April 26, 2024
From banker to Tzu Chi volunteer
By Joy Rojas
When Joy Gatdula volunteered to dispense free medicines to pediatric patients at the large-scale medical mission organized by the Tzu Chi Foundation in Sultan Kudarat from April 4 to 6, there was just one hitch. The banker for over 30 years had never done pharmacy work before.
“Initially, I had some reservations. You know, I can't even read prescriptions,” she admits with a smile.
Any doubts were but temporary. Eager and open to learning new things, she took on the challenge wholeheartedly. Before she knew it, she not only got the hang of it, she actually enjoyed what she was doing.
Weeks later, she’s already set her sights on how she can be of use in the next medical mission. “I would have wanted to volunteer in the surgery room, assuming there are lay persons. But [Tzu Chi medical mission organizer] Dr. Josefino ‘Jo’ Qua said they usually get nurses,” she says. “Now, I'm thinking, maybe it's nice to do registration because you see all kinds of people. I’d really like to be in the battleground, so to speak, and meet these people.”
For Joy, volunteerism comes naturally, it’s akin to a calling. “I believe in reaching out to others. Sharing God's blessings, graces. Also, trying to alleviate their lives,” she says.
In her life, there were many opportunities to help. Educated in Catholic schools, she participated in outreach and immersion programs from her elementary to her college years. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives in the three banks where she was connected with complemented her work in credit analysis. The mom of four grown children also made time to volunteer in her parish and for various civic organizations.
While she had always been a dedicated volunteer, it was the untimely death of dear friends at 50 due to cancer that spurred her to truly make each day count. “I have to seize the moment, the eternal now,” she says. “Because past is past and the future is not ours, I’m more mindful of my time and energy.”
Ironically, Joy’s involvement with Tzu Chi didn’t begin with volunteerism—rather, it began with tai chi classes. Despite not knowing anyone from the foundation or understanding a word of Chinese, she stuck with it. Soon, she was approached to make a donation; then, an invitation to join Tzu Chi’s formation, a nine-month training for volunteers.
The offer appealed to her inquisitive mind, desire for growth, and the belief that “if we gain new things we have more to share.”
It also opened doors to serving a wide variety of sectors in need. As a volunteer in training, she is active in Tzu Chi’s program for scholars, assisting in monthly Humanity classes, home visitations, and evaluating scholars for the renewal of their scholarships. She attended Diligence Day and Buddha Day, where she experienced the traditional three-steps-and-one-bow ritual.
She was also there for Tzu Chi’s first medical mission for scholars, staff members, and their families at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus (BTCC) in Sta. Mesa, Manila, in April 2023. And she was at the April 21 staging of Runrio Earth Day Run, where, as an advocacy partner, Tzu Chi promoted its programs for recycling, sustainability, and vegetarianism.
With each chance to volunteer, she’d make new friends—and, to her surprise, reacquaint herself with old ones too. The Sultan Kudarat medical mission reconnected her with Tzu Chi General Santos volunteer Joven Chua, whom she encountered 20 years ago when he was a client in a bank she oversaw.
“At his present age, 20 years hence, I would see him early in the morning until late at night at the medical mission,” she says admiringly. “ I was awed. He really inspires me, and I find him very worth emulating.”
Meanwhile, it took a Ju.D’s Fruitcake for Joy realize that the delicious treat she had been giving and receiving in all her banking years was by Judy Lao, head of Tzu Chi’s Department of Communications.
“I was initially getting them as a gift from my client, until the time came that I myself was already buying it,” she explains. “So after Sultan Kudarat, when she said she was going to send me a fruitcake, it suddenly dawned on me: This might be Ju.D’s Fruitcake, my favorite. And then lo and behold, when I received the item, oh my gosh, it really was! I was starstruck! That fruitcake showed what serendipity is for me.”
Joy’s presence is as serendipitous to Tzu Chi too. Through her, volunteers have someone who can contribute her skills and talents in academics, mentorship, and counseling. We can all adopt her attitude of making the most of every opportunity that comes our way too.
“I treat each day like it’s my first day and my last,” she says. “Each day is met with excitement, but also with the thought that you could be taken from your earthly life at any time. So you do your best and have no regrets.”
Consider the Tzu Chi Foundation as your platform for offering compassion and relief to those who need it the most. Celebrating its 30th year in the Philippines this year, Tzu Chi has over 10 million volunteers working in more than 60 countries. Be part of a community that wants nothing more than to help improve the lives of others.
Says Joy, “It is our responsibility to reach out, to share, and be one with our brothers and sisters.”
A volunteer at Runrio’s Galaxy Watch Earth Day Run on April 21 at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds, Joy Gatdula hands a Tzu Chi flyer to a runner post-race.
At the Tzu Chi booth of Runrio’s Galaxy Watch Earth Day Run, volunteer Joy Gatdula shows one of the upcycled items for sale, a mat woven from the excess material of sports socks. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Mission accomplished: Posing before the runners’ dedication wall at the Runrio Galaxy Watch Earth Day Run. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
At Tzu Chi Foundation’s medical mission in Sultan Kudarat from April 4 to 6, Joy Gatdula volunteered to dispense free medicines to pediatric patients—even if she had no experience with pharmacy work. Her eagerness to help and learn new things helped her overcome (and even enjoy) the challenge. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Tzu Chi volunteer Joy Gatdula familiarizes herself with medicines at a medical mission in Sultan Kudarat. 【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
At a moving-up ceremony for volunteers in training in March, Joy Gatdula (fifth from left) receives her uniform at the Jing Si Auditorium. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Joy Gatdula (second row, third in line) awaits to go on stage to receive her volunteer uniform. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Seizing every moment: Joy Gatdula (second row, fourth from left) with volunteers in training in a moving-up ceremony held in March. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】