Reminded of the Pahinungod days...

With the kids of YWCA, preparing props for a presentation

On top of the world in Benguet with Ate Pia

On the way to Sagada with Pahinungod gang

My first cheilo surgery... hehehe

Enjoying the beach of Patikul in Sulu

This is partly an offshoot on the post on the Gawad Kalinga event yesterday.

If I were to be asked what the best years of my career life are, in a heartbeat, I would say that it is the three years of working in Pahinungod - the volunteer program of the University of the Philippines.

It wasn't just "work." It became my life for that short period of time. A lot of my beliefs on volunteerism, social responsibility, and advocacy for volunteer work were formed thanks to the people I've met, the places I've been to, the experiences I had during my Pahinungod days.

How I became part of that wonderful family was sort of serendipitous. I've been familiar with the group even before college because we did a lot of catering services for them. But it was only when I started working with Pahinungod that I fully appreciated it.

I was running an errand for my Mom, when I saw the job posting. I passed my resume, and the rest as they say was history. It was very different from what I thought my first job would be.

Because I had a fantastic practicum with the Corporate Affairs department of Ayala Corporation, I had my sights set for the group. I found out that things don't always work out the way you want them to. Sometimes, the Big Guy up there has other plans for you.

That's how I my Pahinungod stint came about. And for it I would always be grateful.

Though I only stayed with Pahinungod for a couple of years, I have memories and friendships enough to last me a lifetime. There's just too much, too much to share. I've been to places that are so beautiful, I wonder why they're not tourist destinations. I got to assist in a couple of surgeries. That was where I saw how fantastic seeing a child born into the world is. That was where I saw how doctors worked frantically to save a gunshot victim.

It was in Pahinungod that I learned that there are seven Mangyan tribes, and that each tribe has its own unique dialect. The Hanunuos wouldn't understand the Gubatnons. The Gubatnons wouldn't understand the Ratagnons, and so on. It was in Pahinungod that I had an encounter with the military. A bunch of military men found it difficult to understand that students would spend their summer vacation in some far-flung place. “Pakikipamuhay” is not their favorite word, I guess. The fact that I came from UP didn't help. They thought we were recruiting the locals for a leftist movement. I've never been that scared in my life. We were in the middle of nowhere, and anything could happen. But that was also where I saw how the community that adopted us was ready to defend us from any harm.

I would never forget hearing the stories of Dr. Leddy Cariño, Dr. Mario de Villa, Dr. Menchit Padilla, to name a few. I would always be forever grateful for the conversations with Dr. Anthony Cordero, Ate Peging Sur. These people taught me lessons not even my favorite professors in the university could have taught me. And then the volunteers. The volunteers. They are the life and blood of the organization, and I'm thankful to have been infected with their intense passion and huge amount of compassion for others.

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a Gurong Pahinungod. I was ready (I still am ready) to spend a year in the countryside to serve as a volunteer teacher. And then after that, I thought of becoming a VSO volunteer, but responsibilities towards certain things kept me from doing it. My last chance is the JVP volunteer program. Former colleague Pat told me that the age limit is 35yo. We'll see. I still have five years to go.

But if that doesn't materialize, I know that I will always have the heart of a volunteer. I just need to be constantly reminded, especially since I am now part of a world where it's easy to lose oneself if one does not know himself that well.

We have a saying, "Once a Pahinungod, always a Pahinungod." Very true. Very true.