Celebrating people helping people

ORMOC, Philippines – On August 19, 2014, the people living in the bunkhouses of Can-Untog and Concepction took part in a global celebration they can now call their own.

The World Humanitarian Day, which honors humanitarian personnel around the world for their efforts in responding to disasters and conflicts, had a very remarkable message, and one which the people living in the camps can now associate with.

Their own heroes

With the theme “in the Spirit of People helping People,” the International Organization for Migration (IOM) started the day inside the activity center. Residents where asked to write on a freedom wall to answer the question “Unsa ang maayong butang na imong nabuhat para sa imung isig ka tawo karung adlawa” (What good have you done for someone else today?)

“Nitabang ko ug laba ganiha” (I helped with washing the clothes), Said Mia from Concepcion as she cheerfully wrote down her good deed of the day.This immediately drew a huge crowd in the bunkhouse, and everyone was eager to jot down their piece of good news,

Emma from Concepcion remarked that she at first didn’t know about World Humanitarian Day.

“Maayo man diay ni nga atong gina celebrate ang pag paningkamot sa pag tabang sa atong isig ka tawo, unta dili lang kining adlaw nato dumdumon,” said Emma, the bunkhouse leader of Concepcion.

(It is really good that we celebrate the hard work of helping people, I hope we just don’t remember this just today)

Celebration

The community then had an opportunity to personalize their participation; by holding small cards containing the message “THE WORLD NEEDS MORE” they were able to write down whatever their messages.

The messages were numerous, from needing more love, needing more care, needing more humanitarians, to something more compelling.

Antonio and Jason, otherwise known as “Sophie” and “Jasmine,” are part of the LGBT community in the camps. They wrote on their card that the world needs more “acceptance” because they also wish everyone else like them gets accepted too.

In the spirit of people helping people, we don’t need to look far to look at our heroes, they are around us, and being a humanitarian goes beyond the realm of simply being a ‘job’.

Emma believes that as a bunkhouse leader, she became an instant humanitarian. This day belongs to them as well. – Rappler.com 

Giano Marlon Libot is a Communications with Communities (CwC) specialist in Ormoc, Leyte, central Philippines.