The Ripple Effect of Unconditional Compassion and Kindness

Hannah Joice Nicole S. Malacad

The true miracle of giving lies in its ability to create ripples of positivity, touching countless lives, including our own. It goes beyond donating money, performing charitable acts, or showering others with gifts to see them smile. Giving is miraculous as it has the ability to uplift our souls with a sense of purpose while spreading hope for a brighter future to those we help or who witness our generosity. It has the spark that ignites a chain reaction, inspiring others to continue the legacy of kindness in their simple ways, ensuring the cycle of giving keeps turning. 

Nowhere is the spirit of community more embodied than in the rural town of Santa Rita, Pampanga, where it was vividly demonstrated to me last December 15, 2024, during an outreach program.

The outreach program, aptly named “Christmas Gift-Giving,” is an annual tradition every December by the Carlos-Lansang Family of Santa Rita. It aims to share their blessings with the less fortunate in their community and is the culmination of their continual efforts throughout the year.

Mrs. Helen Carlos Monteron fondly recalls how her parents, Jose Laxamana Carlos, and Amanda Lansang Carlos, started this program with a simple yet profound dedication to extend tangible help to their fellowmen, especially during calamities, natural disasters, accidents like fires, and special occasions such as Christmas or medical missions. From a young age, Mrs. Monteron witnessed her parents’ spontaneous acts of kindness and their efforts to organize such projects whenever the community needed them. From then on, she and her thirteen siblings were continually nurtured to value unconditional compassion for other people. Although she cannot pinpoint the exact time the program began, the family remains committed to continuing it as a tribute to their parents’ legacy of helping the community since their marriage in 1953. Their initiatives have included a scholarship program and a senior citizens’ hall in their town. 

Volunteering that day, the Carlos-Lansang family’s genuine determination to breathe life into their family tradition ceaselessly struck me. Early in the morning, three generations of the Carlos-Lansang clan—led by seven of the fourteen siblings: Baby, Helen, Jay, Jake, Phil, Liza, Grace, and their mother’s youngest sister, Sr. Pia Lansang, OSB—gathered with smiles that radiated warmth. They greeted the volunteers and early arrivals for the Christmas groceries, their joy a testament to their passion for sharing and their commitment to their parents’ legacy. The family bustled with excitement as they entered their Bale Bato ancestral home to prepare for the program. Even the youngest members actively participated, helping to pack food items and hand out fare money to the recipients. Throughout the day, I could not help but smile inwardly, continually amazed by this non-political family that regularly comes together to perform meaningful acts of kindness for people outside their immediate circle. Their selfless and unwavering drive for charity was inspiring and heartwarming. 

The recipients – totalling to 300, were very much grateful for the generosity of the Carlos-Lansang family. I could see the look of gratitude in their expressions, and many asked me to pass on their heartfelt thanks to the family as they left through the old gate. The sparkle of thankfulness in the children’s eyes confirmed that lives had been touched. It was a powerful reminder that, despite the complexities and challenges of today’s world, kind and generous people still exist. There are those among us who extend a helping hand without any obligation or expectation of return, simply because they believe in the power of giving.

In this season of love and gratitude, let us be inspired by the Carlos-Lansang family. Let us remember that the true value of giving is not measured by the size or quantity of help but by the sincerity of intentions behind it. So, do not hesitate to extend your hand in whatever way you can, as you never know how your simple gesture of kindness might transform lives, sparking hope, joy, and inspiration in others. These acts of generosity can create positive change in the world, inching us closer to a future where charity is no longer needed because poverty has been eradicated. The journey may be long, but let us not lose hope, for that day will come.