behind the scenes of the youscoop special episode shot in matabungkay, lian, batangas
anything but ordinary
last week we did a youscoop special episode on rescue. it was probably one of the most challenging episodes i did, if not the most challenging. and really, someone with good enough sense should have abandoned the project given the state it had been, but somehow i felt compelled to pursue it and actually finish it—not by the mere concept of professionalism but by a sense of pride and respect for the people behind it.
youscoop is a project launched by the gma-7 news and public affairs department that urges viewers to share photos and videos of events they are able to witness and become active partners in sharing news and information. upon browsing through gigabytes of photos and videos, we were able to come across some very interesting ones and included them in our episode.
one was about a group of friends on an outing on the beach of Matabungkay, Lian, Batangas who witnessed a small boat accident and helped saved the drowning passengers of the sinking boat.
the other one was about neighbors who helped put out the huge fire razing through their homes.
finally, one concerned citizen reported the dangers of using a damage footbridge to call the attention of the authorities to repair the footbridge to prevent accidents for pedestrians.
you might think it’s nothing really. who cares about some stupid photos and videos. but it’s what they contain that really speaks to me. quoting my interviewee, “sa panahon ngayon lahat naman na siguro may camera o kahit cellphone, pwede makuhanan yung nangyayari. kasi hindi naman laging nandyan yung media para makunan yung nangyayari sa paligid. kahit sino, pwedeng magbalita.” (In this day and age, almost everyone has a camera or a cellphone, we can easily document what is happening because the media cannot cover everything that is happening around us. anyone can deliver the news.)
and not just that. not only can anyone deliver news, anyone can be a hero. our program’s tagline could not be any more correct. “Kahit sino pwedeng tumulong.” (Anyone can help.) you don’t need to be a rescuer or a fireman to help and save lives. we can all be heroes in our own ways. heroism lives in all of us.
superheroes are cool and awesome because they have super powers. but ordinary people who help their fellow men are more awesome because they do it without powers. that’s what makes them anything but ordinary.
if i had cancer and would die in a matter of months…
If I had cancer and would die in a matter of months…
10. Finish reading all my books then donate them.
9. Write an autobiography.
8. Teach my mom how to use the internet.
7. Go to Davao and eat lots and lots of fruits with my mom.
6. Climb another mountain with my dad.
5. Go to Hong Kong Disneyland or any Disneyland for that matter.
4. Go on a roadtrip to Ilocos with Mai-mai, Ton-ton and Champ.
3. Go surfing in Hawaii with my cousin and his kids.
2. Ask maharlika to get married at once so I can see her get married.
1. Live somewhere near a beach and swim every day until I die.
tawag para rumesponde
Kung naghahanap ka ng pwedeng negosyo, tatlong bagay daw ang hindi nawawala sa uso. Ang tatlong p—pagkain, pozo negro at patay. Bakit? Dahil lahat ng tao kumakain. Lahat ng tao tumatae. At lahat ng tao namamatay. Nakakatawa ano? Pero totoo. Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan… kung magandang kabuhayan ang mga patay, bakit hindi ang pagligtas ng buhay?
Sa isang bansang pangkaraniwan ang mga sakuna at aksidente, nakapagtatakang hindi sikat na trabaho ang pagiging rescuer. Mas nakakahiyang walang maayos na sistema ng pagsasagip-buhay sa bansa.
Siguro po nagtataka kayo. Sino ba ako at anong alam ko rito? Hindi po ako isang politikal na tao. Ayaw ko sa maruming mundo ng pulitika, higit lalo ang mapabilang dito. Isa lamang po akong ordinaryong tao. Isang ordinaryong taong nabigyan ng pambihirang pagkakataon na makapasok sa mundo sa pagitan ng pagkabuhay at pagkamatay—isa po akong segment producer ng isang reality-documentary program.
Nung nagsimula ako sa trabahong ito, mangmang tungkol sa mga trabahong sinusundan ko—bumbero, emt, medic, technical rescuer. Tulad ng maraming pilipino, di ko alam na walang paramedic sa pilipinas. Opo mga kababayan. Walang paramedic dito. Mero akong mga kilala pero us-certified sila. Walang paramedic dito sa pilipinas dahil walang sistema at batas na kumikila sa mga ganitong propesyon sa bansa.
Nung nagsimula ako, mangmang rin ako sa halaga at importansya ng trabahong sinusundan ko. Pero habang tumatagal ako sa ginagawa ko, lalu lang akong humahanga sa ginagawa nila.
Hindi po biro ang maging rescuer. Isipin nyo na lang po, sila ang tumatakbo patunggo sa mga bagay na tinatakbuhan palayo ng ordinaryong tao. Sa araw-araw po na pagsama-sama ko sa mga responde ng mga taong ito, nakita ko po ang hirap, pagod at panganib na kinakaharap nila. Kung tutuusin hindi po hanapbuhay ito, kundi kawang-gawa. Hindi naman po malaki ang sahod para sa ganitong trabaho. Yung iba ni walang hazard pay kahit na napakadelikado ng ginagawa nila. At syempre yung iba naman, volunteer pa. Hindi na nga sila binabayaran, madalas sila pa ang gumagastos.
Lugi na nga sila, minsan yung mga taong tinutulungan nila wala pang utang na loob. Minsan sila pa ang galit. Para sabihin ko po sa inyo pwede naman pong hindi na lang kayo respondehan eh. Di hamak naman pong mas masarap matulog na lang o manood ng tv. Mas ligtas kung sa base na lang diba? Pero hindi. Tumawag lang kayo darating sila. Itataya nila ang buhay nila para sa mga taong di naman nila kilala. Kaya maano ba naman po yung magpasalamat kayo? Wala naman pong bayad ang magpasalamat. Kabayaran na po yun para sa kanila. Pero ang totoo, hindi naman nakakabuhay ang salamat diba?
Marami po akong kilalang mga rescuer na mahal ang trabaho nila. Kaya lang marami rin sa kanila ang nag-aabroad na lang. Kasi kahit gusto nilang magligtas ng buhay, kung di sila mag-aabroad, pamilya naman nila ang mamamatay.
Kaya sana, sa mga may kakayahan at may kapangyarihan, intindihin nyo naman po ang isyung ito. Alam ko pong mahalaga ang edukasyon at ang kalusugan pero mahalaga din po ang emergency service. Kung aayusin po natin ito, mas marami pong buhay ang maililigtas. Alam ko pong marami tayong ambulansya at marami tayong fire trucks at rescue trucks. Pero higit po sa mga gamit at sasakyan ay mga taong may galing at kakayahan na gamitin ang mga ito.
Kaya sana po ipriority natin ang maayos na sistema ng pagsasagip-buhay sa bansa. Tulungan po natin ang mga rescuers. Sila naman po ang sagipin natin para maipagpatuloy nila ang pagsagip sa atin. Gawin po nating magandang hanapbuhay ang paglilitas ng buhay sa Pilipinas.
wewerehands submitted:
Black and White ice cream sundae
[Flash 10 is required to watch video]
me singing i want to hold your hand
a wish for the faint of heart
my greatest wish is that in the near future, maybe four years from now, give or take, at your brother and my friend’s wedding, we would grab a beer, sit down and talk.
and then i could ask you what happened to us. and if you ever truly loved me. and you would finally answer truthfully. and i would respect, understand and accept your answer. then we would say proper goodbyes part ways for the last time. you’d go home to your wife and kids and i would go back to reality.
but at least i would have had my peace. and i could finally move on.
Saoirse Ronan: The Cult of Beauty - Vogue by Steven Meisel, December 2011
