Showing posts with label assistance. Show all posts

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My Own Concept of "Sharing"

Posted on Saturday, 20 August 2016

MY OWN CONCEPT OF “SHARING”
By Apolinario Villalobos


FOR THE TNTH TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT MY BLOGS ABOUT THE UNFORTUNATES ARE NOT MEANT TO BE USED AS TOOLS TO SOLICIT FUNDS. I SHARE MY PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THESE PEOPLE TO LET SOME VIEWERS KNOW THAT WHAT THEY OCCASIONALLY SEE AS FLASHED ON TV SCREENS ARE TRUE. I MADE THIS CLEAR IN MY EARLIER BLOGS THAT VIEWERS ARE NOT ENCOURAGED TO SEND HELP TO ME AFTER LEARNING MY LESSON FROM RECEIVING HELP WITH STRINGS ATTACHED. THAT IS ALSO THE REASON WHY I HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT POSTING THEM ON FACEBOOK. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHAT I ASK ARE PRAYERS FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GO ON, AND FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GO ON WAKING UP IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THEY ENJOY LIFE DESPITE DEPRIVATIONS.

IT IS FUNNY HOW SOME PEOPLE CAN BE SKEPTIC INTO ASSUMING THAT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING ARE IMPOSSIBLE, JUST BECAUSE THEY (SKEPTICS) CANNOT, EVEN IN THEIR WILD IMAGINATION, DO THEM AS SUCH ACTS MEAN A LOT OF SACRIFICE. THEY ALSO REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT OUT THERE, ARE PEOPLE WHO DIRECTLY PUT INTO THEIR MOUTH MORSELS OF FOOD PICKED UP FROM TRASH. THEY THOUGHT ONLY ANIMALS DO THAT. WHAT ELSE WOULD ONE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT A FAMILY WHO KEEPS MOVING AROUND WITH THEIR PRECIOUS BELONGINGS IN A PUSHCART FOR FEAR THAT THEY WILL BE “APPREHENDED” BY SOCIAL WORKERS, BUT OCCASIONALLY STOPPING BY GARBAGE DUMPS TO PICK UP JUNKS THAT THEY CAN SELL, OR IF LUCKY ENOUGH, EATABLE MORSELS OF FOOD THAT THEY CAN STUFF DIRECTLY INTO THEIR MOUTH?

I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE CANNOT TAKE PHOTOS AND ESSAYS THAT FOR THEM ARE HORRENDOUS AND DEPRESSING, AS THEY CONTAIN WHAT THEY ASSUME AS “UNBELIEVABLE” PRIVATIONS. THEY ARE THEN, ADVISED TO SKIP MY BLOGS WHICH ARE ONLY MEANT FOR THOSE WHO ARE REALLY INTERESTED.

SOME PEOPLE ALSO THOUGHT THAT SHARING IS A “TREND”, A “CRAZE”.  JUST BECAUSE OTHERS ARE DOING IT, THEY MUST DO IT, TOO, TO BE “IN”. THEY MUST KNOW THAT SHARING IS A 24/7 ADVOCACY THAT KNOWS NO SEASON AND TIME. IT IS NOT JUST SHARING ON CHRISTMAS DAY JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE “BIRTHDAY” OF JESUS. IT IS NOT ABOUT SHARING JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ASKED FOR HELP. SINCERITY IS LOST IN SHARING IF ONE WHO DOES IT NEEDS TO BE PRODDED. AND, SHARING IS NOT ABOUT GIVING BECAUSE THERE ARE CAMERAS AROUND!

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THE MINUTEST DETAILS OF OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES BEFORE THEY GIVE HELP AS IF WHAT THEY SEE OUTRIGHT AND ON-THE–SPOT ARE NOT ENOUGH.
 IF I SHARE THE DETAILS OF WHAT I DO TO EARN THE TRUST OF THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED FOR A LONG TIME THAT THEY BECOME SUSPICIOUS EVERY TIME A STRANGER WHO TALKS TO THEM BRINGS OUT A CELLPHONE WITH CAMERA, THE STUFF WOULD NO LONGER BE A SIMPLE BLOG BUT A BOOK.

