November 8, 2023
Tzu Chi marks 29th year with plans for a hospital
By Joy Rojas
In his 13 years as a Tzu Chi volunteer, Wilfredo Ortiz Jr. has practically seen and done it all. Originally one of many Typhoon Ondoy beneficiaries of Matandang Balara, Quezon City, he was inspired to follow in the footsteps of the men and women in blue and white after one of them left him with this thought. “Do you always want to be helped—or do you want to be the one who helps?”
Beginning with Tzu Chi’s recycling program at the Old Balara Elementary School (OBES), he volunteered for medical missions, relief distributions, livelihood programs, Jing Si Time for Kids, and fundraisers like Fiesta Verde. In 2013, he was among the first volunteers to set foot in Tacloban, Leyte, in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan).
“We arrived when no help had been given out yet. We saw all the devastation,” says Wilfredo, who is part of Tzu Chi’s Mindong district. “We lived without electricity, food, and water. At night as we slept, we could hear the sounds of people crying in despair.”
In his volunteerism, he has witnessed Tzu Chi’s steady evolution through the years. He saw Sta. Mesa’s Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus (BTCC) transform from a school for underprivileged girls to the sprawling grounds where volunteers carry out Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s missions of charity, education, medical assistance, and Humanistic culture. He has also seen volunteers come and go. And even with a regular job as a handler who hires extras for movies, Wilfredo managed to fly to Taiwan last year to be certified as a Faith Corps commissioner.
“I think Tzu Chi is more organized now,” he says. “It’s more formal and follows a system.”
But Tzu Chi Philippines is far from done. At its 29th anniversary program held on November 4 at BTCC’s Jing Si Hall, Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) co-founder Dr. Jo Qua announced plans to establish a hospital in BTCC, one that will provide accessible, affordable, and expert healthcare to all. Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez added to the good news: Physical therapy and acupuncture services are also part of Tzu Chi’s 5-year vision.
“We started with nothing until we grew and spread to different regions,” says the CEO. “Now we can do more.”
For all the exciting developments to look forward to, some things never change. As with all important Tzu Chi events, the foundation’s 29th year in the Philippines began at dawn with the somber three steps and one bow, a Buddhist ritual akin to a pilgrimage and one that symbolizes humility, gratitude, and reverence to one’s faith.
“We expect it every year and we’re always willing to join,” says Wilfredo. “As disciples of Master Cheng Yen, we offer ourselves as her volunteers [by making the full prostration].”
Even first-timers are moved by the ceremony that involves taking three measured steps before getting down on your knees and placing your forehead to the ground, your palms facing upward.
“I was amazed at how humble our Uncles and Aunties looked while they were doing it,” says Jazzamine Jane Franco, a BS Economics major at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. “When I did it, I reflected on my past actions and experiences and how they shaped me as a person.”
New scholar and conservative Muslim Chermee Jandilon says doing three steps and one bow is no different from Salah, the Muslim prayer said five times a day and in prostration.
With every bow, the daughter of a taxi driver gave thanks to the blessing of a Tzu Chi scholarship, and the chance to be part of a community that has extended unconditional assistance and love to the poor and underserved for nearly 30 years.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says the BS Psychology major from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. “At BTCC, everything is just so calm and peaceful. I feel it and carry it with me when I go home. Every time I’m here, I feel like a different person.”
