The heart of a volunteer: The story of Hannah Semenio
By: Maria Elena Catajan, Photo courtesy of Hannah Faye Teng-eg Semenio
A sense of care has pushed Hannah Faye Teng-eg Semenio into the world of volunteerism.
Semenio was with the Baguio Youth for Good Governance over the weekend when the group made the rounds in Baguio and La Trinidad evacuation centers to distribute hot meals. Seeing the plight of those affected by the heavy rains, with some losing their homes and belongings, left her with a reflection worthy of action.
“First, to the administration—I even wonder, have the other officials even visited half the places their campaign tarpaulins have reached? Yes, let’s not disregard their efforts during this time, but let’s be real, we need real solutions for these problems. Hindi po ito normal and hindi po natin pwedeng gawin itong normal (This is not normal and cannot be made normal),” she said.
Semenio has been helping organizations in her community for 12 years, starting from her childhood, tagging along on church missions with her grandmother.
Weeks of rain and strong winds and rains have left the region with millions of pesos in damage with a string of unfortunate infrastructure projects exposing substandard workmanship with the wrath of nature compounded by climate change issues.
Semenio said, “We can’t keep settling for short-term solutions; we need real, long-term ones. Billions of pesos have been stolen from the people through all the substandard projects they’ve been doing, and the people deserve better. It’s also heartbreaking that the government allows capitalists to destroy our environment, knowing that in the end, it’s ordinary people who suffer the most.”
Rapid Assessment and Needs Analysis by the Municipal Agriculture Office and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for La Trinidad show damage to infrastructure estimated at P10,784,000, while damage to agriculture is pegged at P17,671,723.
Baguio City damages were pegged at P40 million for infrastructure, with one fatality, two injuries, and 1,593 individuals affected by flooding and landslides. According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, additionally, one person is missing.
Semenio said, “I’ve been a strong advocate for protecting the environment, too. I’ve joined tree plantings and clean-up drives at the Balili River, and I do believe that even the small act of disposing of your trash properly makes an impact on our environment. We reap what we sow—it’s a matter of choice for us what we want to reap. If we want a better future, let’s protect our environment. If we don’t, we all know who suffers.”
Today, Semenio balances her time as a professional to serve and happily juggles serving organizations like the Fruit of Faith Christian Fellowship for church missions while also being involved with Abot Kamay, Kabsat Youth Organization, ML Baguio Benguet, Baguio Youth for Good Governance, and the Liberal Youth Baguio Benguet.
