The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) opened its doors to more than 15 families from Philcoa, Quezon City, a neighboring community of the Agency, who were forced to leave their homes and seek a safe place to stay amid the heavy rains and severe flooding the past few days.
DAR Administrative Service Director Mary Joyce S. Ricamora and agency personnel worked together to accommodate the affected families and provide them with a temporary evacuation area at the DAR gymnasium while floodwaters remained high.
DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, together with other DAR officials, personally checked on the families who sought temporary shelter at the DAR compound. The also provided food for the evacuees as they waited for conditions to improve and for it to become safe for them to return home.
The simple gesture reflected the spirit of bayanihan-opening one’s doors, looking after one another, and extending help to those in need, especially during difficult times.
‘We wanted to make sure that the families have food and a safe place to stay while they wait for floodwaters to subside. In times like this, we all need to help one another,’ Ricamora said.
The families sought shelter at the DAR compound amid intense rainfall that affected Metro Manila. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), citing data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), reported 201.7 millimeters of rain recorded in just five hours.
For DAR, the response was not only about providing a temporary place to stay. It was also about showing care for a neighboring community facing a difficult situation.
The initiative reflects the spirit of bayanihan that continues to guide DAR personnel-extending compassion beyond the agency’s mandate and being ready to lend a hand when communities need it most.
Government service is ultimately about people. And in times of crisis, sometimes service means opening the door, making room, and being there for those who need it, Estrella pointed out.