese Imperial Army.

“I am enclosing here JPY200,000 for all the troubles my father may have caused to the Filipino people,” he said, adding he hopes the money will help alleviate the plight of the typhoon victims.

However, the embassy said Hirakawa did not write down a contact number.

"In the end his generous gesture and its impetus only prove that, after all that has been said and done, history will always bind the Philippines and Japan together," the embassy said. — LBG, GMA News

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Amen. God Bless you, Mr. Hirakawa....

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