It takes a village

As the winds howled and torrential rains poured, our village group chat pinged with intermittent messages from a neighbor.

- By DOROTHY DELGADO NOVICIO

She was virtually mobilizing members of our community, requesting donations for the immediate needs of displaced residents in an evacuation center in another barangay.

In a matter of minutes responses came in: canned goods, pre-loved clothes, blankets, mattresses and cash to purchase essential items for families that needed shelter at the height of raging storms.

In three days, close to P100,000 was raised from among donors within our community. The amount was used to purchase additional mattresses, hygiene kits, diapers, bottled water and immediate needs of evacuees. I was amazed at how a neighbor's initiative rapidly spread and put a good number of residents into action. Others went to the evacuation centers to help pack and distribute the goods in coordination with teams from the LGU.

While the relief work was ongoing, our neighbor sent photos of goods being distributed to beneficiaries. At the end of the entire activity, she presented a crystal clear accounting of where the donors' contributions went, supported by receipts. The amount of funds involved in the homeowners-initiated effort may not be in equal proportion to the billions of pesos "spent" in flood control projects, yet the way the outcome of the fund drive was reported—with transparency and accountability—was a genuine reflection of the person's integrity and honesty—the very same characteristics we hope people in our current leadership positions must likewise possess.