By Daisy CL Mandap
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| Bishop Gerry Vallo with wife Edelyn after delivering goods at Regala Skycity Hotel |
It began as a quiet operation to show a bit of care and compassion to Filipino
migrant workers in distress, or were stuck in a quarantine hotel for 21 days, lonely
and afraid of catching the virus, while barely subsisting on the food supplied
to them.
It was also a time of sadness for many of the workers, as they were
forced to spend Christmas and the New Year cooped inside a tiny room with only the
faltering internet signal serving as their connection to the outside world.
Thus, when word got out that Bishop Gerry Vallo and his Jesus the
Living God church was delivering care packs to newly arrived workers spending
their compulsory quarantine in government-designated facilities, the requests
came flooding in.
Bishop Gerry said he understood exactly how the quarantined workers
felt, as he had to undergo mandatory quarantine himself when he returned to
Hong Kong after a trip to the Philippines
last year. While he spent only 14 days in a quarantine facility and the next 7
days in home quarantine, he still felt tremendous stress.
“Sadyang napakahirap ang lagay
sa loob kahit anong sipag mong mag aral, magbasa, manalangin ay so stressful
iyon, mentally and emotionally. Kaya nagsimula kami ng 5, 10, 15 na assorted
packages. Subalit lalong umigting ang panawagan ng ating mga kababayan na
maabot sila nang magka flash report sa The SUN tungkol sa pagbibigay namin ng
ayuda. Mahigit 200 ang humingi ng tulong,” he recalled.
(It is really so difficult to be cooped up in a room, no matter how
much effort you put into studying, reading and praying – that was really so
stressful, mentally and emotionally. So we started giving 5, 10, 15 assorted
packages. But the clamor for help intensified after The SUN published a flash
report about our gift-giving. More than 200 reached out to us for help).
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| The long line of gift packs JLG gave to workers at Penny's Bay just before Christmas |
Although strapped for resources, JLGC Worldwide could not turn a blind
eye to the workers’ appeals for help, many of whom only asked for the most
basic needs like fruits, biscuits, juice, 3-in-1 coffee mix, and with the onset
of winter, ginger, lemon and salt.
Bishop Gerry said he began to pray, then explained to his congregation
why there was a need to help the workers. Soon, the donations started coming
in, with people giving $20, $30, $100 until some would hand in $1,000.
“Narinig ng Diyos ang aming
dalangin at nakita niya ang aming motibo kaya may mga pastor mula Amerika na
sumuporta, at may isa ding local Chinese pastor na tumulong kaya’t mahigit 200
na assorted packs of goods and food ang naipamigay namin noong 2021,” he
related.
(God heard our prayers and saw our good intention so there were
pastors in the United States
who supported us, apart from a local Chinese pastor who also helped so we
managed to give away more than 200 assorted packs of goods and food in 2021).
In addition, some of his Filipino pastor-friends would sometimes hand
over goods for distribution or even money for transportation. Some of his
church’s local partners also donated high-class toiletries to be included in
the care packs.
But soliciting donations was just half of the effort. The hard work came
with collecting the heavy goods, then taking them to the quarantine facilities
which are located in far-off places like Tsing Yi, Shatin and Tung Chung.
Often, when nobody could lend a hand in transporting the goods to
their intended recipients, Bishop Gerry would turn to his own family for help,
particularly his wife, Pastora Edelyn.
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| A grateful worker sends a selfie with her gifts from JLG |
Until early this month, their itinerary included Penny’s Bay, where
one had to make a prior appointment with all the goods to be handed over listed
individually. Alternatively, donors could walk in but must be prepared for a
longer wait for the goods to be cleared.
But after a couple of trips to the government-run facility, the guards
became less strict, even praising the bishop for his charity.
It was during this time that Bishop Gerry realized how hard it must be
for some of those who did not know anyone in Hong Kong to reach out to, or
whose friends are not inclined to go out of their way to travel far and be
subject to strict scrutiny just to hand over some food.
“Kawawa iyong walang koneksyon o
kaibigan dahil bago, kasi hindi nila alam kung paano makakakuha ng tulong
samantalang yung iba ay tatlo-tatlo ang natatanggap mula sa iba-ibang grupo,”
he said.
(I pitied those who did not have connections or friends because they’re
new here and did not know how to get help while others got help from various
groups).
One other thing that struck him was the unreasonable fear shown by
some people in the community towards people who they thought were likely
carriers of the coronavirus.
One time, a GoGo van they booked scampered away after learning they
were going to a quarantine hotel. They were left scrambling to find a taxi that
would take them, while their care packs were strewn all around them.
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| On Christmas day, more gift-giving by JLG members led by Bishop Gerry |
But all these hurdles pale in comparison to the satisfaction Bishop
Gerry gets from fulfilling a mission that perfectly aligns with JLGC’s motto,
which is Minister to the needy, Evangelize the lost, Equip the saints, and Keep
the faith (MEEK).
In fact, now that the arrival of Filipino migrants has slowed down
because of the flight ban imposed by Hong Kong on the Philippines, he is thinking of extending
help to those on the other side of the fence, or those who are stranded here
because of frequent flight cancellations.
He is also looking out to help more of those who are undergoing emotional and mental distress from the twin
challenges of a long confinement and the fear of getting sick and losing the
job they badly need.
“Some of our compatriots are so troubled that you cannot help them by
merely giving stuff but through prayers and counseling which we are already
doing now, even in the wee hours,” he said.
Asked why he keeps doing what to many would seem like a huge
undertaking, Bishop Gerry quoted Matthew 25:42-45:
“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you
did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick
and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”
(Those who wish to contact Bishop Gerry for counseling and other help may call or text him at 6051 7967)
