Group Dynamics

by: Ida Marionne Arriola

What do you expect when you put nine totally different personalities with various levels of threshold for stress and different coping mechanisms, in one house, 24/7, for a whole month? Add these mentioned elements to a considerable amount of stress-inducing factors such as: experiencing hours of heat wave while having dozens of tasks to complete related to our community organizing activities, household chores and a shortage of water to complete half of those chores. Not to mention the most challenging obstacle we have to face: having to walk in the middle of the day, for 4 kilometers of rough road, just to get to the highway. And if you ever felt tired of walking the same distance to get to our haven, you can choose to pick another option which will you give you that needed surge of adrenaline rush through a 5 minute motorcycle ride to get to your destination, which for us meant three possible places: heaven, hell or if you get even luckier, our house.

It is not fair to just get a taste of the hardships that we go through in a month, people should also get to nibble on the best of times that we have during our month long sleepovers, as I would put it. Thinking of it as a month long duty does not help us cope with it as it would mean that we are obligated to be there against our will, instead, I would like to think of community exposure as a vacation with friends and we just happened to be at the right place at the right time to be of service to a community in need of our help.

Our favorite moments as group in Mirangan are those which were spent with each other as friends and as a family. The long walks to our destination were filled with fruit jokes, fish jokes, surname jokes and a whole lot of stories about the persons we were before we met each other. Some of us already knew each other before med school but when you’re living with a group of people for this long, you eventually get to know that your idea about some of the qualities you think you knew about them would eventually change and you get a feeling of being connected to each other deeper than you thought you would when you first met them.

 

The Baldemorts.

Living with the group was a bit of a rollercoaster at first but I can definitely say I would not trade off any members of my group for my other classmates in a different community. I always thought that the group made the place and maybe at times, the place makes the group. Sure our classmates assigned at other places had living conditions which were way better than ours but what we lacked for in the comforts of our living arrangements, we made up for the relationships we have built and made stronger as the days went by. It did not matter that we did not have tiled floors, television sets and internet connection while at the community, what mattered was the feeling of satisfaction of not having to hold grudges against your group mates. The feeling of acceptance regardless of who you were, how you reacted to certain situations and what you did or did not do for the group eventually made living with each other become as natural as breathing in the air that surrounded our home in Mirangan. Nothing beats the experience of having to sleep peacefully at night knowing you helped your friend be a better person and becoming a better person as well, because a friend helped you realize what you needed to be in order to be a better version of yourself.

I have learned that in our world today, a relationship of any kind is not made by just knowing and embracing the things you have in common and it is not founded on whether you have the same idiosyncrasies or not but it is made solid through the billions of differences you have. It is the annoying things that make you want to behave like cavemen clobbering each other to death that make you want to get to know a person’s character better and get to understand who he/she really is. It is easy to lose yourself and be carried away if all you think about is yourself while living amongst a colorful set of people, sure there are misunderstandings and hurtful moments but these are the things necessary to help you grow as a person.

I have come to realize that if you take away the material things that you think mattered, you eventually will be left with nothing but the insurmountable little things that take your breath away. Life gave me a whole lot of surprises during those days, it sure came in different forms and I tell you the whole experience was worthwhile. When you least expect it, gifts may come to you in a form of a helping hand when faced with endless tasks, a pat on the shoulder when you have done your best for the group, a group hug for when you have finished a core group meeting, community assembly and other tasks that you prepared for through all the sleepless nights, a song for rejoicing because it rained and you had water to finish the laundry. My friend, if you’re reading this, know that it may not come to you just like that, but when it hits you, you learn that in life, what is most essential is almost always invisible to the naked eye.

2nd Core Group Assembly

by: Felimon Mailig, Jr. 

12th day of April, 2012- It was around 12:30 in the afternoon when we started to set up the chapel for the second Core Group Assembly. Everyone was in a fuss. Each one is busy and most are already in the state of panic, it was as if there is only one minute left before “December 21, 2012” (end of the world). Everyone was doing their specific task such as carrying chairs and tables, preparing the blackboard, pens and papers for the core group members, ventilation and lighting, dialogue, and the snacks. And I was also checking the camera because I was assigned to document the said gathering. Looking outside the chapel, I can see the heat waves coming from the solar dryer. The sun was blaring hot and I tend to close my eyes for some time because of the combination of humidity and heat and at the same time, I kept thinking that maybe only a few people could attend the assembly.

With all the things that we were doing, plus the combined humidity and warmth of that day, adding the panic and stress we were feeling at the same time, our sweat pores begin to open and we started to sweat a lot. We were not looking our best for the assembly. We allotted most of our time in preparation for the assembly that we forgot ourselves

By 1 o’clock in the afternoon, everything was ready. The place was already waiting for the visitors. We were looking quite prepared as well minus the makeup and the wax. The snacks were ready to be served. But to our dismay, there is one important thing lacking, the ones we needed much in order for the assembly to start: the members of the core group.

I could not help but think of the same thoughts during the time we were preparing, that maybe because of that day’s weather, the people opted to stay home and sleep. Another reason is because they already attended the assemblies we organized twice: first was the 1st core group assembly and second, the community assembly.

