Little means a lot

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:30:59 +0000

AND a Happy Lunar New Year to you, too!

It’s hard to imagine how much we’re going through and how much more we will need to endure as the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac moves in. Tomorrow night would have been a time of revelry, being the eve of the Year of the Golden Rat, but with the terrible beauty of Taal’s volcanoes and the island’s darkened shadow looming over the entire country, the event will be a muted version of yesteryears’ festivities.

“Fire over earth” is the feng shui metaphor for the year – what a disturbing image in light of Taal’s unpredictable behavior. But life goes on. Tagaytay City is starting to open up. Police and LGU authorities have softened up on desperate requests of residents living within the danger zone to collect their stuff and animals. The national government has plans not just for the next disaster but for a permanent center for refugees as well. Donors were struck by the victims’ attitude – polite, grateful, no hoarding, no snatching.

Where the massive figures of destruction and damage wrought by Taal are plainly incomprehensible, the fact is that we have responded as individuals doing what little we can for the victims, and that little taken together comes up to a flood of charity. Where it may be hard to estimate what so many billion pesos mean in real terms, it’s easier to put oneself in the shoes of a friend or acquaintance who has suffered from Taal’s wrath. A friend’s vegetab
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