"...the true measure of a people's strength
is how they rise to master that moment
when it does arrive.
"...every time we've measured our capacity to
meet a challenge we look up and we're reminded
that that capacity may well be limitless.
This is a time for heroes.
We will do what is hard.
We will achieve what is great.
This is a time for heroes and we reach for the stars."
The West Wing "20 Hours in America: Part II" Season 4
Below are links to the Inquirer's special report / tribute to the ordinary people suddenly became heroes during those crucial hours when Ondoy flooded our cities. Click on the links to read the complete articles.
THERE was a cry for help they answered. There was a need and they responded. They braved murky waters, drained their own resources and kept working despite exhaustion. And they want nothing in return – not publicity, not recognition. Super pays tribute to these real-life heroes. We can all learn a thing or two from them.
WE WERE A NATION OF CITIZEN JOURNALISTS THAT NIGHT
Gang Badoy stayed on air for 16 hours. She did the same thing the next days – she spent 13 to 16 hours on air every day until 6 a.m. She has barely slept these past days but she isn’t complaining.
She also got calls and messages from people with medical emergencies. She and her listeners found doctors who gave information on a wide range of concerns, from treating dog bites to asthma attacks if you are trapped on the second floor of your house.
One night, Gang got a call from a man who was helping his wife give birth.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20091003-228141/We-were-a-nation-of-citizen-journalists-that-night
SUPERHEROES WITH PADDLEBOATS
Armed with their surfboards and paddleboards, Freddie and his team set out.
“We delivered to the farthest point first. We go where the government and local authorities can’t go. We go to the people who feel they’ve been abandoned because all the goods go to the places that are closer.”
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20091003-228142/Super-heroes
SURPRISED HEROES
Banjo Bautista was surprised when people started calling him and asking to be rescued. “Some were also asking people to search for their loved ones who were left behind.”
Banjo and the other guys behind 8 Kamroad Cars and Jetskis – David Apuad and Philip Crisostomo – didn’t know how people got their number. “At first we thought they were prank calls. Some said they found it on Facebook, others said they heard it on the radio.”
Because they had a rubber boat at their disposal, they went out and did what they could. They rescued people. Their first rescue was the most memorable. “We went to Countryside Subdivision because somebody called about a pregnant woman with a month-old baby.”
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20091003-228143/Surprised-heroes
JET SKIERS TO THE RESCUE
They didn’t just save people; they also brought relief goods to those who badly needed food and water. They were able to rescue 17 children and a 9-month-old baby in Magallanes Village in Makati City and Loyola Grand Villas in Katipunan, Quezon City, as well as in areas in Cainta and Marikina.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20091003-228144/Jet-skiers-to-the-rescue
And I just found these articles over at SPOT.PH
10 Virtual Volunteers: Helping out in the time of tweeting
While most areas went without electricity when typhoon Ondoy hit Manila, others found technology useful in disseminating info, calling out for help and mobilizing volunteer efforts even after the storm. SPOT.ph lists 10 netizens who used social media to keep everyone afloat.
http://www.spot.ph/2009/10/02/10-netizens-with-a-goal-help-ondoy-survivors/
10 Fearless Fighters: The heroic helping hands that fought Ondoy
SPOT.ph turns the spotlight on the people who took time to share what they could—time, resources, talent, homes, or even lives—to help fellow Filipinos affected by the storm. Here are the heroic helping hands we’ve heard about...
http://www.spot.ph/2009/10/01/10-fearless-fighters-the-heroic-helping-hands-that-fought-typhoon-ondoy/
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