Our Gang of Four and "Sharing 2016"
Posted on Sunday, 4 December 2016
OUR GANG OF FOUR AND “SHARING 2016”
By Apolinario Villalobos
Our gang of four is not involved in any
illegal activities, most especially, with drugs. We share blessings that we can
afford. We just concluded our rounds of distribution of goodie bags, yesterday
morning for the year 2016. We started sharing them as soon as the two in our
group arrived from Canada and America earlier than expected which was the last
week of November. We are consistent in our plan of concluding our activities
within the first week of December. The other member of the group and I are
based in the Philippines.
The banks of Pasig River and identified
sidewalk-dwelling families in Recto Avenue were our beneficiaries. As mentioned
in my earlier blogs, our group strictly follows the rules, such as not giving
of our real names, wearing only of the simplest street clothes without
jewelries not even wristwatch, and no taking of pictures. Mobile phones had to
be turned off as we do our rounds. We talk less and if ever, only in whispers because
most of the beneficiaries are still asleep, so we just had to put the bags
beside them and leave immediately. We take our breakfast at an open-air
carinderia in front of the Post Office (Lawton) where we park the van that we
used. Several years before, we used to park the van in front of the Binondo
church when it was not yet fenced.
While about 70% of the shared blessings
were donated, the rest were shouldered by two members of our group from Canada
and America. Without mentioning names, I would like to thank 6 donors from
Philippine Airlines who unselfishly shared a portion of their bonus, 2
Philippine-based ex-PALers and 4 based in America also sent cash donations. The
two grandchildren of the Fil-Canadian who joined us last year did not make it this
time because of the current political condition.
Extra cash had been purposely set aside for
the “kariton” (pushcart) project in my care. For this I would look for the
nearest source of second-hand materials (wood and wheels) where the recipients
dwell. While I have already found a junk shop at Bambang for the Recto
recipients, I have yet to find one near Pritil in Tondo. As soon as the
pushcarts are finished, the recipients pick them up. They eventually, become
their home on the road and storage for junks that they pick up from garbage
bins and dumps. Six families have already benefited from this project last
September.
For the curious, while the three of us are
past 60, the most senior being 64, the Fil-Canadian physician, the youngest in
our group is 52. Despite our age, we are thankful that we could still endure
the tedious walk from Lawton to the Pasig River, with the trek that starts from
Sta. Cruz side towards the vicinity of Divisoria. The driver of the
Fil-Canadian and the nephew of our Binondo-based colleague help us all along
with the load on trolleys. Just before the sun is up, we trek back to Lawton.
I am sharing this information to show that
anything for the good of others can be possibly done, most especially, by
praying fervently for them…whoever you are. By the way, all of us in our group
of four do not belong to any religious denomination, as we are all Free
Thinkers, hence, with heart and mind open to all Faiths.
Discussion