As seconds turned into minutes, I could feel my hope for the assembly shrinking and shattering into pieces. Five minutes after one in the afternoon, there were still no members. Ten minutes after, we were the only ones (medical students) inside the chapel, no members still. After 20 minutes, there were about less than five members and my hopes are almost gone. But by about 1:30 in the afternoon, it was as if a miracle has happened, all the members were there except for those who were not in Mirangan that time.
With all the things that we were doing, plus the combined humidity and warmth of that day, adding the panic and stress we were feeling at the same time, our sweat pores begin to open and we started to sweat a lot. We were not looking our best for the assembly. We allotted most of our time in preparation for the assembly that we forgot ourselves

Peter Vitug writing down the agenda for our 2nd core group assembly.

The tone of the meeting was serious at first. But the group eventually became comfortable with each other.

I could definitely sense their full support towards us. The meeting started in a round table manner and like our PBL, most of the time they did all the talking while the medical students served as the facilitators.
We came up with the final vision and mission, as well as our objectives and goals. Tasks were disseminated. We gave and informed them about the list of activities for our next exposure. Everyone is cooperating and at the end of the session, they told us that they were quite hopeful for our return. What they did made us all teary-eyed and all I can say during that moment is “pwede ma-TEAR here?” which is our group’s expression. We were definitely excited to see those faces again and so much for the fuss awhile ago that we forgot the main reason why we were there in the first place, not to please them by the materials we could bring but because we were there for them and they could feel the sincerity we have towards them.

1st Community Assembly

by: Jermae Rubares

It is in the little things and in the lonely places that we prove ourselves capable of the big things. Let me start this entry by sharing this inspiring message with you. It was an “aha” moment for me when we ended another prayer session with this lasting lesson. I could not help but ponder on such thought. Do the little things matter that much? Why are we shaking off the small stuff? Are they even worth discussing? I mean, they are called “small” for a reason after all. Then looking back, I realized that the little things are the very reason why the big things happen. Well, a more concrete example would be monetary unit, the ‘little’ centavos are the reason why we have the ‘big’ thousand bills. So maybe, if we have such perspective in life, then we wouldn’t be whining and complaining about not achieving the “big” things in a rush. Because building a “big” thousand bill with the “little” centavos take time. If we actually, took time to dwell on such thought then the world would be a better place. If we learned to appreciate the small things, if we took responsibility and embraced the small things, then for sure, big things will happen. If you have proven yourself capable of handling the small stuff, the big things will be handed to you, and everything will be a like a breeze.

“Mauswagong Mirangan 2015”, this is our goal, and in no way is it considered “small”. Indeed, it is ambitious, it is “big” in every angle, yet it is possible. It will be achieved. We already claim victory, because we started by embracing the small stuff, we took responsibility in the little things, and we succeeded. If we already proved that we are capable of the small things, then, lo and behold, the big things will be promising.

The 1st Community Assembly is one of the first steps into reaching our dreams for Mirangan. For others, it may be like it is just another gathering, something that they would normally take for granted, but for us, it is the key to a strong and lasting relationship with the people. Some say that we should not pour all our efforts into the Community Assembly, after all, it is the implementation that would matter most. However, we took a different take on it; we invested on having a good relationship with the people. We listened to them; we talked to them and lived with them. In every day that we shared with the people, we learned more about them. It is in the everyday surprises that we get our inspiration and drive to help our community. The passion that we have to genuinely help the people is greater than our desire to fulfill our school requirements. It is amazing how life changing this experience has become for us. The relationship that we built with the people, the love that we received from them is just so overwhelming, that even in the little acts that we do, we give it our all.

Posters were pinned in designated areas to announce our 1st community assembly.

April 8. 2012, it is not just Easter Sunday, that we celebrated, it was also a celebration of the unity in Mirangan. It was no ordinary Easter. After celebrating the Holy Eucharist, people would normally go to the beach and have picnic, or spend time with their loved ones, but instead of doing so, they celebrated it with us. In the humble grounds of the Barangay Hall, the community people gathered, and chose to spend time with us. For hours, they sat and listened. The program was a testament of the close relationship that we built with the people. They participated and gave us a hand in the preparation of the venue, down to the presentation of data. The medical students, together with their partners (members of the core group) delivered a great presentation of data. The interaction was dynamic. The people did not hesitate to share their thoughts and opinions. The suggestions they gave were also something to ponder on. The assembly ended with an inspiring message from our group leader, Moritz Soliven. She delivered a heartwarming speech that reflected our passion and desire to serve the community without expecting anything in return. After all, the love and acceptance that the community people showed us is more than enough.

Our banner.

Listening intently. 

Ma'am Rhadiza Silao, Barangay Nutrition Scholar, 

sharing her views on malnutrition during the community assembly.

Overall, the 1st Community Assembly was a success. The cooperation that the group members and the community people showed was remarkable. Indeed, we have proven that we never shake off the small stuff. We never take anything for granted, and in whatever success we have, we all offer it to God. For nothing is impossible in His hands. With passion, determination, love and faith in the Lord, Mauswagong Mirangan 2015 will not only be a dream, but a reality.