Showing posts with label #Moments of Bayanihan. Show all posts

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Moments of Bayanihan | The Nurse with a Soldier's Heart

When people usually talk about the word military, what pops out of my mind usually has the same meaning of being raw, rugged, and extreme. But everything changed when I had the chance on meeting a nurse wearing a battle dress uniform, I felt devotion where two selfless career in one life can shine.   

- Instrument for Healing Hands -

"A military nurse treats a foreigner suffering from allergies during the Hot Air Balloon festival sometime February 2010. A nurse had taken oath to serve any person suffering from discomfort. While a military nurse extends herself to marry the career of arms and an instrument for healing hands."

It is probably a non-refutable fact if I say that military nursing can be one of the most difficult jobs available in the world as Lt. Gen. Nestor R. Santillan, AFP (Ret) once said, "The life of a soldier is a life of duty, not adventure; a life of sacrifice not choice; a life of service not profit; that is why we call our job, the service... the greatest reward for a soldier is to see the country and people we serve benefit from our dedicated service..."

I see now that there are little pointers to differentiate a civilian nurse to a military nurse... but being able to see their duty of marrying the career of arms and a provider of holistic care. They are undeniably one of most aspiring people in the field today.

If you are a nurse, try to imagine this when you wake up with the sound of reveille in the morning, run for your physical exercise, bathe in excruciatingly cold water, don your army uniform, wear those heavy combat boots, then accessorize yourself with stethoscopes, first aid kit, penlight, among others... 

Towards the start of your shift, one of your objective is to help the wounded soldiers and regain the hope of life within them. Some may have probable post traumatic stress disorder which can be a big hindrance to your healing hands. You see them without limbs because they just came in from the battlefield. Even a cold or flu can still make the day bad. However, you, being their support makes a big difference and their dependents vouch for your care to teach them in taking part of their well-being.

It is not just soldiers whom our military nurses support. Their dependents are also part of their circle of care. On the wider scale, the whole community is also an extension of their responsibility.

By these words I say, military nurses are a great asset to the troops, their dependents, and the community. 

 Along with reservists and their nursing degree (photo on left), they work hand in hand for nation-building; pushing greater horizons of service to community education and rescue operations. This is Bayanihan.
It is not an everyday scene that you see military nurses in the field. Not because they only show their service in the back of the stage, rather, they just don't do it under the spot light to gather fame. These camouflaged Nightingales are too busy rendering their service for the people who need them most.

This blog is dedicated to the military nurses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. To the nurses with a soldier's heart.
© iamreservist

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Moments of Bayanihan | The Unknown Soldier

Libingan ng mga Bayani
- The Unknown Soldier - 

 "Here Lies a Filipino Soldier Whose Name is Only Known to God."

Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery) in Taguig City, Philippines is where I spent my night for the Undas (Halloween). It just feels right that I wanted to share a piece of my experience and feature the story in this blog. This was my first time being here with a bag full of questions to fill a curious mind. 

 It is probably the best time to visit the area, after all, this is the Halloween and the cemetery is open for twenty-four hours from November 1-2, 2012. I spent two days and a night just taking photos of our heroes. 

 Libingan ng mga BayaniWhile roaming around the evening, it felt like romance having to see elderly people lighting up candles. Children were also there listening stories of valor. But what actually caught my heart is the tomb called the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" situated in the center of the cemetery. 
This was specifically established in memory of those soldiers whose names have not been known after their death mainly because their bodies are no longer in the shape of recognition. 

 When I was munching every moment and pondering the beauty of their sacrifice. One stranger stood beside me and openly shared his heart. He said, "How great can this be? A soldier whose name is unknown to all of us but he has full of my respect." I felt it. And from that moment, it somehow feels good to be reminded of what Bayani (Hero) truly calls for!

One or many has to know that we Filipinos owe our freedom from these men who did the ultimate sacrifice of accepting death for the love of his country. How can the nameless be full of respect? Because he is a hero. 

 I took my last photo (first photo above) under the shimmering stars at 0300H. I just felt that these stars were there for a reason... It felt like I am glancing through every legacy and sacrifice of the soldiers who were not named. 

 Oh! Only God knows, but whoever you are... I thank you Sir Soldier Sir!
In lieu with the season of remembering our soldiers, I am dedicating this post to my grandfathers and their siblings who dedicated their service before I was born. I did not know very much about your lives and the things you've done to free this country. But this fact constantly give me that amazement that loving this great nation is part of my blood. 

Happy Undas everyone! 

And I'm proud to be an Filipino, 
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, 
who gave that right to me.”
~ excerpts from Lee Greenwood, edited.

© iamreservist

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Moments of Bayanihan | Green Army


- Green Army - 

 Our brave soldiers aren't just known as jungle fighters known to protect and secure our land. A soft side of them does reflect when they also show their value in the importance of giving full respect to nature and promoting social responsibility. In a moment, they can bear not holding a gun, as long as his hands are filled by actions of peace.
When I took this photo early in the morning, their objective was to transport and plant these seedlings to a deforested mountain that was devoured by fire years back. I have not realized that our soldiers happily do their job of helping a community for forest rehabilitation. They seem as small jobs for the task of what they were trained to do. By which I can say that, "Good soldiers are trained to become the best in their craft of soldiery but great ones extend their capacity to do more good things." A soldier is known to be one of the most versatile people on earth, they happily nod to help even doing the simplest of things - like tree planting.

