Paying forward, saving lives

“They wanted to pay back, but they do not know who to thank so they have the urge to pay it forward”

People who have met Nap Marilag (Basic 208, Starshooters 66) would describe him as a simple jolly person and behind his very good sense of humor is a loving heart. It simply started with a desire to help someone he doesn’t know, and he also doesn’t know where his contribution will go and when it will be used. He saw the answer when he donated blood and at that moment he knew that was it.

Being an extrovert that he is, he enrolled his friends to join him. Some people doubted his capacity while others question his motives but in the end he was able to gather together 400 people to donate their bloods. The bags of blood from donors were then stored in different hospitals and are available for free to people in need. From this, his effort and story of good deeds was passed on until it reached a TV network. The said network partnered with him and in the process he was able to invite more blood donors and organize a lot of blood letting projects, of which he lost count.

He was meant to be a part of PSI. He shared to me the story of how he became a PSI Basic graduate and it was amazing, although quite confidential. I’m lucky enough to hear it. He told me that it was in PSI where he was affirmed and that he finally found the perfect word to describe the things that he has been doing… AGAPE.

Nap is continuously inviting people to donate blood and he shared to me his goal of organizing the biggest bloodletting project that will beat the current holder of the Guinness Book of World Record for having the highest number of blood donor (13,832) held in India on September 2004.