On November 4, Tzu Chi Foundation started its 29th anniversary in the Philippines with the solemn three steps and one bow ceremony at the grounds of Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Commissioners, staffers, volunteers, scholars, and special guests participated in the dawn ritual.【Photo by Harold Alzaga】
On November 4, Tzu Chi Foundation started its 29th anniversary in the Philippines with the solemn three steps and one bow ceremony at the grounds of Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Commissioners, staffers, volunteers, scholars, and special guests participated in the dawn ritual.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
On November 4, Tzu Chi Foundation started its 29th anniversary in the Philippines with the solemn three steps and one bow ceremony at the grounds of Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Commissioners, staffers, volunteers, scholars, and special guests participated in the dawn ritual.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
On November 4, Tzu Chi Foundation started its 29th anniversary in the Philippines with the solemn three steps and one bow ceremony at the grounds of Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Commissioners, staffers, volunteers, scholars, and special guests participated in the dawn ritual.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
On November 4, Tzu Chi Foundation started its 29th anniversary in the Philippines with the solemn three steps and one bow ceremony at the grounds of Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Commissioners, staffers, volunteers, scholars, and special guests participated in the dawn ritual.【Photo by Harold Alzaga】
![“We expect the three steps and one bow every year and we’re always willing to join,” says volunteer Wilfredo Ortiz Jr. (second from left). “As disciples of Master Cheng Yen, we offer ourselves as her volunteers [by making the full prostration].”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】](/assets/news-page/images/36FC73A1-35D2-4009-8905-BB6657540981-min.jpg)
“We expect the three steps and one bow every year and we’re always willing to join,” says volunteer Wilfredo Ortiz Jr. (second from left). “As disciples of Master Cheng Yen, we offer ourselves as her volunteers [by making the full prostration].”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
New scholar and conservative Muslim Chermee Jandilon (fourth from right) participates in her first three steps and one bow. She says it’s no different from Salah, the Muslim prayer said five times a day and in prostration.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
“I was amazed at how humble our Uncles and Aunties looked while they were doing it,” says Jazzamine Jane Franco, a BS Economics major at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. “When I did it, I reflected on my past actions and experiences and how they shaped me as a person.”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Originally a typhoon beneficiary, Wilfredo Ortiz Jr. became a Tzu Chi volunteer after one of the senior volunteers left him with this thought: “Do you always want to be helped—or do you want to be the one who helps?”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
With every bow, Chermee Jandilon, the daughter of a taxi driver, gave thanks to the blessing of a Tzu Chi scholarship, and the chance to be part of a community that has extended unconditional assistance and love to the poor and underserved for nearly 30 years.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
(From left) Tzu Chi Philippines’ first CEO Linda Chua, Tzu Chi Deputy CEO Woon Ng, Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez, and Tzu Chi International Medical Association co-founder Dr. Jo Qua express gratitude to volunteers for making Tzu Chi Philippines the impactful organization it is today.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez says physical therapy and acupuncture services are part of Tzu Chi’s 5-year vision. “We started with nothing until we grew and spread to different regions,” says the CEO. “Now we can do more.”【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Volunteers cheered after Dr. Jo Qua announced that Dharma Master Cheng Yen gave her blessing to build a hospital in BTCC.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Tzu Chi Philippines’ first CEO Linda Chua suggested ways on how to fundraise for the hospital’s construction.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
Tzu Chi Philippines also received congratulatory messages from Tzu Chi Charity Foundation CEO Po-Wen Yen and Tzu Chi Executive Director of Global Volunteers Stephen Huang.
Tzu Chi Philippines also received congratulatory messages from Tzu Chi Charity Foundation CEO Po-Wen Yen and Tzu Chi Executive Director of Global Volunteers Stephen Huang.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Marella Saldonido】
In keeping with the celebratory mood, volunteers performed songs, dances, and an excerpt from the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings.【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Humanity class for Tzu Chi’s college scholars coincided with Tzu Chi’s 29th anniversary program. For November’s class, Dr. Jose Ramon L. Guzman discussed healthcare and first aid. Held at BTCC’s Harmony Hall and livestreamed to provincial scholars, the class was attended by 174 scholars, including 40 from Iloilo.【Photo by Tina Pasion】
Humanity class speaker Dr. Jose Ramon L. Guzman (second from left) receives a certificate of appreciation from Tzu Chi Education Committee Head Rosa So (in blue) and Former Tzu Chi scholars Margo Ma-ang (first from left) and Jefferson Aguilar (first from right), who served as the event’s hosts.【Photo by Tina Pasion】