 These men are always there to respond for whatever Bayanihan program the government intends to do. For what is worth, I also call them as the 'Green Army'.

 But despite all of this, we should put into ourselves that social responsibility is everyone's responsibility. Like what a  good soldier said, "Let every man be his own master, but let him first and above all be his own charge. It is our own destiny to transform this nation, we begin by transforming ourselves first - Late 2LT Jose Delfin E. Khe, PA".

 @ iamreservist 

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Moments of Bayanihan: Paper Planes

- Paper Planes - 

 A young boy admires his fathers' job, being a soldier that is. 

 Growing up while visiting his father at the camp every school break earned him the fascination to become a pilot someday. He stands proud, giving the freedom to dream about flight in paper planes and hearing military pilots' tell stories about our gloriously beautiful Philippine skies. 

 I adore the men in uniform who honors the dream of their young children. Standing guard with good parenthood despite living hundred of miles away, it is with great pride and joy to raise kids who are also future investors of peace by instilling their minds with the noblest of things.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. - Proverbs 22:6
There was freedom in the unlimited horizon, on the open fields where one landed. A pilot was surrounded by beauty of earth and sky. He brushed treetops with the birds, leapt valleys and rivers, explored the cloud canyons he had gazed at as a child. Adventure lay in each puff of wind.
— Charles A. Lindbergh, 'The Spirit of St. Louis.'  
 © iamreservist

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Moments of Bayanihan: A Reflection of Help

- A Reflection of Help -

 This is a reflection of a soldier helping distribute relief goods gathered from different NGO's during the time of Cagayan de Oro's worst mischief. 

 #theheartofasoldier

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Welcome to iamreservist

It has been a year since I was first asked a question of "Why Do I Trust A Filipino Soldier?" 

This was the theme for the Armed Forces of the Philippines Photo Contest that I participated last year and bagged the finalist-place. 

After the contest, I promised myself to write an article about the theme. But until now, I still don't have one concrete answer as to why I can trust a Filipino soldier.

Now this isn't because I don't trust the people of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the word trust alone is quite a subjective matter. My answer can't justify a single post on a blog. It has to be shown, shared, and talked about. So I decided to make a blog rather than do a single post about it. 

Why iamreservist?

There's a long explanation as to why I decided to name this blog iamreservist. I never expected that I will be having a niche of doing this but the roots started to grow when I had my first photo encounter with a technical officer in the nurse corps during the hot air balloon festival.
It was also the same place where I saw a soldier carrying a camera system on his shoulders. The image just grew into fascination as to what he shoots, and what stories he'd love to share.

When I graduated college, it was the 'santolan warrior state' of my photographic adventure. I concentrated on travel photography whenever it allowed me. But still I know from my heart that I love to tell stories about the images I make. I constantly pray, "Lord, give me your perfect timing!" in the belief that "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

 I moved to Mindanao for work, there I met a soldier in a medical mission held near the area I was working. The soldier was an officer, tasked to be the head of a so-called Civil Military Operation. This I hear are those who are in pursuit of helping the community for development. 

 That one soldier became one of the guys I really look up into. Considered as my brother and planted the seed of trust of which made me today. Prior to his meeting, I had no idea about the military except that they go to war, live in discipline, but die because of alcoholism. My generalizations were far from fact. He showed me his role as a CMO officer and it continually impresses me up until now.

 It's a laughable fact that I did not know anything about the military. I haven't heard of the Philippine Military Academy except that it's just a tourist attraction whenever you're in Baguio. More laughable when I say that my grandparents and some of their siblings and cousins were soldiers during their time. My family probably shut of the information thinking that it is probably a waste of time. But I threaded on trying to fill the curiosity. This I learned that soldiership has something more. Like when you open your door to college, you'll meet different people with their uniqueness of character, religion, practice etc.

 Just when the contest was announced, the theme actually struck me hard as to what am I going to choose as an entry. The prize was an aircraft ride but I wanted to showcase something that the general public would see to help them trust a Filipino soldier as well. So I submitted this.


The photo only got the finalist-place. But when I read the comments from the public, somehow, I got an answer to my objective on why they can trust a Filipino soldier. It was the best prize I can have.

 Months later, I was browsing through the Army's Facebook page when I stumbled upon a guy named Ruel Ramboao. He has a photo set entitled "Dispatches from the Field". It was an epic album consisting of soldiers having a one-hand connection with the community. I was so inspired to do the same but not limited to Facebook. I wanted to showcase a work why people, the Filipinos, should trust their men in uniform. 

 The term iamreservist was inspired from the book When Duty Calls by Carol Vandesteeg. Initially, I was thinking of using 'iamsoldier' because it doesn't coincide with my objective of showcasing the sacrificial work of both our regular and reservist force. The word reservist on the other hand are not organics. I wanted the blog to feel as a medium of instrument where a civilian shares his observation with both forces.