Hug them… for the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – There’s more than one way to help victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Philippines.

This “group of average guys trying to help out“ stood at the streets of San Francisco, California, for an hour, collecting hugs for the victims. They donated $5 to the Philippine Red Cross for every hug they got.

Justin Rozal and Thai Tu, who are the guys giving hugs in the video, said they’ve always believed in “giving to the less fortunate.” 

“After watching others give, we decided to try and document something to inspire others, just as others have inspired us,” Rozal, a Filipino American, told Rappler.

In addition to 62 hugs, equivalent to $310 in donations, the group also received an additional $25 from people hugging them. Their total donation at the end of their video: $335.

“Ever since hearing about the devastating effects of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), it has been our intention to donate what we can for the Philippines,” Rozal said. “However, my friend approached me with the idea of going one step further to try to raise awareness.” 

Surprisingly, the video, which was uploaded November 17, only had only 236 views as of posting. (UPDATE: 45,471 people have watched the video as of Thursday, Nov 28) 

Watch it here:

Their YouTube channel GiveLiveInspire has uploaded 3 videos in a span of 3 months. Their first 2 videos were about helping the homeless.

Only the cold-hearted won’t be inspired by their deeds, don’t you think? Let us know what you think in the comments. – Rappler.com

#BalikBayan is a project that aims to harness and engage Filipinos all over the world to collectively rediscover and redefine Filipino identity.