Pinay named world’s most outstanding volunteer

MANILA, Philippines - The sight of a person chasing another with an ice pick may be disturbing to some but when Habitat for Humanity volunteer Alexandra Eduque saw it actually happening, she was thrilled.

“I cannot remember everything because it happened long ago. But if I remember right, they were chasing each other with ice picks because someone stole salt from a store or something as petty as that,” Eduque said in an interview yesterday.

“For me, it was a thrill. Oh my God! What I saw from the movies just happened!” she added.

The 23-year-old advocate was recently named Outstanding Volunteer by international charity group Resource Alliance in Amsterdam, one of two awards she received for her work among the poor.

Habitat for Humanity promotes human dignity by building decent shelters for the poor.

Eduque and the rest of Habitat for Humanity were helping fire victims in Baseco, Tondo rebuild their homes when the incident happened. She remembered not taking a call from her mom that day as she was overwhelmed by the ice pick chase.

But far more important than the violent scene was the Filipino spirit that Eduque saw in the depressed area.

“There was this huge fight there and people were stabbing each other. They (residents) said ‘Alex enter the house’ so they could guard you,” she said.

“The fact that they are willing to go out of their way (to protect you) even if they do not have anything, that should be a wake-up call,” she added.

Eduque also narrated how a family of eight invited her to lunch even if they had to make do with just one tuyo (dried fish).

“The Filipino spirit is so resilient and it’s really this unique aspect of bayanihan. No matter how little or how much they have, they still find it in themselves to help others,” she said.

Eduque has been involved in philanthropic activities for eight years, proof that she has been addicted to reaching out to people. But little did she know that she would receive international recognition for something she enjoys doing.

Apart from outstanding volunteer, Eduque also won the first-ever International Fundraising Conference (IFC) Choice Award, making her the youngest and the first Filipino to ever receive the honor.

The awards recognized Eduque’s efforts in Habitat for Humanity.

“I really did not expect it at all. I was extremely happy flying to Amsterdam because I was short-listed as a finalist. To me, it was a feat in itself. When my name was called as the winner of the Outstanding Volunteer Award, I remember I was in a daze,” Eduque said.

“When my name was called again at the end of the night as the first recipient of the IFC Choice Award, the feeling was indescribable,” she added.  

So shocked was Eduque that she tripped when she was about to receive the Outstanding Volunteer Award.

“I tripped and I told myself ‘Okay this is God telling me get back to reality, focus.’ So there I was focusing because my mom made me wear high heels and stockings, so naturally I was slipping all around place,” she said.