SOME VIEWERS ALSO, FORGOT THAT I DO THINGS ALONE DRIVEN BY A PERSONAL DESIRE. I AM NOT A PAID JOURNALIST NOR, DO I BELONG TO A FOUNDATION OR AN “NGO”. I SHARE SPONTANEOUSLY WHAT I CAN AFFORD BASED ON WHAT MY POCKETS CONTAIN AT THE TIME OF ENCOUNTER. HOW CAN I ASK THE FATHER OF A FAMILY ON THE SIDEWALK IF HE HAS MONEY, WHEN OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE NOT YET EVEN SHARED A CUP OF COFFEE TO WARM THEIR EMPTY STOMACH? SKEPTICS MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT UNTIL NOW, THESE PEOPLE WHO LEARNED TO TRUST ME DO NOT KNOW MY NAME.


FOR SEVERAL DECADES THAT I HAVE BEEN SHARING WITH THE UNFORTUNATES, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO AT FIRST GLANCE SEEM TO BE BENEVOLENT- THEY WHO I THOUGHT WERE SINCERE IN EXTENDING ASSISTANCE. IN TIME, THEIR TRUE COLOR BECOMES DISCERNIBLE WHEN THEY BEGIN TO GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW I SHOULD DO MY RANDOM ACTS, EVEN TO THE POINT OF IMPLYING THAT “PERHAPS, SOME OF THE UNFORTUNATES REALLY DO NOT NEED HELP”.  

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Giving Help to Others Does not Necessarily Encourage Dependence or Mendicancy

Posted on Wednesday, 13 July 2016

GIVING HELP TO OTHERS DOES NOT NECESSARILY
ENCOURAGE DEPENDENCE OR MENDICANCY
By Apolinario Villalobos


Food in any form is among the basic needs of man, as with clothing and shelter. In a dire situation, it is man’s resourcefulness that makes him survive. If he is in the countryside, he can survive by going to the field and pick edible leaves, shoots and fruits. If he is in the city, he can forage in garbage dumps for morsels that can somehow see him through the day. The innate survival instinct in man is so strong that given the chance, he does not need help from others. In other words, he does not ask for it. Help is extended voluntarily by others who are driven by their desire to extend a hand, as some kind of an advocacy. More so with the government, one mandate of which is the general welfare of the citizens.

In my experience of meeting many street dwellers, I learned that despite their impoverished condition, most often, pride prevails every time they are offered help, even suspicious of the giver’s intention. Living on sidewalks is not their primary desire. The deprivation of a decent habitation is due to its prohibitive cost. I met couples who live on sidewalks with the husbands working as messengers and security guards while the wives sell candies and cigarettes….which for me is a decent life. They told me that they are willing to rent but if they do, almost nothing would be left for their subsistence.

I have also met many people who go out of their way to set aside a good portion of what they earn to be shared with others. One of them are three women who would cook “pancit” on Sundays, apportion them in many small plastic bags, and using a borrowed single-motorcycle, two of them would scour the streets for beneficiaries – children and families who most often, are junk collectors who need to sell their finds at the end of the day before they can buy food. The three women are themselves, among the deprived city dwellers living under a bridge.

Of course, it cannot be denied that today, enterprising syndicates have made use of the impoverished in their racket. In this case, to be blamed should be these evil-minded, and not the victims who are threatened. The Badjaos from southern Mindanao who have invaded prosperous urban areas are another case, as for them, begging is part of their culture.

Finally, the program of the government in which qualified families are given cash assistance for the education of their children is also another thing. This assistance is in exchange for the commitment of the parents that the cash should be spent as expected and supported with several requirements. It should be noted that this assistance is “volunteered” by the government as its way of supposedly alleviating the lot of the poor. And, since, it is from the people’s tax, it is in a way, fair, though, unsavory remarks from some sectors pervade the air.


