How I Knew Mountaineers As Volunteers: A Trek with Team Bundol

Just as I had the chance to be a guest member of Team Bundol Mountaineers during a trek to Sitio Lanao, Sapu Masla, Malapatan, Sarangani Province in a community service led by Dr. Roel Cagape of Heart and Brains Inc,,weekend of July 19-20,2014 was an experience of great passion for volunteerism.

It was a short notice for anybody who is interested to support the cause who made it to be part of the event.

River trekking for a number of hours is nothing new to us, we love it . What will I be sharing to you is my unforgettable experience of  being with the team and how I evaluated the activity from my personal views.

1.  My event photo  documents mostly features mountaineers crossing  rivers with their seedling for tree planting in the the uplands. But this time they are carrying  carpentry tools and materials for construction.

2. Three among the team members were skilled in basic carpentry while others admitted that it was their first time to prove that they can use properly the given tools to come up with a finished product.

3. Sitio Lanao is a community of  40 households, with more or less 800 children, 270 pupils enrolled in grades 1&2 . With the hectic schedules of the volunteers, I find the urgency of this event did somehow address the needs of the pupils in time for the opening of the school year 2014-2015. The team were able to construct ten tables enough to fill the floor space of the two makeshift classrooms. 

4. The community can only be reached through river trekking for about 2-3 hours but because of the load in their shoulders and the reserved energy left from the previous day activity, we made it five. After the group evaluation, it was resolved that Breakfast is a Must. The energy that day,..really came from their hearts.

5. The reward of this group effort is nothing but the pristine beauty of  nature. All the fears along the trail, the comfort of our homes, and the abundance of civilization, is incomparable with the feeling of fullness of our hearts for the love of God.