A wave of compassion washes over you. You stand before the Tzu Chi Great Love Campus in Sta Mesa Manila. This isn’t just a building. It’s a testament to unwavering dedication. It’s a story etched in both concrete and countless acts of kindness.
The Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines began in 1994. A group of Filipino-Chinese volunteers had seen the transformative work of Tzu Chi in Taiwan. They vowed to bring this spirit of compassion to their homeland. They started small holding meetings in their homes. Their initial seed money came from some 200 donors. The Master Cheng Yen’s Magsaysay Award money also helped fuel their early efforts. She had generously shared her award winnings with those affected by the Mt Pinatubo eruption and flooding in China.
The early Tzu Chi volunteers were ordinary people. Doctors and civilians joined forces. They provided crucial medical aid. They traveled to remote areas bringing food and medicine. Their very first disaster relief effort followed the devastating 1994 Mindoro earthquake. Their selflessness and resourcefulness became legendary. Stories circulated about setting up clinics in classrooms improvising with whatever was at hand. Even Taiwanese doctors initially skeptical visited Manila. They were so impressed they adopted the Philippines’ approach to compassionate and effective disaster relief.
In 2005 Tzu Chi acquired a 4.5-hectare site in Sta Mesa. They built the Great Love Campus. This campus soon housed an Eye Center and a Dental Clinic. These offered free services. The Eye Center addressed cataracts retinal detachment and corneal transplants. By 2013 it had helped over 30 000 people. The Dental Clinic provided free dentures and held weekly mobile clinics.
The Zamboanga City Medical Center also benefited from Tzu Chi’s generosity. In 2008 it opened its own Great Love Eye Center. Thousands of indigent Filipinos received free eye care. The Jaipur Foot Prosthesis Manufacturing Center also opened in Zamboanga. This center produced affordable durable artificial limbs. Since 2004 it has helped over 60 000 patients and provided 1500 Jaipur prostheses. Some amputees were even trained to make and maintain prostheses providing them with livelihoods.
The Tzu Chi Great Love Campus is more than bricks and mortar. It represents hope healing and enduring compassion. It’s a place where the seeds of love planted years ago continue to blossom. It’s a place where you witness the transformative power of selfless service a living embodiment of Tzu Chi’s mission. It is a tangible reminder of the extraordinary impact of ordinary people who choose to make an extraordinary difference.