In closing, those who want to “feed” others should do it willingly, while those who hesitate due to doubts and apprehensions should not worry, for they can still pray for them…but quietly without the unnecessary remarks tantamount to discouraging others to do such act.

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The Best Ways to Show Gratitude

Posted on Wednesday, 14 October 2015

The Best Ways to Show Gratitude
By Apolinario Villalobos

Benefactors may be generally classified into two: individual and institution. The individual may be classified further into two: discreet and obviously selfish. There is no problem with the institutions which may be government agencies or non-government organizations (NGO), because their projects need to be publicized so that people, especially, their donors will know where the donated money and commodities go.

The obviously selfish individual benefactors could be politicians, attention-hungry career and show business personalities, or any attention-hungry person who does selfies every time he or she extends a helping hand. On the other hand, the discreet benefactors are those who would rather keep their identity confidential because of their limited resources, hence, the consistency of their projects are dependent on the availability of funds. The latter do not even give their real name to their beneficiaries.

While receiving help gives much relief to the needy, it is important to know how gratitude should be properly expressed. Those who received help from institutions should not despise what have been given to them, if they are not what they have expected, except when they are spoiled food items from government agencies that should be reported immediately. In fairness to the NGOs, they have no habit of giving spoiled food items to the victims of calamities, that the Department of Social Welfare is wont to do, based on reports. If there is an opportunity available to share the information through the social media, such as, facebook, by all means, it should be done. The same should also be made for sincerely given unspoiled foods.

Individuals who are given financial assistance should put the money to proper use as originally intended. If the help is for reviving a losing business, so be it….and, should not be used in buying a tour package to Boracay. If the money is intended for the tuition fee, it should not be used to buy a new cellphone. If the money is intended for medicine, it should not be used to buy groceries, etc. Using the financial assistance in some other ways, other than its original intention is tantamount to fooling the benefactor.

Discreet benefactors always tell their beneficiaries to pass on the help to others, and this should be respected. The beneficiary will only irritate the benefactor of this kind, if he insists on returning the favor to the latter. If there is an added request to keep the act of charity a secret, then, this should be respected, too.

But the greatest and the best way to show gratitude for the help received from any of the abovementioned benefactors, is by praying for them, be their intention is sincere or selfish.


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Help Sometimes Comes From Least Expected People

Posted on Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Help Sometimes Comes
From Least Expected People
By Apolinario Villalobos

Years ago, with the onset of the hi-tech trend, and everybody rushing to get hold of the best cellphone unit, I refused to use one, for my privacy’s sake. When I finally realized its importance and acceded to its necessity, I was forced to start with the cheapest and an easy to operate Nokia unit, and let myself be taught by a ten-year old nephew its intricacies. When I entered an internet cafĂ© to open a facebook account, it was a seven-year old kid who showed me where to point the cursor of the mouse, if I want to delete or edit an uploaded item.

When I got dizzy while walking along the busy Avenida in Sta. Cruz (Manila), a sidewalk cigarette vendor held my hand and guided me to his stool so that I could rest. When I lost my way in a squatter’s area, two junk-collecting kids sacrificed an hour of their time to help me find my friend’s house. And, when I puked in a sidestreet somewhere in Pasay City due to a bum stomach, a student who was passing by, gave me her bottled mineral water so I can rinse my mouth.

I consider people who at the moment of other people’s need extend their hand, as angels. And, these people do not wear barong tagalog or neckties. They do not get off cars, and they do not smell strongly of perfumes or colognes. These are ordinary people who are even willing to part with some of their money and valuables to help complete strangers.

It seems that God is sending a strong message that help in times of need, come in the simplest way…not in fancifully gilded boxes. And, when we receive one, we should pass it on.