by Arcelita Imasa and Michelle Cruz Skinner By now, Hawai’i residents have seen what happened on the North Shore during the recent storms. Screens have been filled with images of houses washed away, of homes surrounded by several feet of water, of inundated farmers’ fields.
Many have heard from family and friends about fleeing late on Thursday night, March 19, or in the early hours of Friday, March 20, and now engaging in the arduous and painful task of cleaning up.
What can be done by our Filipino communities in O’ahu to support? What assistance do the North Shore residents, including farmers, truly need?
What bayanihan means in this moment For many Filipinos, the word bayanihan describes a tradition of coming together as one community to help a family or neighbor in need.
Historically, it evokes the image of people literally lifting and carrying a house on their shoulders, but in times of disaster, it means sharing our time, skills, resources, and compassion so that no one is left behind.
Practicing bayanihan after the floods means trusting affected families and farmers to decide what they need most, while we stand beside them with solidarity, not pity.
As soon as the floodwaters receded, Hawai’i Filipinos for Truth, Justice, and Democracy, Bayanihan Clinic Without Walls, and the Hawai’i Workers Center began their bayanihan efforts, aided by Anakbayan Hawai’i, the Filipino Artists Movement, and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, as well as members of the Filipino Association of University Women.
The first step was hearing from manangs, manongs, lelongs, lelangs, aunties, uncles, and kupuna, who are impacted, about how they wished to be served,
Through these conversations, the organizations learned there is no shortage of supplies, such as food and household items, flowing into the affected communities.
However, community members reported needing immediate financial support and space to decide for themselves how best to use it.
Why financial support and autonomy matter Many people explained that they have been busy cleaning and repairing the damage to their homes and the homes of friends and neighbors. This urgent task of ensuring their homes are habitable is consuming their lives 24/7.
It also means they cannot go to work. They are unable to farm, deliver packages, care for their patients, or build, all jobs that brought in income.
In the meantime, they must spend their limited funds on property restoration, home repairs, mortgage or rental payments, and car payments, even if the car is destroyed.
While assistance may eventually be available to some in the form of insurance payments or government or private funding, that will take time. Right now, they are unable to work and must pay for expenses out of pocket.
This is where bayanihan can look like direct financial donations that allow farmers and families to decide what to do first: fix a wall, repair a flooded truck, replace lost tools, or pay for medication.
Giving unrestricted support respects their dignity and autonomy – it says, “You know your life best. We trust you.” It also avoids harmful judgments about “right” or “wrong” ways to use help, such as shaming a family for returning more than once to pick up food when the need is clearly ongoing.
Based on the needs expressed by the residents interviewed, members of the participating organizations have started to gather community donations of any amount, which will be distributed to those affected by the floods on the North Shore.
These funds will help families close the gap between bills due now and assistance that may arrive months from today.
An everyday example of bayanihan is neighbors, friends, and strangers pooling resources so that a farmer does not have to choose between repairing a field or filling a medication prescription.
Showing up: volunteers, stories, and warm food Money is not the only way to practice bayanihan. Volunteers can help muck out homes, move debris, clean fields, or offer rides to appointments. These tasks may seem small, but together they lighten the heavy load families are carrying.
Listening to people’s stories is another powerful act of solidarity. When community members have space to share what they went through, the fear of rising water, the long nights of cleaning, the uncertainty about the future, they feel seen, not forgotten. Bearing witness to these stories can be as healing as any material donation, especially when listeners respond with empathy rather than blame or stigma.
Sharing warm food is also a simple but deep expression of care. After days and nights of cold floodwater, damp clothes, and interrupted sleep, a hot meal can symbolize comfort, safety, and community. Cooking for farmers and families, sitting down to eat together, and celebrating their resiliency honors the reality that they are not just “victims of a disaster” but leaders rebuilding their lives and feeding our islands.
Learning together: why some communities are more vulnerable Bayanihan is not only about helping in the moment; it is also about learning why certain communities are hit harder by disasters and working together to change those conditions.
Education can help us understand how factors such as low wages, lack of flood protections, limited access to health care, language barriers, unsafe housing, or immigration status can make it harder for families to prepare for, survive, and recover from floods and storms.
Community forums, teach-ins, and small group discussions can explore these structural issues while also lifting up stories of resilience and mutual aid. This type of education can correct harmful myths, such as the idea that going back multiple times to receive food donations is something to be ashamed of.
In a true bayanihan spirit, we recognize that repeated need reflects the scale of the disaster and the inequalities that existed long before the flood, not any moral failure on the part of those seeking help.
An invitation to practice bayanihan Members of the collaborating organizations will continue to stand with North Shore families in the months ahead. However, a natural disaster of this scale calls for the whole community to come together. Many hands make light work.
Practicing bayanihan today can look like:
– Donating any amount to vetted community-led funds so farmers and families can decide how best to recover. – Volunteering your time to help with clean-up, rides, food preparation, or childcare. – Listening to and sharing the stories of those affected, without judgment. – Bringing warm meals that nourish both body and spirit. – Joining educational efforts that explain why some communities are more vulnerable, and challenging shaming, blaming, and misinformation when you see it.
In doing so, we honor not only those directly impacted by the floods but also a living tradition of bayanihan that has carried generations of Filipinos through hardship.
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