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| Photographer Dennis Saco |
Right after a pre- nuptial photo and
video shoot that we did for Borgy and Glenda, ace Boholano photographer Dennis
Saco organized a ragtag team of volunteers as a response to the call to help
fellow Boholanos who have been hit the hardest by a 7.2 killer quake that
struck our province last October 15.
The province is still trying to regain
its lost footing and hope to rise again and rebuild the badly hit areas
particularly in the northwestern area of the province
Dennis never had the slightest inkling
that the group would become one of the teams that would get the attention of
donors especially when the group started posting in Facebook and Twitter.
Next came the national and international
press like BBC, New York Times, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, ABC CBC News.
The media were particularly interested to buy the rights to a two minute video
that captured the devastation in Dauis minutes after the quake struck
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Loon's famous coral steps
Photo Credit: Chrismael Caldo |
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| Maribojoc's Punta Cruz Tower was not spared from the tremorsPhoto Credit: Chrismael Caldo |
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| Tent cities have sprouted in many areas of the provincePhoto Credit: Chrismael Caldo |
The response to the call for volunteers
has been overwhelming too especially from the youth & student sector and
from young professionals like nurses.
We also have colleagues in the Bohol
wedding suppliers sector and scores of Boholano photographers who have extended
assistance
The next logical step right after a
semblance of order had been established was to have an official name for the
group for identity & transparency purposes.
Potential donors and volunteers have
been asking for the name of the group and we couldn’t come up with a name
because of other pressing concerns
Anyway, I’m very proud to inform
everyone that the private sector based- volunteer group that was organized by
Dennis Saco has been aptly named B.R.I.D.G.E.S.
The acronym B.R.I.D.G.E.S stands
for Bohol Relief Initiatives & Developmental Group Entities
During our brainstorming, we agreed that
the word Bridge best describes us for we are the conduit, the channel or the
bridges between the private sector of donors & the victims/ affected
families
The use of the word Initiatives is
perfect also because the group after all was the result of the organizer’s
initiative and creativity
We also agreed to use the word Entities
because the group is composed of different volunteers/ members who come from various
backgrounds yet bound by the same goal: to help Bohol in its relief,
rehabilitation & recovery efforts
Please visit my Facebook page as well as
that of Dennis Saco so
you will be updated with the donations, donors and the scope of services
extended already
Finally, a name for our volunteer group
Here's the link to the FB Page of BRIDGES
Thanks also to Youthlead
Phil for initiating and arranging the first coordination meeting of
the private sector- based relief goods organizations in Bohol.
Here are some photos taken during the meeting
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| 2006 Bb Pilipinas World & 2005 Miss Bohol Anna Maris Igpit shares her experiences |
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| Linton Jake Lim Gregorio raises a valid point during the coordination meeting |
Of course our appreciation to the
various relief organizations that joined and expressed solidarity. God bless!
Here’s the message from John Maraguinot
who spearheaded the initial meeting last Monday at the San Antonio de Padua
Parish Church
“It's heartwarming and, at the
same time, entertaining to sit down and listen to fellow relief workers share
about their experiences in the field and the challenges they encountered while
doing their various relief activities.
The mapping activity, though a
simple one, conveyed to us all a powerful message - collaboration and
coordination.
I think its high time that our
colleagues in the private relief organizations sit down and come up with solid
recommendations to strengthen collaboration to make sure that we leave no
communities behind.
We need to do this for Bohol.
And here is the photo from Chrismael
Caldo that captures the optimism and resilience of Bohol and its people
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| Smiles in the midst of adversity |
Photo Credits: Copyright infringement not intended
