On April 29, 2015, Rolando Pamplona and his fellow fishermen came back from a day of fishing in the waters off Palo, Leyte. Rolando brought in his catch using his banca, a native Philippine boat, named Comunita ‘di Piansano for the Italian town that donated the vessel via NVC’s Peter Project.
A day’s work earns Rolando an average income of Php150-300 (approximately US$3.35-6.70), which supports him, a daughter, and four sons. It is, thankfully, a far cry from his plight after Haiyan (local name: Yolanda), one of the most powerful storms in recorded history, which battered the Philippines in November 2013. Rolando lost his wife, infant child, and fishing boat — his only source of income — and left him living in a tent for the better part of a year.
The fishermen met with NVC Field Officer Alyne Batano, who bore the bad news of the 7.8-intensity earthquake that had hit Nepal.
The fisherfolk of Palo recognise only too well how their own survival and recovery has depended on the kindness of strangers from all over the world. Since that meeting, they have organized their own fundraising efforts for Nepal earthquake victims by passing around empty water bottles where contributions may be dropped.
When he heard the news, Rolando did not even wait for the fund drive to officially begin. “I’ve had a morning of blessings,” he said, as he stuffed Php20, about 15% of his net earnings that day, into a plastic water bottle.
Other NVC beneficiary communities in Negros Occidental, Biliran, and Leyte have followed suit. Not only did cash donations pour in, but also heartfelt messages of solidarity and support from those who had suffered an equal degree of devastation.
Others have been inspired and shared as well. NVC trustees, employees, and volunteers pitched in. Even NVC showroom visitors, who came to browse and buy our livelihood products, contributed after hearing the story of Rolando and the rest of NVC’s beneficiaries, whose pockets may be small but whose generous spirit remains steadfast. (See the photo gallery at the end of this post for more.)
On May 13, 2015, exactly 2 weeks after Rolando’s initial Php20 donation, NVC’s Pay it Forward for Nepal fund has grown 3,500-fold to almost P75,000. A group of NVC representatives turned over the amount to the Nepalese Consulate in Manila, where we met the small Nepalese community based here in the Philippines. Many are medical students at Emilio Aguinaldo College and the University of the East.
At a dinner hosted by Nepal Consul Jose Paulo Capos, they shared the extent of the earthquake’s damage and their sense of frustration being so far away from loved ones. They have already sent a Nepalese and Filipino relief team providing emergency medical services and supplies.
A second delegation will be carrying with them the hard-earned and heart-felt contributions from NVC’s beneficiaries, staff, trustees, and friends. We narrated the stories of the donations, turned over exactly in the water bottles and cans in which the coins and bills were originally stuffed. In return, the Nepalese relief group promised to document exactly how this donation was spent. We will then share the photos and stories back to NVC’s beneficiaries, to show them the power of each small contribution, from what they have received after Haiyan to what they have now given back.
The story of Yolanda survivors paying it forward for Nepal has been turned into a TV feature by Barnaby Lu of CCTV America. Watch here:
Click on the thumbnails to see larger images and captions or see the photo gallery on a separate page.
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