CEBU CITY, Philippines– The “Bayanihan” spirit is very much alive even in this modern age and amid a pandemic.
Just like this story of an elderly man living alone in Barangay Manduwang, Minglanilla, who got a little help from strangers and neighbors.
Jay-r de la Calzada was the one who opened the floodgates of help for Tatay Pepe when he took to social media to appeal for help for the 76-year-old elderly who was living alone in a disheveled shanty.
“I got a message from a concerned citizen in our area, asking help for Tatay. I immediately went to his place and saw his condition and situation,” he said.
After visiting Tatay Pepe, Calzada turned to social media to raise funds to help better Tatay Pepe’s living condition.
In just three days, Calzada was able to raise around P11,000 from netizens and friends.
He then started buying all the basic needs of Tatay Pepe.
When Calzada visited Tatay Pepe to deliver the goods yesterday, December 1, 2020, he noticed two men in the area who looked like they too wanted to help.
“I approached them asking them if they can give me a hand in making Tatay Pepe’s shanty a little more safe and comfortable, for free, and to my surprise, they all agreed,” he added.
With a little extra cash, he has obtained from fundraising online, Calzada purchased housing materials for Tatay Pepe’s new home.
They were able to make the foundations of the house and are now looking for ways to complete it so that Tatay Pepe would be in a safe new home this Christmas.
Calzada is also looking for donors who can help him raise money to buy Tatay Pepe a “sungkod” since the money he originally raised has already been used up for house repairs, food, and vitamins for the septuagenarian.
Tatay Pepe has been living alone for years and is dependent on the generosity of his neighbors and relatives who live nearby to survive.
If you want to be part of Calzada’s Bayanihan project, you can reach him through his Facebook account, Jay-r de la Calzada. /rcg