Bayanihan in action: Now is the time to step up, not step back

 By Manila Bulletin

Published Oct 12, 2025 12:05 am

In the wake of last week’s calamitous earthquakes — first a magnitude-7.4 quake off Davao Oriental then a magnitude 6.8 in the same area Oct. 10, following closely after the magnitude 6.9 quake in Cebu island on Sept. 30 — the Philippines is once again confronted with the raw power of nature and the fragility of our built environment. In Cebu alone, more than 70 lives were lost, hundreds were injured, and thousands of homes and public infrastructure were severely damaged or destroyed. In Davao and surrounding provinces, the quake triggered landslides, damaged roads and schools, and left communities reeling.

These earthquakes come on top of a long season of calamities — protracted flooding in recent months, coming from monsoon surges and tropical storms, has already battered provinces and displaced many families. Barangay, local government units’, and government agencies’ volunteers and community groups have already been stretched thin managing evacuation centers, distributing food, and doing frontline relief work.

The Philippine Red Cross, too, has proven how indispensable volunteer networks are in such times. Even when their own homes were threatened, their volunteers persisted in search-and-rescue missions, medical outreach, health education, and managing relief distribution. In the Davao earthquakes, Red Cross volunteers responded swiftly to affected municipalities, joining the front lines of relief and damage assessment.

It is telling: in every recent Philippine disaster, professional responders—government, police, military, NGOs—cannot reach every barangay immediately. The gap between disaster onset and formal assistance is precisely where volunteerism matters most.

There is much room for volunteer work. If you live near or can travel to affected areas—Cebu, Davao Oriental, or intermediate provinces—join official volunteer corps (Red Cross, local NGOs) rather than simply showing up uncoordinated. These organizations have protocols for safety, logistics, and working with local disaster risk reduction offices.

Those who cannot go to the affected areas, or are not fit to do volunteer work, can donate cash or goods to trusted organizations (Philippine Red Cross chapters, accredited foundations, or local NGOs).

Beyond monetary support, volunteer your time and skills: Help pack relief goods, hygiene kits, and medical supplies. Help manage or staff evacuation or distribution centers. Assist in logistics, transportation, communications, or data registration. Help in fundraising, awareness campaigns, or coordination efforts.

Ask, don’t wait to be asked. In devastated areas, resources may be overwhelmed, and official volunteer recruitment slow. Reach out to your local disaster risk reduction management council, or to the non-government organizations (NGOs), to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (Dswd) through their websites. They have issued calls for volunteers. Ask, “How can I help?” Even small tasks multiply when many hands answer the call.

Some might argue that disaster response should be left to professionals. True, technical decisions (search & rescue, medical triage, infrastructure assessment) require expertise. But the recovery and relief process depends on sustained community involvement. The debris must be cleared, relief packages must be sorted and delivered, centers must be run, and emotional wounds must be tended. All of these demand manpower, care, and consistency.

Moreover, volunteerism sends a message: victims are not alone. The presence of volunteers restores dignity, nurtures hope, and strengthens social fabric when it is most frayed. This is the heart of bayanihan—not heroism for media headlines but quiet, selfless service.

In this moment of suffering and uncertainty, each Filipino has a role to play. Let our bayanihan not be a cliché, but a living force. Let us answer with solidarity, courage, and compassion. Because in disasters, we must always choose to stand with our fellow Filipinos—not with empty words, but with hands and hearts.

In crises, the Filipino spirit of bayanihan must now move beyond symbolism and become visible action.