by Hannah Louise L. Cueto (Polyplex)
Early on a Monday morning of October 2019, the Genes gathered at Wing C for the 36th setup of the HOPE Intervention: One Gene, One Child. Minutes later, the Genes were pouring out of a rented jeepney together with books, food, and art materials. As they entered the blue classroom, curious kids sat down in kiddie plastic chairs while their parents stood behind them—ready to cooperate with today’s activities. The students happily danced to the prepared dance number. They played in parlor games. A Jollibee spaghetti and Chickenjoy meal was served. The kids’ own hands painted tote bags with abstract designs.
Fast forward to March 2020, the first lockdown due to a novel virus began. However, what was intended to be a lockdown for two weeks became more than a year of horror to many Filipinos. Student organizations, academic institutions, businesses, and multiple lives were affected. Everyone was forced to adapt to the online setup—a change not accessible to many, a privilege of the higher classes.
The 37th Outreach Committee vs. recent challenges
Organizing outreach activities amidst the pandemic and with new regulations emerging is indeed a challenge. Besides the newly-established regulations, we need to consider factors such as manpower, feasibility, and safety. Mobilizing individuals became difficult due to the scare of disease transmission. We have to modify, change, or save the established activities of GeneSoc’s Outreach Committee for another time. Furthermore, we had to let go of physical interactions and rely on social media, text messages, and calls for communication.
Different needs arose during the pandemic. For schools, acquiring a good internet connection and accessing school materials was a challenge. As the lockdown relaxed in the latter months of 2020, multiple typhoons hit the country, resulting in damages to crops, homes, jobs and establishments. There was a need for immediate relief all over the country. Come the year of 2021, another lockdown was imposed in the Philippines due to resurgence of cases. By this time, resources are depleting and some families cannot afford the consequences of a lockdown again.
HOPE Intervention: One Gene, One Child
The first event of GeneSoc’s Outreach Committee was the HOPE Intervention: One Gene, One Child which was conducted in November 2020 at the HOPE Intervention Center in Calamba City, Laguna. Two learning setups arose during this period: the online setup, which was applicable to those who have internet connection; and the modular learning setup, wherein teachers or institutions printed modules and delivered these to the homes of their students. The HOPE Intervention Center adapted the modular learning setup for its students with their staff personally delivering the modules to the homes of the students or the parents visiting the institution to pick up the modules. One of the struggles of the modular learning setup is the availability of printing materials such as ink and bond paper.
As the Outreach Committee’s usual activities for the institution were dampened by the pandemic, the committee opted to conduct a donation drive together with the alumni, sponsors, and media partners to gather financial and in-kind donations. By the end of the one-month donation drive, around Php 30,000.00 were gathered. With this amount of money, the committee was able to donate boxes of bond papers, bottles of ink, packs of relief goods, a few school materials, and toys for the students and the staff.
Donation Drives for Typhoon Victims
As the past year was coming to an end, the country was hit by consecutive typhoons bringing floods and wreaking havoc in multiple provinces. A recession due to the pandemic followed by consecutive storms has put poverty in the Philippines into the limelight. With multiple requests for help emerging all over the country, the Filipino citizens have taken it to themselves to start donation drives for the victims of the typhoon. The Outreach Committee decided to participate in various donation drives to help victims from CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, NCR, and Cagayan.
Ngiti ni Lola: GeneSoc Outreach 2021
The last activity formed by this term’s Outreach Committee members was a new initiative called Ngiti ni Lola: GeneSoc Outreach 2021. The outreach program aimed to bring smiles to the Lolas of the Sta. Ana - San Joaquin Bahay Ampunan Foundation Inc. in Tanauan City, Batangas by providing essentials and monetary donations to the institution. Funds were raised through a raffle fundraiser on Facebook and donations with the help of the resident members, alumni, sponsors, and media partners. On May 22, 2021, the donations were transferred to the institution.
The persistence of community service during the pandemic
Despite the country’s situation, the Filipino spirit of giving refuses to die down. Multiple outreach activities by different organizations, institutions, and individuals were set up to address the needs of different communities, from academic materials to relief support. During the year of 2020, donation drives from all over the country popped up to give relief to victims of the pandemic and typhoon. In early 2021, community pantries built from sincere efforts of the citizens immediately provided for the everyday needs of a Filipino family.
In the span of one year, we already witnessed the hardship of Filipinos under a lacking pandemic response. To successfully conduct an outreach activity deserves a celebration for all the selfless energy and time expended. However, it should not blind us from the harsh reality that these activities exist due to the prevalence of poverty, corruption, and repression in our communities.
May our sincere actions inspire individuals to give back and pay it forward. At the same time, may this motivate our citizens to impel for a society that leaves no one behind.
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