Goodbye, Goals PH
“Tara mag project!” (Let’s do a project!) was a normal invitation within our circle, totally random and out of the blue. Being around people who genuinely cared for the community, I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by individuals who wanted to help others in their simple ways. Long story short, Goals Ph was officially created in August 2023 to help bridge the gap between the private sector and the community, to provide much-needed assistance in some areas of concern, particularly those within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It also provided an avenue to gather youth volunteers to participate and support such a cause.
Why am I doing this?
That was a frequent question I had whenever people saw me volunteering or conducting projects. As cliché as it may sound, and as I always tell them, “as a parent, I wanted my children to grow up in a community with better opportunities for everyone, and for the younger generation to see the impact of helping others”. That was a paraphrased version, but I hope you get my point. I can no longer recall how often I’ve said that, but those who knew me might have heard it several times. The funniest thing I’ve heard people say was that I’d be running for office; that’s why I’m doing this. This is my brief answer: “If I want to be a politician, you should have seen my name or my face on the project posters, or I should’ve demanded certificates of donations with my full name written on it.”.
What has Goals Ph done?
Before finally deciding to drop Goals Ph, my rather small team and I made a compilation of all the projects we conducted in almost 2 years. Looking back, we’ve had 28 projects. Though mostly done in partnership (or support) with other groups, I can say that it was a good run. Not getting into specifics, we’ve conducted a relief operation for fire victims in a small community, distributed school supplies to over 200 beneficiaries, sponsored kits for Laguna-wide and national conventions for 500 participants, gave out maintenance medicines to 6 barangays, conducted regular feeding programs to 4 shelters, to name a few.
Why does Goals Ph have to go?
Technically speaking, Goals Ph is not a registered group or organization. And as we always tell our fellow volunteers, being with Goals Ph for a certain project means no strings attached. Don’t get me wrong, the brainstorming sessions sometimes became intense, which fueled our passion even more. Sadly, there were several projects where we honestly regretted helping out, as some used them for personal gain or clout. There were even instances where politicians, whom we trusted, grabbed full credit for our hard work.
I’m not saying that others are always at fault. On our end, there were some projects that we couldn’t attend personally, and thus were not documented accordingly. In addition, maintaining the page also had its challenges. Some projects weren’t even posted, making it look like we’ve abandoned our commitment.
Our message…
As we close this short chapter, we’d like to thank all the organizations and private individuals who believed in our vision. It is truly an honor to serve the community in our little capacity. Though this may be the end for Goals Ph, there is a ray of hope in every organization, youth leader, and volunteer we have crossed paths with. The journey in forging a better community is never easy, but with people like you, there is a brighter future to look forward to.
