This woman volunteers to drive for frontliners
A woman volunteers to be the driver of frontliners amid the enhanced community quarantine and here is the story about how she started this.
Amid the health crisis in the Philippines, several Pinoys have already shown remarkable acts of helping others. One of them is Tina Alviar Agbayani. Based on the article from the Inquirer Lifestyle, she started doing this unintentionally.
Right after the lockdown, Tina brought a nephew and his friends to the border of Manila and Bulacan. They arrived from Dubai before the night before. On her way back, she saw many people were walking along EDSA.
“I started picking people up along the way—construction workers, people working in Megamall and Makati, and so on until I went out of my way and reached Alabang. I was supposed to go home after that, but I picked up more people along Sucat Road, and did Sucat-Baclaran twice!” Tina shared.
The following day, she felt the urged to do the same act of charity, however, she was discouraged by her friends. She said maybe because of her adult ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) thing, she can’t stay at one place most of the time.
With this urge to help others, she contacted authorities and fortunately, #RockEdCarpool was looking for volunteers. That was the time when the woman volunteers to help transport frontliners.
Tina said that she keeps a notebook with her where she lets her passengers right down their names and contact numbers for contact tracing if it’s needed in the future. She also observes social distancing while driving.
“I was practicing social distancing, so it was a maximum of five passengers only in the van. I had a spray bottle with alcohol for the people and the seats, as well,” she added.
When asked if she is not afraid of the possibility of getting infected, Tina said, “Just a little. I pray to God to keep me safe, because I still have lots of people to drive, and a mom to take care of. My sons—four young adults and one teenager—are grown up and they can manage, haha!” she said with a jest.
However, due to her previous experience with depression, she has already confronted the issue of death. “So basically, I’m not afraid to die,” the volunteer driver shared.
On the other hand, Tina always takes the necessary precautions before taking her trip. Based on the article, the funds that she is using all came from her own pocket. “The good thing is, front-liners now get free toll, and we got some free gas,” she said.
When praises are being thrown to her, Tina just shrugs them off because she said she is happy to serve the frontliners who have been sacrificing amid the crisis, based on the article. With this, the volunteer driver shared that she realized a vital thing, “to appreciate and be thankful for everything. Despite how imperfect my life is, I have become truly grateful for what I have.”
What can you say about this?
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