Article by: Isabel Quah
Despite the catastrophic events of Typhoon Haiyan, the Filipino spirit has been as vigilant as ever, determined to rise above the rubble and piece back together the devastated areas. As an active base for relief efforts, ISM has kept events revolving around Haiyan as a priority, constantly updating the ISM community about the school’s donations to the cause. International a, including monetary aid from other IASAS schools, have also played a significant role in the school’s relief fund, which is detailed on the Bearcats for Haiyan page: http://bambootelegraph.com/haiyan/.
In order to have a firsthand perspective of the prolonged situation in the areas affected by Haiyan, an upcoming trip to Roxas City in Cebu has been scheduled. A delegation of six students, composed of student leaders from ISSBA, Service Learning Council, iCARE Council and Bamboo Telegraph, in addition to Mr. Woods, Mr. Flynn, and our very own security guard from Estancia will visit the site from February 25th to 27th.
ISSBA President Isabel Benares summarises that, “during the trip, we’re hoping to get a better picture of how best to help the community at Roxas. First and foremost, [we’ll be] checking out the school in Estacia that’s going to be built using ISM’s donor funds. We’ll also be taking lots of photos and videos. The ISM community at home and abroad deserves to know where their donations are going, and why fundraising efforts are still necessary.”
Additionally, sophomore Bernice Delos Reyes added that, “We feel that this trip is necessary so that we may be able to report back to our community regarding the cause that has benefitted from their donations, and ultimately to reinforce the involvement of ISM students in our local community.”
With so much destruction resulting from this massive typhoon, it is no surprise that the ISM community has really stepped up to the task of raising awareness regarding this situation. With food, clothing and financial donations organized by various student run service, and non-service clubs, this trip will amount to the fundraising efforts of all these clubs, and epitomise the service spirit of the Bearcats.