Interview with Gail: Sweet Heart of a Volunteer

Everyday, we should feel blessed because we are surrounded by wonderful people who are able to touch our lives and the lives of others. We should as well be grateful because we ourselves are able to do something great.

Nan Tongco
Local Artist, Instrumentalist, Volunteer

While chilling out on a spring resort with some of my relatives on my father's side, I was able to know more about my favorite visual artist, tita Nantongcs (as how we call her). I used to know her as someone who loves to chill with her friends while playing her favorite guitar and paints on walls and canvases, that is why I wanted to interview her.

A Compassionate Heart

Often times, we equate the effort we exert with money. But this person was able to capture my heart and attention. Nantongcs is more than what I thought she is.

She is currently volunteering and ministering a number of women convicts at Lumbia District Jail together with her friends. Together with a group in her community, they frequently visit the women convicts and spread the good news to them. They even fellowship together as one body as she plays her guitar.

It was not easy to get a clearance from those who are in authority because it needs a lot of requirements. A lot of things are not even allowed inside the institution. Pens are only allowed when it will be used for their program.

She and her friends do not just lend their mouth and hands in service, but they also lend their ears. It was tough as she described it, because most of the inmates were convicted because of the issue on illegal use of drugs.

She shared to me few accounts of those inmates and it really broke my heart.

One of it was that there was an inmate who became a victim of drug addiction but prior to that, she explained such hardships in life. The inmate shared to her that she wanted to help her family so she went to Manila as what the recruitment agency instructed her. She really thought she was going to work in a factory of soap but instead she was turned into a sex slave. She felt so horrible of herself and violated on the actions that were taken unto her.

Few weeks after, she had been injected with some kind of illegal drugs. Little by little, drug addiction crippled her life. She really wanted to fight against it but she felt so weak. She wanted to seek for legal assistance but she thought of it as futile. She then ended up in prison because of too much addiction, she sold some drugs then before she was arrested by police operatives.

She knew those people like that women needed more than a friend that is why they continually serve those people and listen to what they feel.

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Prior to their activities with the inmates, she worked as a proxy mother of some sexually abused girls under the care of Departmeny of Social Welfare and Development [DSWD]. she said it was also tough because together with the rest of the volunteers, they were held accountable. Most girls would love to get away from the institution as they were bored with the activities.

She went with the girls at school and made sure they were alright. She taught them and played guitar with them because the girls were fond of music. In return, the government would give tita an allowance but she was not after that.

According to her, most of the cases were incest rape committed by the fathers, uncles, and brothers of the girls. According to tita, a lot of them were good-looking and it was sad how The little girls were traumatized that is why DSWD wanted these girls to experience a normal and safe lives. It is the right of every children in this planet.

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After minutes of talking with her, I felt so bad when she said the news that of the inmates died because of heart attack. I felt her sadness as she said her narrative.

Domino Effect of Gratitude

After my short interview, she joined the group and shared jokes with them while I listen to them (behind the camera) .

As tita shared, after one event, a group of inmates approached her and thanked her. When they were released, they had been changed people who also wanted to do good to the conmunity.

The more I learn about different individuals, the more I fell in love with humanity.

It was just then I realized that I came from a family of volunteers and miniters. I felt so delighted how compassionate the people around me in giving service to others without any monetary value in return.