Reflection 5: Community Profiling

My Kapampangan neighbour and I have different opinions on who the better actor is, Jinggoy Estrada or Mikey Arroyo.

My childhood friend and I who lives next door to the right are poles apart when it comes to the issue of whether Manny Pacquiao should have or should not have won the congressional seat from Darlene Custodio.

The “lutong ulam” vendor and I cannot agree on whether pork sinigang should have ginger as an ingredient.

We may all differ in opinions, perspectives, cultures, etc., but at the end of the day we all worry about if the next tide will be high or low, since our place is within the boundary of Caloocan, Navotas and Malabon. I, my Kapampangan neighbour, my childhood friend and the “lutong ulam” vendor are all members of Barangay 12 community in Caloocan City.

Knowing the common concerns and problems in our community (flood for instance), helps in the planning of the programs and projects that will improve our lives. Once or twice every year, usually during the rainy months, the local government of Caloocan dispatches anti-dengue teams to our community. They conduct lectures on how to avoid the disease caused by mosquito bites, as well as how to spot a person with dengue.

Another project by the Caloocan local government was the free anti-rabies injection for the residents’ pet dogs. This was carried-out a few years ago, at a time when the number of cases of rabid dog bite victims was high. I remember it, since my most favourite pet of all time Archie (RIP) benefitted from the project.

Before they went on with the project, the people from the local government cooperated with our barangay officials who gathered all the residents and dog owners. They explained to us the importance of the project and went to interview each of the dog owners about the dogs. Among the things I remember the representative asked me were how old was my dog, what breed, if my dog has ever bitten someone, etc.

It proved successful because the incidence of rabies victims in my community went down. And when Archie had bitten my bestfriend in the shin, he only suffered from shock and became much wary of approaching any dog.

Overview of a Volunteer Organization

Jesuit Volunteers Foundation, Inc.

The Jesuit Volunteers Philippines Foundation, Inc. (JVPFI) is a volunteer organization that seeks to help under-resourced communities all over the Philippines address their basic needs. The organization contributes to the nation building through faith driven volunteer service in its full time volunteer program and members’ part-time volunteer program.

For 24 years now, JVPFI has been sending volunteers to work in under-resourced schools, parishes, or non-government institutions to:

• Teach the young and the elderly
• Engage in youth formation
• Train grass-root community leaders
• Assist cooperatives
• Help implement livelihood projects
• Minister to the disabled and abused
• Advocate environmental issues
• Uphold the dignity of indigenous peoples
• Fight for the rights of the oppressed

The organization aims for both the volunteers and the communities they serve to continuously work towards building a just society.

The JVPFI has a national office in Quezon City and has local chapters in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Manila, Naga and Zamboanga.

History

Society of Jesus member Fr. William “Bill” Kreutz”, together with Jesuit scholars Noel Vasquez, Vic Labao and Jemy See, founded the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) in 1980. They organized it into a full time volunteer program that caters to the needs of the people during the Martial Law period. The organization annually recruits, and trains college graduates and young professionals and to teach, organize communities, preserve indigenous culture and work in parishes in different mission areas all over the country for at least one year.

In the early 1990s, the JVP community of volunteers and supporters expanded immensely. In May 1993, the JVPFI was founded and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and has since operated independently of the Society of Jesus.

The organization launched its part-time volunteer program in 2006.

JVPFI is mainly supported by local and foreign donations from individuals and institutions.

JVPFI is a pioneer in the Philippine volunteer sector. Its efforts and roles had been recognized with prestigious awards including the Ateneo de Manila Public Service Award in 1995, the Chino Roces Award in 1998, and the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award from the national government in 2005.

The Volunteers

The volunteers for the organization are sent to under-resourced areas all over the Philippines and are required to stay there for at least one year. The volunteers are selected based on a screening process using the following criteria:

1. alignment to the JVP core values of service, social Justice, solidarity, simplicity
and spirituality
2. involvement in community, parish and school / office
3. knowledge, skills and training
4. key personal qualities

The educational background, work experience, involvement in community, office / school, parish activities and other extra-curricular activities as well as his/her skills and capabilities are the primary factors to be considered by the JVPFI in choosing the volunteers.

