A Thousand Bears for Bicol

pdi foto
Originally uploaded by cathyguballa.

Photographs speak a thousand words. Great works of photography move you into action.

I woke up early this morning to this heart-rending shot by award-winning Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) photographer Edwin Bacasmas on the paper's front page. His photo (which to my mind deserves a Pulitzer) spoke so eloquently of the devastation that has just hit the Bicol region. Take a look at the composition of this photo and the irony it represents. With majestic Mt. Mayon in the background - this world-famous tourist attraction that has brought fame and livelihood to this part of the country has now become the cause of massive destruction and desolation in the province of Albay. The father and son in the photo - Pedro Malate and his son Miguel, hold on to each other for dear life, wearing perhaps, the only clothes they have left. Little Miguel looks terribly dazed, Pedro, in all probability is in shell-shocked state. What does tomorrow hold for father and son? With all material possesions gone, they only have each other, and for now, that is all that matters.

How does one heal from a tragedy as great as this? Adults and children alike who lived through this will definitely go through months of nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder. My mother in-law who has lived in Naga City (120 kilometers away from Mayon) for the last 50 years told us yetserday that she thought the world was ending when Typhoon Reming hit. "It was like World War Two all over again," she told my husband over the phone the other night as the wind howled behind her back. She shared that their half-a century old ancestral home shook to its foundations and on the night that the storm hit the province she slept in fear in the safest room in the house.

One can only imagine the horrors of what the other families went through in those two days when the world seemed to be coming to a close. Bicolanos are staunch veterans of typhoons but this time around they have been badly battered and beaten. As human beings and Filipinos, it is our moral responsibility to do what we can in our own little way to help out those whose lives have forever been changed by this terrible tragedy. My heart bleeds for all the young children like Miguel in the photo, who have not only lost their homes but worse, perhaps, their parents, who have provided them strength and security. How can they ever feel safe now?

Play and toys have been very effective tools in helping children heal from trauma and tragedy. Stuffed toys have been known to be effective comfort givers in times of extreme stress and fear. To children, stuffed animals are more than toys, they're imaginary friends who are always ready to give comfort or play. They provide a certain amount of security in a sometimes scary world. Though it may be a small act, my heart's desire is to bring as many stuffed toys - ideally friendly looking teddy bears to the children in the Bicol region. I am hoping to raise at least a thousand bears that I can send to the Albay province in time for Christmas, hoping that these bears will bring even a little joy and comfort to children like Miguel who have a long way to go on their healing journey. I am making arrangements with am NGO in the Albay province to ditsribute the bears on Christmas day.

If you have been moved to action by this photo, and God is speaking to your heart, please remember the children of Bicol as you do your Christmas shopping this season. Remember how you and your family have been spared from such a terrible loss. I pray that you find it in your hearts to reach out to those families whose lives have now been forever changed by this tragedy. Please help me raise a thousand bears for Bicol by December 15 so that we can send them out in time for Christmas. You may send the bears to this address : A Thousand Bears for Bicol, 41 Milkyway Drive, Blue Ridge, Quezon City. If you belong to an organization, we can pick up your box of at least 30 bears or more, just send an email to griefisajourney@gmail.com

Thank you very much in advance for your help. All it takes is one bear to help bring a little ray of comfort and hope to the life of child. The bears don't have to be brand new. All we ask is that they be soft and in good condition. A good quality, soft teddy bear in the department store costs 150 pesos - the price of a Starbucks frappucino or a ticket to the cinema.

May you all be blessed to be a blessing.

To read the full text of the story on the Bicol tragedy accompanying this photograph, please view - the Inquirer's front page story