A very very late posting...but still an important post. Read on my friends...
I have been busy with a lot of things but among all that
I've done and I think this will count as a life-changing and notable factor in
my mind. It's so engrained even as I write this...it will be noted as sign that
what I am doing is all in a Higher Being's will.
Oh my…I'm getting ahead of myself...I think the best thing
is to do a timeline instead.
November 06, 2013
By November 6, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigned the storm the local name
Yolanda as it approached their area of responsibility.
[NOTE: Typhoon Haiyan, known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, was an exceptionally powerful
tropical cyclone that devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, in
early November 2013. It is the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing
at least 6,069 people in that country alone. Haiyan is also the strongest storm
recorded at landfall, and unofficially the fourth strongest typhoon ever
recorded in terms of wind speed.]
November 07, 2013
Typhoon Hailan (Yolanda) made landfall to Eastern
Samar. Devastation started.
November 08, 2013
A weakened Haiyan, with its core disrupted by interaction
with the Philippines,
emerged over the South China Sea late on November 8 and left the Philippines.
November 11, 2013
The provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo,
Leyte, Palawan, and Samar, were placed under a
state of national calamity, allowing the government to use state funds for
relief and rehabilitation and to control prices of basic goods. Manila weather
was still decently favorable with some showers but definitely not a typhoon
compared to what our Visayas area was experiencing.
November 12, 2013
I left for Hong Kong for a
short trip. Little did I know that I would be working offshore as part of the
Breast Feeding Pinay’s relief efforts.
November 14, 2013
A correspondent from the BBC reported Tacloban to be a
"war zone," with tanks and armed military personnel entering the
city. To ensure the safety of the citizens of Tacloban, families are being
flown from affected areas to Villamor Airbase (VAB). The first batch of these came that evening
and a lot were asking for milk formula.
Doc Lei Alfonso came up with a system on
how to process the situation because we have to protect these babies and
formula is never the solution and especially in calamities. She got in touch
with Mrs. Ona, head of the generals’ wives, who wanted to know how to feed the
infants. This is where help was provided. Volunteers from Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) and Latch Philippines were
immediately immobilized upon the confirmation that VAB will be the hub of arrival of Tacloban survivors via C130 cargo places. Both groups, BFP and LATCH, joined forces to set up an area for mothers and babies/toddler
(0-2 years old) that can be a place of refuge.
The volunteer moms of both groups would help survivor moms and babies
on breastfeeding, health checks, nutrition, etc. There will be a trained expert
on hand; in case, there is a need for intervention like teaching how to cup
feed, latch, etc.
November 15, 2013
While I was still in HKG, I was coordinating that afternoon
for diaper deliveries via a diaper agent/contact of ours. From ordering sizes
and number of pieces to maximize the contribution budget to finding transporting
to ensure the fastest delivery date/time we could do. I was on edge all
afternoon and I remember “biting my nails” in ensuring that we can get the
whole thing set-up ASAP. I was thankful that things did worked out in the end
like contacts were able to get the orders done, delivery arranged by another BFP
friend, CW, with the proper schedule, long distance connections worked out well
and all done before my next appointment in Hong Kong. It was exhausting but
definitely felt the urgency of the moment and all the other mother volunteers
were ready to step-up-the-plate to lend support, logistics and knowledge.
Aside from the diaper donation, I sent a heads-up to my
whole family that I hope they would support me with regards to anything that
would be needed later for relief efforts. Later requests were as random as
tarpaulins, hot pots, rechargeable lamps, water dispensers, mosquito
repellants, beddings, pillows…you name it, we welcomed it with open arms!
November 17-23, 2013
The Nanay Bayanihan was formed as a place of refuge for mothers and babies 0-2 years old with the assistance of LATCH, BFP, DOH, Villamore General Wives' Association, while waiting for the survivor's family members to pick them up, contact their relatives in Manila before pick-up or transit to another location. It provided food, shelter and relief goods to these families who have lost everything.
The below are some of the scenes between the 17th
to the 23rd night shifts (10pm to about 3am to 4am) that I’ve done. I still can see some of the
faces of those mothers and babies that just pinched my heart as I see how
resilient they were and took everything in strides. Most of them were so shy
that I had to be the ones to pull them over or I would go directly to the grandstands
of Villamore Air Base.
