The World Is Hurting, And So Am I

 

By: Maureen Bautista

You can't love poverty statistics. You can’t love deciles or quintiles. You love people you’ve come to know. You love and commit to people na may mukha." - Dr. Bobby Guevarra

I came across Dr. Bobby Guevarra's speech on what it means to be of service to others when we took our NSTP class a few months ago. It was simply intriguing and thought-provoking, letting me reevaluate how I relate myself to others who may be the people around me or the people who seemed so far away. By the latter, I mean those who are part of the marginalized sector such as impoverished communities, women, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, etc. I have always considered myself a person who is concerned with the welfare of these people, especially of women who have faced gender inequality and discrimination. I try to stay updated with the latest news, listen to broadcasted cases, and initiate conversations with my family and friends to spread awareness of these things - but is that really enough?

No, it is not. It’s not enough to only be aware of the facts and figures but to see - to truly see - the people behind these piles of statistics. Paul Ricoeur’s concept of differentiating the encounter of the other as Socius and the Neighbor also supports this statement. We shouldn’t be content with seeing the other as just “a part of the whole,” a unit in society we encounter due to our social roles. Instead, seeing the other as our Neighbor lets us acknowledge the “otherness” of that person - their individuality, consciousness, and needs - and personally seek them out of our own volition. The aforementioned NSTP class has given me a taste of the latter as we personally conversed in an online setting with women who worked with organizations helping victims of gender-based violence or online harassment, women part of IP communities whose homes, livelihoods, and lives are in danger, and many more. All these raised issues were aggravated by the pandemic, yet sometimes we forget that they are suffering with all the chaos that’s happening. Behind facts and figures are real people who have their own dreams and fears. They are not mere victims but people who have their own skills and capabilities if only they were given the rights and freedom they deserve. 

"If you want to save the world, you have to absorb its pain." - Dr. Bobby Guevarra

I do believe that this is not an easy feat to do - encountering the other in a personal, intimate way takes guts and courage in order to go out of your comfort zone especially with the limitations from quarantine protocols. I have to honestly admit that I still have no concrete plans on how to do this whether it’s by joining organizations with advocacies similar to mine or any other way. But this has been a huge wake-up call for me to do MORE, especially now that the pandemic has highlighted long-standing social issues that we may have forgotten to exist. True compassion and charity is not only about giving service but also walking with the other through their pain and suffering. As Dr. Bobby Guevarra said, it will hurt when we try to save the world. But for me, it hurts even more not to try doing anything about it. And that is the challenge I am willing to face.

Sources:

https://medium.com/@ProjectLAAN/dr-roberto-guevarra-faith-formation-and-public-health-6d6f99eefb75

https://www.flare.com/news/international-womens-day-2019/amp/