The Bayanihan spirit remains alive in the hearts of Filipinos even in times of disasters, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said in a statement Friday.

As proof, the DSWD pointed to the number of Metro Manila citizens who immediately heeded the agency’s call for volunteers to repack relief goods for distribution to those affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng over the past days.

Among those who showed up at the steps of the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) was the mother-daughter team of Rosalina Pascua and Angela Rose Pascua, from Pasay City.

According to Rosalina, they learned about the call for volunteers through their Zumba group chat. Since she already had volunteered before at the NROC, she invited her daughter to join her in assisting the center’s repacking operations.

“Ininvite po ako ni Mama. Since day off ko po ngayon, dalawang araw po kaya sumama na lang po ako para mag-volunteer din po. Masaya po. Kahit ganitong pag-rerepack lang, nakakatulong na kami sa kanilang mga nasalanta (I was invited by my Mama. Since I have two days off, I decided to join her to volunteer. I am happy because even by just repacking, we were able to help the victims),” Angela shared.

Another individual who lent a helping hand in repacking relief goods was senior citizen Celeste Ramirez from Makati City. As a senior citizen, volunteer work keeps her busy and active while helping others.

“Wala naman po kasi akong masyadong ginagawa sa bahay, so nakakainip din naman. Gusto kong maging active lagi kahit senior na. Kung sino yung mga senior na gusto mag-volunteer, maari kayong sumama sa amin para makatulong (I am not busy at home, and it’s sometimes boring. I want to be always active even if I’m already a senior citizen. If there are other seniors who want to volunteer, you can join us to help),” Celeste said.

Meanwhile, Pearly Joy Ramos from Pasay City is a beneficiary of the educational assistance program of the DSWD. She found out about the need for volunteers at the NROC via the DSWD official Facebook page.

“Nag-volunteer po ako para po makatulong sa mga nasalanta, tsaka syempre nakakatanggap din kami ng ayuda, parang sukli na lang din na tumulong (I volunteered to help the victims. Because I was a beneficiary who also received aid, I decided to help in return),” Pearly Joy said.

“Iba yung saya pag bukas sa loob mo mag-volunteer (You experience a different kind of happiness if you volunteer with an open heart),” she added.

The DSWD thanked the 394 volunteers — among them Rosalina, Angela, Celeste and Pearly Joy — who came to NROC since the call for volunteers was made on October 30 and chose to share their time, effort, and even resources for the individuals and families affected by ‘Paeng.’

Meanwhile, the DSWD-NROC is still accepting volunteers until Nov. 11, 2022.

Those who are interested may contact the mobile numbers 0956-9226155 and 0915-2921875 or visit the DSWD NROC at Chapel Road, Barangay 195, Pasay City. (PNA)