Philippine Tzu Chi Volunteers Help
"Happyland" Fire Victims
(Translated by Douglas Shaw, Northern California)
At 10:25 in the morning of September 27,
a fire broke out in the slums of barangay Happyland in North
Harbor, Manila. The blaze spread rapidly, and it was two hours
before it was brought under control. The fire, started during
an argument between a drug addict and his wife, left several
thousand people homeless. On September 28, a team of Tzu Chi
volunteers visited the disaster area and, in accordance with
the needs of the victims, prepared to distribute relief supplies.
At eight in the morning of September 30,
volunteers set off to distribute the supplies. The distribution
was held at a sports field near the disaster area. In order
to show local residents that Tzu Chi is an organization that
does not distinguish nationality, race or religion, all the
relief supplies were purchased with money raised among Tzu
Chi members. Although there was not a single Buddhist among
the fire victims, they could still feel that Tzu Chi people
treated them like family.
Each family received a blanket, a bag of
new and used clothing, two pairs of slippers, a four-gallon
water bucket, two bars of laundry soap, four plastic plates,
a set of eating utensils, and two cups. A total of 1,517 families
received these goods. Thirty-nine volunteers participated,
from six- to eighty-year-old bodhisattvas, all grasping the
chance to give cheerfully.
Many of the fire victims were very grateful
for the prompt assistance offered by the Tzu Chi people. One
middle-aged woman who had been a dressmaker for thirty years
offered to make uniforms for Tzu Chi. When the Orocan factory
learned that we were purchasing water buckets for the fire
victims, they generously donated them free of charge. The
volunteers were grateful for the company's love and generosity.
May our efforts help the victims emerge from the darkness
of this tragedy and find a true "happy land" in
their hearts.
