When the Ground Shook: How Davao's Youth Leaders Answered the Call
From earthquake to action in 48 hours: How Davao's youth communities mobilized ₱114,709 in donations and served 400+ families, proving that young leaders don't wait for permission to create change.
1. The Crisis
October 10, 2025. Two massive earthquakes, measuring 7.4 and 6.7 on the Richter scale, ripped through eastern Mindanao, leaving a trail of destruction across Davao Oriental. The doublet quake triggered tsunami warnings across seven provinces, sent 347 people to medical facilities, and left hundreds of families in Manay and Caraga municipalities without shelter, food, or basic necessities.
As the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office raised the alert status to Red and emergency responders scrambled to assess the damage, something else was happening across the city. Young leaders from different communities were already asking themselves: What can we do?
2. The Response: From Idea to Action in 48 Hours
Two days after the earthquake, on October 12, what started as conversations among youth leaders transformed into action. Through Davao Young Executives, we reached out to leads from different communities across the city. The message was simple: Our neighbors need help. Let's do something.
What happened next surprised even us.
In four days, we raised ₱114,709 in monetary and in-kind donations. Volunteers we'd never met before showed up at collection points. Organizations across Davao, from tech communities like DevCon Davao and Phenomenal Filipina to student groups from various colleges, from startups to established institutions, rallied behind a single cause.
This wasn't a Davao Young Executives project. It was a collective effort of Davao's youth who refused to sit idle while communities struggled.
Volunteers working tirelessly to prepare relief goods for distribution
3. The Power of Community Collaboration
Twenty-plus organizations came together, each bringing their networks, resources, and energy. The collaboration list read like a directory of Davao's most dynamic communities:
- Tech and Innovation: Dotside Studios, IEEE Philippine, The Bloom, DevCon Davao, Base, UX Davao, Davao Defi, MooManage and many more others
- Student Organizations: Various university chapters including student councils from different institutions
- Professional Networks: IDEAS Davao, Upgrade Innolab, Cavalier Agrivet Supply, Phenomenal Filipina, FEAR NOT, and many others
- Supporting Partners: Kota Study Center & MexC Foundation became a major donor for the Caraga phase, demonstrating how established organizations can amplify youth-led initiatives.
What made this collaboration work wasn't just the number of partners; it was the trust. People and organizations donated money to youth leaders they barely knew because they saw genuine commitment to making a difference.
4. By the Numbers: Transparency in Action
From day one, we knew that managing community donations came with responsibility. We maintained complete transparency throughout the process:
Financial Summary
Total Donations Received
₱114,709
(monetary + in-kind)
Families Helped
400+
across both municipalities
Program Cost
₱101,035
91.4%
Operations
₱9,486
8.6%
Balance
₱4,188
Relief Goods Procured
Food Supplies
- •20 sacks of rice
- •2 cases Birch Tree Fortified milk
- •8 cases Ho-Mi Noodle Beef
- •5 cases Lucky 7 Carne Norte
- •1 case Argentina Beef
- •1 case Great Taste coffee
- •4 cases Bingo Beef Loaf
- •2 cases Sardines
Hygiene & Essentials
- •2 cases Bioderm Bath Soap
- •3 cases Solve Powder Wings detergent
- •1 case Charmepe Nap All Night diapers
- •1 case Lampein Baby Pants
Emergency Supplies
- •50 pieces Tents
- •10 boxes Solar Panels
Essential Medicines
Impact: 220+ families received food packs, medicines, tents, and solar lights during initial distribution. Overall, we reached 400+ families across both Manay and Caraga municipalities.
5. On the Ground: Two Missions, One Purpose
Manay: The First Response
After four intense days of collection and preparation, we loaded vehicles with relief packs and headed to Manay. Working with the Local Government Unit, we coordinated access to affected barangays. The distribution took place at Jose Bitac Integrated School, where families gathered not just for relief goods, but for a moment of hope.
The logistics were challenging: sorting, packing, loading, traveling, coordinating with officials. But seeing the community come together made every exhausted hour worth it.
Distribution of relief goods to families in Manay
Caraga: Extending the Mission
Four days after Manay, we learned that Caraga needed help too. We didn't hesitate. With support from MexC Foundation and our network of partners, we launched another four-day drive. The preparation, packing, and coordination process repeated, but this time with lessons learned from our first mission.
Volunteers who had joined us for Manay came back. New ones signed up. The momentum wasn't slowing down; it was building.
Relief distribution in Caraga: reaching more families in need
The Moments That Matter
Numbers tell one story. But the real impact lives in the moments between the statistics.
A mother holding a relief pack, tears streaming down her face, whispering "Salamat kaayo dai." An elderly man receiving medicine for his hypertension, nodding gratefully. Children excited about instant noodles that meant they'd have dinner. Families setting up tents donated by strangers who cared.
These weren't just beneficiaries receiving aid; they were our neighbors, our fellow Davaoeños, reminding us why we did this in the first place.
For the volunteers, exhaustion mixed with fulfillment. Four straight days of preparation, packing until late at night, then the long journey to deliver personally. We were tired. We were running on minimal sleep. But when we heard "Salamat kaayo dong" from someone whose home was damaged but whose spirit remained unbroken, the fatigue disappeared.
The team that made it all happen: volunteers united by a common purpose
What We Learned: Lessons for Young Leaders
1. You Don't Need Permission to Help
We didn't wait for someone to organize this. We saw a need and took action. Young leaders often underestimate their capacity to create change. This experience proved that age and experience matter less than genuine commitment and willingness to learn.
2. Collaboration Multiplies Impact
No single organization could have achieved what twenty-plus communities did together. Each partner brought unique strengths: networks, logistics, funding, volunteers. The result was greater than the sum of its parts.
3. Transparency Builds Trust
Managing ₱114,709 from community donations meant accountability wasn't optional. By maintaining detailed records and sharing exactly how every peso was used, we earned trust from donors and partners. That trust became the foundation for everything else.
4. Logistics Matter as Much as Heart
Good intentions need good execution. Coordinating with LGUs, organizing volunteer shifts, managing inventory, planning transportation: these operational details determined whether our mission succeeded or failed. Learn these skills. They turn compassion into concrete impact.
5. Community Trust is Earned Through Action
People donated to youth leaders they didn't know personally because they saw organized action, transparent communication, and genuine care. In a world of broken promises, delivering on commitments builds credibility that extends far beyond one project.
6. You're More Capable Than You Think
Most of us had never organized disaster response. We lacked formal training in emergency management. But we figured it out: asking questions, learning from mistakes, supporting each other. Young leaders often wait until they feel "ready." This experience taught us that readiness comes through doing, not just preparing.
Moving Forward: From Response to Resilience
The Davao Oriental donation drive ended, but the questions it raised remain: How can Davao's youth communities be better prepared for the next disaster? How do we build systems that enable rapid response when crisis strikes? How do we maintain the collaborative spirit beyond emergency situations?
These are conversations worth having. Because the ground will shake again. Disasters will strike. And when they do, the question isn't whether young leaders can respond (our experience proved we can). The question is whether we'll be even better prepared next time.
Join the Movement
The youth leaders who made this mission possible came from different backgrounds, organizations, and communities. What united them was a simple belief: that young people can create meaningful change when they work together.
Davao Young Executives exists to build that capacity through trainings that develop skills, bootcamps that strengthen leadership, and outreach programs that turn compassion into action.
Want to be part of the next mission? Follow us on social media to stay updated on upcoming trainings, bootcamps, and outreach programs. Because the next time our community needs us, we want you standing alongside us.
Special thanks to every individual donor, partner organization, and volunteer who proved that when young leaders unite, communities rise together.