It is in times like this that our values as human beings, our “humanness,” is tested. When everything goes uncertain, it is human to only care for ourselves. From that sense, we could say that selfishness is human nature, but so is caring for others. When human compassion is low, solidarity is much more needed. The stories of coming together during this pandemic fuel our hope that even in the bleakest part of our lives, there are people who choose to shed light on others.

 

When the news broke out about a man in Barangay Canitoan who took his own life last April 2020 due to extreme poverty aggravated by the effects of this pandemic, several Kagay-anons extended their financial support to the bereaved family. But what makes the solidarity more heart-touching is when a simple trisikad driver, a common person who also needs help in this crisis, chipped in his Php200 from his meager daily income. The good Samaritan was Hamlin Hipolito, 55, resident of Barangay Gusa.

 

“Gibati nako ang kaluoy, sir, sa pamilya nga namatyan busa ako mianhi sa inyong radio station para i-donate ang akong kinitaan nga 200-pesos,” Hipolito told radio news anchor Manny Agustero in his program in Magnum Radio. “Tutal naa pamay bugas nga akong nadawat sa mga hinabang.”

 

The unselfishness of Hipolito has not only earned him praise from his fellow Kagay-anons but it also gave him monetary rewards. On top of that, businessman Joshua Calderon bought Hipolito a Php 13,000-worth trisikad as his way to honor the poor man’s generosity.

The story of Hipolito proves that no amount of money could quantify any form of help, as long as it comes from the heart.

 

In Barangay Carmen, meanwhile, a project was made in a combination of heart, mind, and hands.

Called as the “Hugkam Project,” the initiative aimed to campaign for handwashing in public spaces to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The team is composed of the Central Student Government (CSG), alumni, and faculty members of the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) of PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College (PHINMA COC). Two handwashing stations have been donated and installed at the entrance of the Carmen public market.

“Proper handwashing is one of the recommendations of the health authorities to avoid the virus as scientists continue to research for its vaccine,” said CSG President/Marketing Management student Willa Veronica Louisse Sulatan. “Through this project, we hope that we can contribute to flattening the curve in our locality.”

These are only some of the many stories of solidarity in the City of Cagayan de Oro in the midst of the pandemic. While it is now necessary for us to maintain a farther than the normal proximity of interacting with each other, this doesn’t mean that the proxemics of our human bond shall be broken. -30-