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Disclaimer: This project is a student-initiative output developed for CAMRDHC class and does not represent the official position and/or opinions of De La Salle University - Taft Manila.
It was 1994 when Ugnayan ng Pahinungod was founded with the aim of striking up the passion of people toward volunteerism and since then the organization had done just that.
Photo from their Facebook page
Different voluntary acts from Civic Welfare Trainings, where they educate street children, to Response and Rehabilitation, where they serve and respond to underserved areas, the organization has done about any and everything that an independent organization can do to help its fellowmen. Spearheaded by their Director, Dr. Eric Talens, the organization mainly functions on the call for service, helping the marginalized in their own little ways with their own resources, without getting anything in return, which is the very essence of volunteerism anyway, as per Dr. Talens.
Countless stories from multiple people were revealed to our team that displayed how the organization and its members exemplify volunteerism. Miss Abba, part of Dr. Talens’ organization, holds a weekly tutoring session where she and other volunteers teach street kids, not just to educate them but to also keep them away from the harm and danger of the city. These sessions are free of charge to cater to the financial capacity of the kids. This also means that Miss Abba and her team doesn’t get any financial compensation for the work that they do. Aside from teaching, they even provide food for them and feed them every single session with all the time and resources coming internally exemplifying a true act of volunteerism.
Hearing a story from Director Talens himself, he made mention of the famous Ozone Disco Fire Tragedy that happened back in 1996. This may ring a bell for some as this event was widespread.
So widespread that it gained the title of being “the second worst disco fire in the world.”, only trailing behind a similar tragedy that happened in China. Dr. Talens and his team was close to this event, literally and metaphorically, as they kept this event close to heart as they were the primary responders to the fire given that they were the closest hospital in the vicinity.
Photo taken from Rappler /Gwen De la Cruz’s article
But the response wasn’t all that easy, in fact it was tough. What most people fail to see, even those in power, is that “hindi porket patay na, ok na”, says Dr. Talens as he goes about how the profiling and identification of the victims were done in such an inefficient and ineffective manner. Procedures such as removing wallets from the victims, separating people in groups, and many more really slowed down the process of responding to the incident. Amidst these, Dr. Talens and his team still responded to the call and acted upon what should really be their task as primary responders but did it still with the “help” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and many more.
Dr. Talens has strongly expressed how challenging it can be to work in UP Pahinungod. Volunteer work primarily responds to conflict of polarizing entities. Danger is inevitable. Tensions can quickly escalate. He and the rest of the staff understand that you need to account for the unpredictable which includes moments of distress. For example, they have had some trouble with the military.
“We had students lecturing and some of my staff. Dumating yung military. Sabi nung military “Doc, we’re inviting your group to camp para ma-interview. Sabi ko, “Bakit?” Sabi nila, “Eh hindi kasi kayo nagpaalam eh. Kailangan nagpapaalam kayo. Sabi ko, “Eh nagtuturo sila. Pwede ba ako nalang interview-in niyo?” Usap sila, “Oo sige Doktor” Umiiyak ang staff ko. “Doktor, baka hindi ka bumalik eh.” Sabi ko sa kanila, “Bayaan mo na ako lang. Ako lang naman yun”…Luckily, I was brought back naman. But it was unnerving for the whole team…We also had a team like this not with me, kinuha siya, was kept for 2 days. A young student. Second year college student. Babae pa. Wala namang nangyari, buti nalang. Pero we got her back. These are the sad things that happen.”
Being associated with UP alone can be worrisome. However, he is quick to tell us the ways that he and his colleagues have been “saved” by their occupation in ways they didn’t expect. Doc Talens talked in detail about their experiences of red tagging. They are no stranger to this concerning phenomenon. During the pandemic, he details an encounter he had in association with a colleague who he worked to set up community pantries with, who happens to be a communist.
“Diba ang community pantry during the pandemic was set up in Teacher’s Village…We set that up. Pero hindi ako nared tag. Hindi na ako na-identify. When we set it up, Ms. [redacted], her family had been tagged. Actually tagala naman silang communist. But the whole point is we set this up for the people. Di ka naman magtuturo dun ng communism eh. So we set it up and it was successful. Pero narinig. Pati UP pinagalitan din kami. Bakit daw associating. So we stopped.”
