Dear Diary,

For me, hope means showing up and helping others, even while knowing that my own family is struggling just to make ends meet. During the “Bayong Tino,” our community in Purok 3, Barangay Aguisan in the City of Himamaylan was among those that suffered greatly from the unprecedented flash floods. Our house was almost submerged underwater, and most of our belongings were washed away. Never in my life did I imagine that something like this would happen—but it did.

When the floods subsided, you could see it clearly in my parents eyes, the disappointment and heartbreak, knowing that everything we lost was the result of years of hard work. But even then, we held on to a positive mindset, believing that these hardships are temporary and that this, too, shall pass.

After we began cleaning and rebuilding what we could in our home, we were called to help others in our community. We volunteered to give clothes, food, and essential items to those in need, despite the fact that we ourselves could be considered among them.

And in that moment, I realized something deeper about hope. Hope is not just about waiting for better days—it is about becoming part of someone else’s better day. It is choosing to rise, even when you are still trying to stand. It is finding strength not in what we have left, but in what we are still willing to give. Because sometimes, the most powerful form of hope is not what we hold on to—but what we choose to share with our fellows.

In the quiet chapters of my journey with HBONI, there were moments that slowly changed me and shaped the person I am becoming.

In Pagtililipon, I found something that truly changed and shaped me into the person I am now, because it was there that Project KASIKAS was born—a project that I and the working team started along with the humble community and kids of Barangay Sara-et in the City of Himamaylan.

For the past eight long months of this project, we have been challenged in the most difficult ways. Unlike others, it is my first time doing projects. Though I have been involved in such things before, I was not part of the working team. I had doubts. Hopefully, Ma’am Aya Gatuslao is there, helping me make the project possible as the Project Head, and of course, the rest of the team.

At first, we were unable to find partners, and I didn’t know what to do. We started everything from scratch. Then, we started to focus on the roots of the project, and we initiated a mangrove bagging activity in Sitio Malusay in Barangay Caradio-an in the same city. Luckily, it was a success, and there, a movement started that changed me as a person. I have learned to manage my time even more, it built my courage, and it rooted me in my purpose.

If I could speak to my past self, I would gently say: You may get confused. You may go in different stages. Most things will not favor you dear dearest. You might face challenges you thought you can’t overcome at first but eventually, everything will fall into its proper places. Trust the process. Trust god.

— John Bel