The Communities Served

JVPFI screens and ranks the institutions requesting for assistance before sending volunteers. Applicant institutions are asked to a profile of the community and the kind of work of the volunteers. A JVPFI representative then conducts a social investigation in the area and the institution: he / she check on the security/peace and order situation of the community, the urgency of the need for volunteers, the place of work, the living arrangements and the institution's clientele. A screening committee deliberates on the requests for volunteers based on the following criteria:

1. urgency of the need for volunteer

2. nature and scope of work

3. support structure for the volunteer

4. promotion of volunteerism

Sources:

Mr. Nathaniel George A. Hipolito, JVPFI program officer for volunteer service

www.jvpfi.com

Reflection 4: Personal Growth and Personal Interactions

A professor in one of my major subjects this semester brought up to the class this question: would you work for money?

Slightly lagging behind the speed of sound came my answer: yes. I need to earn money in order for me to survive.

It’s sad, but money wasn’t really the reason I first came to this university. I came to UP to learn. They say that when you are young (and not aware of the factors that govern man’s existence on earth) you tend to be more idealistic about things. But now, I saw the need for me to really work after graduation; to work for money.

Journalism isn’t a lucrative job. Well at least for those practicing ethical and professional journalism. And if I’m going to practice journalism, I’m going to do it just the way Prof. Luis Teodoro wanted his students to practice it.

Before, I imagine myself writing investigative reports and exposing graft and corruption in the government. I wanted to give service to the people. That should be the primary goal of those practicing this profession. But now, I have to let my sense of duty to my family and to myself come before my sense of duty to my country and countrymen.

I’m not saying that I’m going to practice journalism the way some “pocket-heavy journalists” do today. That’s against my principles. I don’t want to be in some politicians’ or some drug lords’ payroll. I don’t want to cause anybody unnecessary pain just because of my personal interest. And I would never compromise my integrity. I know that if I do the things some media practitioners do, I’ll have money more than enough to pay for my basic needs. But I know I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night.

The media is a field of competition. The probability of me getting into the mainstream is 10%. There are so many mass communication graduates in the Philippines. There are a lot of people taking courses under this field because it doesn’t involve algebra and trigonometry, well, at least that’s the way I see it. Or maybe some see it as a stepping stone to the glamorous life of showbizness. But the catch is, I’m not sure if I’ll land a journalism job once I’m out of the university, even if I’m a UP graduate.

The tentative plan I have is to apply for a call center job, again. If given a chance, I would never want to experience working in that kind of environment again. Even though this business helps our economy a lot, it’s actually a wasteland for so many of our youth. So many talents and skills are left to rust in yard long cubicles; they spend almost the whole of their waking hours reciting to people they don’t know, the one-liners of the movie called CSR. But I’m left with no choice. I just hope that someday I’ll be able to share to other people things I‘ve learned in UP.

Reflection 3: Nationality and Citizenship

Wednesday, July 4. Dr. Kilop, on his lecture on nationality and citizenship asked who among us (CWTS lecture class) would proudly admit being a Filipino. I was one of the five out of around 200 students who raised their hands. I told the truth. I’m proud of my country and my culture. But the professor from the Political Science department seemed unconvinced by our confession. Is it really that hard to say that you’re a Filipino.

Sunday, July 8. I was in my aunt’s house upon her request for me to sleep over. She arrived from Belgium where she is now based, a few days ago. During breakfast we engaged into some “how’s your life” thing. She launched into a full blown PR for that small European country, as if she was an agent trying to convince someone to try their product. She emphasized how better life is in Belgium, how there is much less disorder and corruption. She practically bragged about how elections are more peaceful and Garci-free. People in Belgium give way to other motorists so as not to create traffic jams, she said with her nose held high in the air. It was an exhausting talk, and would very much appreciate if it would end before lunch. Trying to put a stop to the “Philippines is a wasteland” campaign, I asked her a question I thought would surely shut her up because it was something she is directly affected.