It has definitely been irksome because of the time poorly delegated to inconvenient misalignment of ideologies instead of swiftly and majorly assisting those in urgent need. However, he made mention of how they have been advantageously red-tagged before. For example, they were in the mountains on one of their missions and also needed to pick up something there. Unbeknownst to them, they came across a military checkpoint. Turns out, they were members of the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF. They were beside themselves with fear. They were questioned on their whereabouts. Doc Talens told them what they were doing and that they were from UP Manila. He would also joke that his go-to move was to offer vitamins to anyone who was in their way. When confronted, he would panic and say “May vitamins ho kami para sainyo!” Anyway, they were allowed through by the MNLF men. Doc Talens thinks that it’s because they’re from UP and MNLF is anti-government. He finds that peculiar since UP is of the government in the first place.
His stories are bountiful both in details and in energy and doesn’t forget to express the redeeming experiences he’s had as an active constituent of the organization, no less as its director for 63 years at present.
throughout the
With 30 years in service, the organization has helped and responded to a lot of people and requests. This has resulted in an abundance of experiences and stories. Stories that you couldn’t even write or craft, stories that you need to have experienced.
Doc Talens also discussed his views on the sources of their finances. He mentioned a jueteng lord who offered donations. He was criticized for accepting his help.
“And we tap everybody. NGOs, GOs. I mean, everybody. Kasi kami nay nag donate kami na known jueteng lord. Pinagalitan kami ng parish priest. Bakit daw kami tatanggap ng pera doon. Yung pera naman gagamitin ko sa mga nangangailangan. Sabi ko, “Father, kahit sinong demonyo ang magbigay, tatanggapin ko. Basta igagastos ko sa mga tao.”
It is clear that he puts first the beneficiaries of the organization and acknowledges that the priority is to help as many people as possible with what they can accumulate through aid from willing people inside and outside of UP Pahinungod.
Another instance of him being a sensible and realistic leader is his hilarious story about the evacuation center they managed
“But when they were there for a month na, because we ask them if they have questions and requests. A group of women actually approached me and another lady doctor…Sabi nung isang nanay, “Alam niyo doktor, mayroon kaming mga pangangailangan. Bata pa po kami. Gusto rin naming mag sleeping sa mga asawa namin.” Kasi they’re there for more than a month already. So we started to realize, need rin talaga yun. So we met. The psychiatrist said, “Okay lets put a separate area for conjugal visits.” So may logbook. Pwede kang mag schedule. Kasi ang dami eh. So 1-2 or 1-3, si ganto at si ganyan. Dala nila yung sheet nila and they would take a bath after. So we set that up. UP set that up. Linait kami nung church groups. But we just responded to a need.”
Usually, Pahinungod does the helping but there would always come a time where they themselves would need the help of others. One of their stories revolved around the time where in one of their missions, they were in desperate need to find a place where the can take a bath and stay and settle for a short amount of time. As any logical Filipino person, Dr. Talens and his team seeked for the help of a Catholic church assuming that if there would be anyone out there who’d be willing to help volunteers and people in need, it would be them. Well, they thought wrong.
“—during Yolanda, when we were there, wala ring banyo. So, we sought the help of a Catholic church. Tanong ko, “Father, pwede ba namin gamitin ang banyo niyo?” “Ilan ba kayo?” “Nako, doctor and dami niyo eh. Huwag nalang ho dito doctor maghanap nalang kayo ng iba.” Sabi ko, “Opo, sige po father.” Nagvolunteer yung Iglesia ni Cristo. Which is strange no? “Doc, ilan ba kayo? Oh dito kayo doc.” Binigyan pa kami ng ano parang dorm. Pwede kaming maligo pwedeng, hiwalay pa yung lalaki at babae. May banyo pa bawat—. Wala akong masabi. Yung parish priest pa yung nag-ano samin.”
“Peculiar” and “strange”, some words that Dr. Talens often used during the interview. These words also perfectly describe some of the experiences that the director himself told us, some of which are hilarious and some that are interesting.
Given that they’ve been helping and doing voluntary missions and responses for a long period of time, it is to no surprise that apart from the fulfilling volunteerism and help that they bring and provide, they also get to experience things and situations wherein one can only fathom about. Dr. Talens himself puts these experiences and anecdotes to words in the best way:
Dr. Eric talens
“Madaming mga weird na mga tulong na mga ganyan eh. Kahit di mo na nape-predict eh.”