We (BFP and Latch volunteers) instructed the habit that when the C130 planes landed, we would go directly to the grandstands, instead of having DSWD workers refer mothers/toddlers to us, directly ask them to come to the relief shelter/area. It was an effort but it was also a good thing
because there were so many mothers who need to change their babies, get away
from the crowds to rest, breastfeed in private, re-lactation, etc.
I have to say, I was in awe with the sheer volume of people
but also of the huge cargo planes and the relief goods, people around the area.
Individual/Single, couple/families.
Young and Old. Male and Female. Poor /
Middle Class, etc …disasters does not choose any type.
It was exciting most of the time but of course, there were nights where I was so tired from my day chores
and ready to give up…but I would step back and think about what those arriving moms and babies went through was nothing to anything my day could have been...this helped motivate me to go up to the grandstands area
for weary moms and babies that just needed a place of refuge for a few minutes,
hours or days. I sought the help of the runners, DSWD marshals, announcers, etc
to keep on telling everyone that there is a Nanay Bayanihan tent who offer
mothers with babies 0-2 years old to rest and change their babies/toddlers.
Each group of people helping came and set-up their own tents like mushrooms! I wasn't able to take a photo of the 1st Nanay Bayanihan tent.
There were a few survivor moms who would reluctantly come and ask
for formula, cloths, food and diapers.
Little is really advertised that UNICEF and World Health Organization
(WHO) strongly urged all who are involved in funding, planning and implementing
the emergency response in the Philippines
to avoid unnecessary illness and death by promoting, protecting and supporting
breastfeeding. Community leaders are called on to monitor and report any
donations that may undermine breastfeeding.
This is targeted at infant formula distribution. Any formula milk or
milk substitute donations are to be coursed through the Department of Health
(DOH). To add also, UN Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) also noted that “Non-breastfed
infants are more likely to need hospital treatment and more likely to die from
infectious disease post-flooding.”
One of those running restless nights, I was able to bump
into a ex-colleague also MikeyB that totally caught me off-guard since I know he
had a really tough day job (banker) and still he was able to help out with so
much gusto that I couldn’t give being tired as a Stay-At-Home-Mom as an excuse
not to give the same energy to the weary survivors. It really woke me up and
re-direction to my purpose there.
I was fortunate to experience a few wet nursing
opportunities and re-lactating assistance since the moms have one or another
are not available, either mom was asleep, had gave up on breastfeeding and
resorted to giving the bottle (re-lactating was being done at our tent), and
those who were left orphaned.
I was
having flashbacks on the Dr Newman seminars and the book club that BFP
(including my past experiences) as I help re-lactate and assist in feeding
these mother’s babies. Though I am sure I would forget their names, the faces I
surely won’t.
The transfer back from Aguinaldo to VAB had quite a few glitches and laced with controversies and stress but somehow, God had His Plan all lined up for all of us. Things worked out well in the end with the help of Sen. PC who assisted us while our tents were being transported for the next day.
When God plans...He plans BIG! From a mere 3 connecting tent, to a huge "mansion"!
Nanay Bayanihan continues on...
I will surely miss the:
(1) nightly updates between shifts and
what happened during the day, etc;
(2) home-cooked food offered to
volunteers by chefs in “truck style” operations;
(3) the families (mom and
babies) that I met who shared stories one way or another;
(4) the cute foreigner
volunteers from all over;
(5) the repacking of customized lootbags/relief goods per recipients – it was
shopping on a per baby/toddler that came in. We really got some awesome donors
with great fashion and practical sense. Generosity was so evident.
All in all, the whole experience:-
1.) Strengthen
my faith to God, fellowmen – all in the goodness of the group of people around
me and my family. There was never anything that wasn’t provided at His own
time.
2.) Reaffirmed
my conviction in Breastfeeding and Babywearing. It is all for the betterment of
future society and the ones that will be with my children.
3.) Reinforced
my knowledge with passing on Breastfeeding, Relactating, Baby Care information
to mothers that need it most.
4.) Enabled
me to experience being a wet nurse and compare bottle-fed versus direct feeding
babies.
5.) Gave
me the opportunity to meet, mingle and forge friendships/connections with some
awesome wonderful people (doctors, wet nurses, fellow mothers, etc) in Arugaan,
BFP and Latch Philippines!
These are friends for life!