“Hindi ba mataas ang taxes sa Belgium,” I said smugly. But I regretted asking that stupid and thoughtless question.

The extremely high taxes are justified, she answered. “Unlike here...I would never stay in the country for more than a month,”she said ending the ad, with something akin to disgust in her face.

Like Dr. Kilop said, the feeling of belongingness to a country starts with empirical rewards or benefits. The nationalistic in me would really like to berate my aunt for thinking so negatively about the Philippines and being so pessimistic about the future of the country. But I realized I cannot tell her that there are far more benefits staying in the Philippines than living in another country. Besides, the people there are kind to her.

She told us a story about a Filipino in Brussels who stole tomatoes in the supermarket. Her disappointment was understandable but why are negative things the only ones she remembers about the Filipinos?

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I worked for a call center a few semesters ago, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. I still remember that I once told myself that I would never set foot in a call center office, but well, I took those words back shamefully. The company’s clients were Australians. New hires need to pass an “accent and diction training” before they are allowed to do the job. Why is this so? I asked my team leader and he said that this was because they needed to sound like Australians. So they have to pretend to be Australians? He said not really, but agents cannot outright say that they are Filipinos. Why, I asked to him again. Because Australians wouldn’t be comfortable talking to non-Australians, he said. The conversation ended there. But the answers generated more questions than answers really. Why would they be uncomfortable? I don’t feel uncomfortable talking to people of other nationality. Do they consider it beneath themselves to talk to a Filipino?

Reflection 2: Volunteerism in the Philippines

Volunteerism is like a party. The host is the community which the volunteers will serve; while the guests are the volunteers. There is a specific date to conduct the activity, as well as a specific venue.

Just like a party, volunteer work needs careful planning to ensure success. The hosts (people in the community) should make sure that their guests are comfortable and should protect them while they are in the community. The guests should follow the rules of the party: the dress code, the house rules, among others.

In a party, the hosts decide who their guests will be. Gate crashing or inviting oneself to a party is not advisable, because most likely the hosts will not be happy about the intrusion in their lives, however good the intention is.

Inviting people to a party should be done days or weeks before the actual event to give the prospective guests time to prepare. They should be given the time to think about it and decide whether or not to accept the invitation. Pushing people to participate or involve themselves in an event they have don’t have interest in may cause misery to both the hosts and the guests during the party.

Lastly, volunteer work, just like a party, brings together different people with different cultures. For volunteer work or party to be successful, the guests and the hosts should tolerate and respect each other.

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We tend to remember bad or negative things more than positive things. One psychologist said it is some sort of a defence mechanism innate to every human being to help him or her survive in this competitive world. I think this can be the explanation as to why we sometimes can’t help but judge other people based on what we hear without even verifying the truthfulness of the claims. On my observation, the stereotype is usually either ethno-linguistic based or economic-status-based.

Take for example Tondo. This small community in Manila is notorious for being a haven for all sorts of criminals. There are places much worse than Tondo today, but the name it has acquired had stuck sticked like bazooka joe in the hair.

I believe that Tondo was not labelled as such for nothing. I have the vaguest idea but according to my mom (she practically grew up there), gangs used to rule the place. It was a scary place to be in back then, especially after dark, she said. She remembers the streets in her whole community being deserted by people as early as 6:00 pm, as if staying for a minute longer would kill them. Well actually, my mom said it could.

But Tondo is much peaceful nowadays. Sure it has its own set of hold-up gangs and drug addicts, but those people are everywhere. Even in the most exclusive and expensive villages, I’m sure. People from Tondo are generally friendly and helpful. And think about other people, not just themselves. Only in Tondo did I feel the essence of “kapitbahay” being alive. Our place is hours away from Tondo, but I have countless encounters with people from this place. They are the most hospitable people I know. Whenever I visit my relatives and friends who live there, they would make a fuss about whether I’ve eaten, would worry themselves because they don’t have ice cold Coke, or would wear out their arms trying to make up for the lack of ventilation in their living rooms.

