Inspired by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.’s interpretation of Dorothy Day’s “Duty to Delight” from Tattoos on the Heart, we are “to be watchful for he hilarious and the heartwarming, the silly and the sublime. This way will not pass again, and so there is a duty to be mindful of that which delights and keeps joy at the center, distilled from all that happens to us in a day.”
Here in the Philippines, I have felt a “duty to delight” with the Filipinos I meet. I’ve been trying to reach out to new people and possibly make some genuine connections. Even though I barely know the Tagalog language, I’m glad most of them here speak English.
With Filipinos, it’s been fairly easy to talk to them and make some friends, both on the Ateneo de Manila University campus and in other communities around the country.
I’ve even learned to embrace some humorous moments with students, such as helping one another shoo a fuzzy caterpillar, gecko, or moth out of some rooms on campus. It’s definitely important to appreciate the little moments of laughter and positive energy that can help us bond with one another.
During about a week when I was housed at Ateneo, a major typhoon hit metro Manila. It definitely taught me how to bond with people I don’t know or just met, and also to cope with difficult situations with a hopeful spirit. The night before it really hit, the storm was starting to get really loud and it woke me up around 1am. I couldn’t fall back to sleep and was starting to get scared. The doors and windows were starting to shake from the strong wind. I usually shared a room with another fellow but she was gone at the time. I didn’t know how to prepare for the typhoon or really what to expect of it because the Filipinos whom I talked to were pretty vague and didn’t feel that alarmed by it (probably because they expect these every year).. So what I did was try to move my bed toward the thick wall to protect me from the four windows I had, in case water would come through or even shatter. I sat behind that wall (leaving room to open my bedroom door to the hallway) and had my flashlight, a book, and emergency phone to pass the time. At around 6am, the storm was getting stronger and rain was pouring down like crazy. Fortunately, the girls down the hall (whom I didn’t really know that well yet) knocked on my door to check on me. I saw many people in the hallway and then the floor with lots of water. About 30 min later, water rushed through my room from the balcony door and the screens of the windows. I, with the wonderful help of the other girls, had a mini panic attack and then quickly realized to grab all my stuff (electronics first of course). The four girls who lived next door to me were super sweet and let me put my stuff in their room. Both in the hallway and in my bedroom, we all helped sweep, mop, and fill buckets of water all over the floors. My room was in the worse condition because I was housed on a corner with windows on both sides and a balcony. The winds from the typhoon aimed right in the direction of my bedroom…oh how lovely. But from that frightening experience, I bonded with those four girls in their room: sharing snacks, playing monopoly and having 3 sleepover nights. Even though they are Freshmen and I am a Senior, it didn’t matter and we ended up becoming great friends. We still spent time together after the typhoon and constantly asked each another how we are doing. I’ve learned that Filipinos are so friendly, approachable, hospitable and overall wonderful people. As a result, that experience was a blessing in disguise for me. Below is a picture of some Ateneo students and myself cleaning up the debris of the typhoon’s aftermath. Roads and walking paths were completely covered with fallen trees and branches, but were fortunately cleared out with the help of some caring hard workers.
Through my internship with Rags2Riches, Inc. (R2R), I visited both the workshop and the impoverished communities of artisans that are connected to this social enterprise. There, I’ve been asking beautifully smiling artisans about their families and their involvement with R2R. It’s been amazing to listen to them share about themselves and how Rags2Riches is positively contributing to their livelihood development. In addition to our conversations, I also observed how the artisans hand-weave eco-friendly and fashionable products such as rugs, purses, and household accessories. They not only get paid by the product, but they are also connected to a variety of services and resources to improve their quality of life. Some examples that the artisans can receive are food security options, healthcare services, home loans, household items, savings accounts, and financial literacy. The two pictures below illustrate what a first stage and final stage of a production process looks like, from weaving specific patterns on a panel to passing quality control.
Whether it’s coping with the humidity, natural disasters, poverty, marginalization, injustice, it’s remarkable to see the Filipinos so resilient while smiling and singing in the streets. The woman in the picture with me below is named Ate Nhing, as the first Rags2Riches artisan from the community of Payatas. In what was once the largest waste site in the Philippines, she had gathered used scrap materials in Payatas to create useful products that could hopefully be sold. Luckily R2R founders met her and put her on board as an artisan leader for the social enterprise. I was honored to meet Ate Nhing with her constant spirit of joy and hope.
Some of my observations in the field had artisans expressing an inspiring attitude to focus their energy on a positive outcome, rather than a downward spiral of hopelessness on daily life struggles. It was evident that, through their work with Rags2Riches, they want to improve their current lifestyle to better support their family members. The picture below is of our last visit to the community of Hulma. Right when I walked into their home, I was overwhelmed by their bundles of energy through conversations and sharing of meals.
Below is a picture of fried chicken, vegetable curry, and rice from the Hulma community, as our first of two lunches that day. By the end of the visit, I was happily stuffed by these authentic Filipino meals.
I have come to realize during my time in the Philippines that there is much delight to be found. The Filipinos are very hospitable and absolutely love food. I often hear them ask, “Have you eaten?” It’s great; they really seem to care about each other and even foreigners of fare skin and strawberry blonde hair like me. One weekend after the typhoon, I was invited to Mass and a family dinner at a friend’s home. It was such a nice surprise to join them and learn about their family.
My experience in the Filipino culture and my work with Rags2Riches has indeed contributed to my vocational discernment. It has further enhanced my passion to tackle social justice issues with enterprises that can hopefully benefit society in a more sustainable way. Lessons I have learned are to be in the present moment with where I am and who I am with, to be aware of my talents and weaknesses, to integrate both humility and compassion for others, to build a community where all members can flourish and empower one another, and also to continue to improve my local and global perspectives.