“Wala na gyud mas bata pa sa imu nay?” (Is there really no one else who’s younger than you?)

This doesn’t ring well to anyone’s ears. But to Rebecca Alforque, she just nimbly shrugs it off.

“I just answer them with a big smile. Mu-ingun nalang ku, ah, sigi lang, basta ka-trabaho pa, mu-trabaho gihapun.” (It’s okay. Just as long as I am still capable, I will still work.) Rebecca pleasantly recounts how she reacts to people scoffing at her capacity almost every day she spent volunteering.

Yes, 71-year old Rebecca is a volunteer. And with this, she is one woman who deserves some serious credits because it’s not easy to take time out of our lives and volunteer for community projects, especially when you’re ageing. And so it goes with the feisty, funny, and fervently devout woman born in Lamitan City, Basilan.

Nanay Bing, as how she opts to be called by her family and neighbours, walks to her volunteer job at the Barangay Hall of Curvada, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur. She works six hours a day as a Procurement Team chairperson under the Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA project.

As she will tell you, “Alas dyes sa umaga nandito na ako sa (barangay) hall pagkatapos ko magturo sa mga bata.” (I come here at 10 o’clock in the morning in (barangay) hall after I finish teaching kids.)

Nanay Bing has been also working as a Day Care Worker since 2012. From eight o’clock until 10:00 am, she holds a class with toddlers as teaching is the closest profession to her heart. She earned her teaching license in 1969 and was immediately given a permanent position in a local primary school in Zamboanga City. Before the volunteer work she worked abroad for more than a decade just so she could raise her 6 children since her marriage didn’t end up the way she wanted.

“Nag-abroad akong sampung taon, nibalik diri, karun tanan akung mga anak human na. Pero sa akung huna-huna, dili sa akung pamilya mahuman ang akung responsibilidad isip usa ka tawu. So nung sinabi nila magvoluneteer daw, ni-apil gyud ku.” (I went abroad for 10 years, then came back when all my children had already finished schooling. But I thought, my responsibility as a person will not end in my family. So when they asked me to volunteer, I immediately agreed.) Nanay Bing said.

In 2013, the village chairman appointed Nanay Bing as the Procurement Team head of the Kalahi-CIDDS Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee which had gotten some forms of disfavour from barangay officials and fellow volunteers because of her age. However, this made Nanay Bing even more fervent in proving that she wasn’t a liability.

As a Procurement Team chair, she was tasked to lead in taking charge of all activities required to acquire all the supplies, materials, equipment and labor from suppliers/contractor needed in completing the project.

“Lisud sa kalisud magvolunteer labi ng kana mag-serve na ta sa canvass. Naa man gyud mga supplier nga dili ga-respeto. Then mahibal-an pa nila kay dili cash, dili na gyud sila mu-accept. So that’s why I had to use my convincing power. Never give-up!” (Working as a volunteer is not easy especially during serving of the canvass. You encounter suppliers who are not courteous. Especially when they find out that the payment is not in cash, they rarely accept it.) With conviction, Nanay Bing related the difficulties she had encountered during procurement. However, she is proud that she somehow survived it saying that she now finally understands and appreciates the entire process of procurement and that she is glad to contribute in spending the public’s money properly necessary to realize this project.

“Masaya ako kasi marami akong natutunan na hindi pala basta-basta ang paggawa ng ganito. Proud pud kay nakaya gyud naku i-manage ang akung responsibilidad maskin bayi ku o ani lang ku, tiguwang na.” (I am happy because I’ve learned that procurement isn’t that easy. I am also proud that I was able to perform my responsibility eventhough I’m a woman or I’m like this, aging.) She added.

Nanay Bing has been volunteering and loving it ever since. While she doesn’t earn anything from volunteering, she expressed that she enjoys spending a lot of time with her co-volunteers, community and especially the youth beneficiaries they serve in the technical courses training which ran for about one month.

“Yung mga kabataan kasi dito, lalo na yung hindi nag-aral karamihan umiinom, magsusugal, kung wala ng pera, magnakaw na sila para may pang-sugal lang. Madaming gulo.” (Most of the young people here, especially the out-of-school youth spend their time just to get drunk, gambit. When they have nowhere else to turn to, they resort to robbery just to support their vices.) she related.

In January this year, KC-PAMANA made its way to Tukuran. Bringing in peace lens in implementing community development projects, the residents of the municipality were enlivened as they had seen it as an opportunity to address peace and order issues in their locality.

“Nalingaw gyud mi kay niabut ang kalahi ug pamana diri. Na-kit-an nila kay kinahanglan namu ang aning proyektoha para sa mga bata.” (We were so happy that kalahi and pamana came to our town. Maybe they saw how we badly need this project for the youth.) Nanay Bing cheerfully said.

Denmark Pellugan, 19 years old, who was one of the beneficiaries of the project, shared how his life has changed after undergoing the training.

“Lingaw mi kay pwede na mi karun magtrabaho. Dili na mi maka-apil-apil sa mga maut nga actibidades. Arun maka-kwarta pud para sa kaugmaun. Salamat sa kalahi ug pamana kay gihatagan mi’g libre nga training.” (We are glad that we can now get a job. We will not have anymore reasons to engage into crimes. We will now earn for our future. We are thankful to kalahi and pamana for the free training they’ve given us.) Denmark shared.

Eventhough Nanay Bing went through numerous challenges, seeing the beneficiaries like Denmark improve their lives, she still continued and tried to see volunteering as a worthwhile activity of giving back to the community and showing them firsthand how volunteering makes a difference and how good it feels to help others and enact change.

“Madami na ang nag-graduate. Yung iba nasa Maynila na. Doon na nagtrabaho. Wala na kaming makita mga magtambay diha sa dalan. Kay tanan man busy na mangit’g trabaho kay naa na gyud sila certificate. Murag, gaan pud ba sa pagbati nga nakatabang ta sa ilaha. The fulfilment is bigger than being a teacher, being a mother. In volunteering, kita gyud ang mag-lead sa change.” (Many have already graduated. Others are already working in Manila. We don’t see bystanders anymore because all of them are busy looking for a job carrying with them their (TESDA) certificates)

Right through the sub-project implementation, the volunteering experience, Nanay Bing had never thought that despite her senescence, she could still take part in the community development efforts. She couldn’t even believe that apart from being a teacher, a wife and a mother, there’s an empowered woman inside her that can influence and bring about change in the lives of many.

“Sabi nila mahirap magbago. Anong mahirap? Kung gusto, kaya talaga. Hindi man natin agad makita, pero kailanagn simulan mo sa sarili mo. Whether you are young or old, if you are still able to do something for the country or community to change it for the better, do not hesitate. Neither wait for any compensation or anything just remember that all our labour here on earth is not in vain in the sight of our creator.” (They say it’s so hard to change. I say, it’s not. If we want it, then we surely can. We may not see it right away but we should always start it in our self.) Nanay Bing concluded.