A Writer from Manila

Passion.

Sometimes, it clouds your vision. A maniacal drive possesses you, and you do the shittiest things. You obsess over something so wrong, but you’re so into it you refuse to listen to reason. You become so involved in something it feels like you’re diving into the ocean blindly, swimming deeper and deeper until you’re too lost to be saved.

But then, there are those times when it motivates you to do the best. To be the best.  

It’s during those times when it becomes truly magical.

It’s been almost a week since The Red Whistle‘s #SaveSexy Lifeguards Laboracay Race, and it’s only now that it’s really sinking in — how I still feel so intensely awed and inspired by our eclectic group of volunteers who signed up to become our #SaveSexy lifeguards. 

When we at The Red Whistle — me, Niccolo, Caitlin, Odj, and RA — first saw the applications start coming in, we thought that maybe these people didn’t really understand what they were signing up for. After all, it was Laboracay, and the Labor Day weekend in the popular tourist destination was known for parties, and not for work. 

We wondered, did they think it wasn’t going to be work? That it was all going to be fun and games? Would they eventually get back to us and tell us we misled them into thinking it was something else? 

All these thoughts raced in our head as we busied ourselves with the preparation for the race, hoping that we had everything covered and that things would run smoothly until the end, fingers crossed. 

There were hiccups along the way. But slowly, things became better as the teams felt the pressure to complete their mission, which was to educate as many people in Boracay on HIV and AIDS. 

​From April 29 to May 1, teams Aware, Courage, and Protect — guided by their leaders Tatum, Minda, and Jhay Dee —  invaded the stations and, armed with their smartphones and a lot of guts, taught the basics of HIV and AIDS to the beachgoers. 

It was astounding, how the fire in their eyes burned as they braved the summer heat to accomplish their task.

Maybe I am waxing poetic about the whole event. But trust me, at the last day, seeing all of those people which our #SaveSexy lifeguards rallied to join the march (getting hundreds of people to walk from Station 2 to Station 1 was no easy feat!) was an absolutely spectacular, stupendous, magical experience. 

Under our breaths we from The Red Whistle muttered, “We did it.” 

Yes, we did it. We did something great. We made an impact. We started a movement. 

Passion. 

When used for something good, what a difference it truly makes. 

Thank you #SaveSexy lifeguards, for reminding me about this. I’m so proud of you guys 🙂