I believe that people would raise their brows on this next one, but I can’t help but mention that I feel secure when I’m in Tondo. Of course I still take extra caution when I’m in areas where residents are not unfamiliar, but generally, I feel protected when I’m in my friends’ and relatives’ “baluwarte”.

Reflection 1: Philippine Society and Culture

Culture is what distinguishes a group of people from another. It is a collection of different beliefs, morals, customs, laws, etc., acquired through living together in a particular space. A culture is the basis for the reality a certain group of people subscribes to.

The Philippines is composed of many different groups of people with many different cultures. Because of this, it is difficult to find a single word that is all encompassing to describe the Filipino culture as a whole. Instead, different practices, beliefs, customs, etc., lend themselves as foundations in the building of the Philippine society.

As it is shaped by the conditions, situations and needs encountered in a certain environment, a culture is difficult to change. People who subscribes to a particular culture cannot be forced to believe in the things they do not see as “correct” by their standards. Outsiders should be open-minded, and should learn to accept people’s differences.

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Respect. This is one of the many things I’ve learned in UP. Not that I don’t respect my parents or people older than me before I came to the university. What I mean by respect is acceptance (or at least tolerance in some extreme cases) of other people’s beliefs, actions, etc., that are different from mine. I realized (or was made to realize) that there is an explanation for their deviant behaviour: I’m simply not the center of the universe.

There are no such things as barbaric, uncivilized and primitive. They are just derogatory terms coined by those conceited white males who wanted to rationalize their attempt to exploit other people. For all we know we look like aliens to some people from Papua New Guinea.

The discovery of the sun and the other planets not revolving around me led to my acceptance that what I do or what I believe in will not always be right. There are multiple realities, according to one sociologist. I came to accept that there are people like our neighbour who thinks it’s the norm to talk to her sons while they are out on the street and she is on the second floor of their multiple-storey house. There are others like my groupmates in an elective class, who think it’s fashionable to arrive two hours late when we’re already running out of time to do an assigned project. There are also those who think wearing a cap or hat inside the classroom is part of academic freedom and not at all disrespectful to the professor.

Respect is important. The world could’ve saved some lives from being wasted in wars if it only fully hugged respect. Unfortunately, there are people who label others “barbaric” without consulting first the mirror on the wall. What can be more “barbaric” and “uncivilized” than to start a war without thinking about the possible consequences? Or not stop a war when the realized consequences leave dead bodies of innocent children and women as evidence?

The word should be taught to children as soon as they can read and write. The concept should be introduced before they can walk or talk. Maybe this way, when their turn to run their country comes, they wouldn’t have a hard time looking up its meaning in the dictionary.

Expectations

I’ve been familiar with community service since grade school – from outreach programs to tree planting projects. Most of the activities I took part in were required by my teachers; nonetheless I enjoyed every one of them. Given the experience I have, I don’t expect anything from this class, since I already know that helping people is fun, no matter how hard the job is. A lot of preparation will be needed for those students who haven’t done any community service yet, so I have to be patient until we finally go to the actual field activity part. I’m still convincing myself that I need to hear the lectures, but I know I should. There are a lot of things I don’t know yet, plus I can’t let an opportunity to learn new things pass. I believe that this would be an interesting and worthwhile semester since professors from different departments will be providing lectures every Wednesday (that’s like attending several different ACLEs in one sem). I hope though that I would feel the actual field activity more as a volunteer work than a required class project.

Community Service Experience

Things I LIke & Don't Like

Personal Information

ABBY

I am Abegail Rose Valenzuela, a senior Journalism student. I sing, dance and act (ticket prices start at P500).

I like going to different places and meeting different people. I have a particularly soft spot for children.

I’m a member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS), a student organization that is a front liner in the war against violations of human rights.

I believe that my love for chocolates was the reason why I was sorted into the Gryffindor house instead of the Slytherin, even though I extremely like the color green.

I hope to become a travel writer or a book reviewer when I graduate.