Tzu Chi’s Michael Siao: Choosing a life of commitment

It is often said that the choices one makes in his life decide one’s future.

An oft-repeated adage, it does make sense in the career path and life direction of Michael Siao, Deputy CEO of the Tzu Chi Foundation in the Philippines and head of its Volunteers’ Affairs Department.

In an interview with the Daily Tribune, Michael shared his story, one that exemplifies the dedication and commitment of Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world.  It has been decades since he joined the foundation right after obtaining his degree in manufacturing engineering from De la Salle University.

It was as though his future had been mapped out for him by an unseen hand. Yet this was not exactly the case, for he made a life-changing choice — actually, not just one but several, one leading to the next.

In the early mid-1990s, his father, a businessman dealing in heating materials, visited Taiwan where he met Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the  Buddhist nun who founded the charity concern that eventually became known as Tzu Chi.

From day one, the elder Siao admired the way of life that the kindly monk was espousing. There and then, he made up his mind to introduce his children to her.

Immediately, he envisioned the establishment of a chapter of the charity in the Philippines.

Michael was only 22 years old when he, along with his siblings and other young Filipino-Chinese, met Master Cheng Yen.

Like his father, he easily warmed up to the Master and thus began his quest to bestow love and promote love among his fellowmen.

When they returned to the Philippines, he and his companions propagated their avowed cause among other young people. They soon grew in number and were engaging in various compassionate activities “to help those in need.”

“Our main focus then was laying the foundations of Tzu Chi in our country,” he recounts. “As part of organizing and promoting the teachings and thoughts of Master Cheng Yen, we assisted fire victims.

“If the first concern was to stop a raging fire, which was the goal of firemen, ours was to help the victims in their immediate needs because they have lost everything.”

Food was number one. “We just didn’t aim to provide their immediate meal right after the fire. We gave them enough rice to last for a month. Along with the rice, we gave them cauldron so they could cook their rice.”

Michael recalls, “Ours was a vibrant group. We helped raise funds for our charitable projects. During Christmas we went caroling. We sang in the homes of friends and sympathizers. They were very generous because they knew that their money was to be used to help others. We had just entered their homes but they were already ready with their angpao. Some even sent us second red envelopes.”

Those who welcomed them to their homes were delighted they could sing Christmas carols in five languages — English, Tagalog, Mandarin, Fookien and the Tzu Chi sign language.

Most importantly, the group decided they would not take any amount from their collection for their Christmas party or anything for themselves. All the proceeds went to their charity fund.

Major decision

It was around this time that he and his girlfriend decided to marry. “It was a Tzu Chi wedding. As there was no temple yet, we held it in a basketball court and it was attended by our fellow volunteers.”

Theirs was a perfect match. He met his future wife in the organization. She worked in the Tzu Chi office. They had committed their joint lives to the foundation.

They made their first major decision as a couple. “We agreed not to have children. We felt that if I were to be effective in doing our part assisting countless number of people, we should not be constrained by having to prioritize the needs of our offspring.

It was a decision that had implications to his family. “My brother and sister had joined Tzu Chi fulltime and could not marry. Only one of us siblings had given my parents a grandchild. I was worried my father would not like the idea that I would be childless. To my and my wife’s surprise and relief, he gave us his permission.”

It thus came to pass that the couple would attend to their responsibilities full time.

Two major disasters, an earthquake in Bohol, followed by Typhoon Yolanda in Leyte, brought him to these places with a firmer resolve to make a difference in the lives of the unfortunate, especially victims of misfortune.

He recalls that they first went to Bohol immediately for a survey of the place, the aim being to find out what long-term rehabilitation projects should be implemented.

“But to address the immediate needs, including the burial of those who died, Alfredo Li, who was then the CEO of Tzu Chi, brought a million pesos with him, all placed in a paper bag. “It was quite strange that he should have that much in its container, not hinting at all of the large amount.”

As it happened, Typhoon Yolanda struck Leyte within less than a month, thus shifting their attention to the highly devastated area.

It happened that a batch went to Taiwan, so another group was assigned to Bohol, but then, Yolanda came. So Tzu Chi’s operation was diverted to Yolanda. Without their abandoning Bohol. He shares, “In December we went to Taiwan. Master Cheng Yen reminded us not to forget Bohol.  She said, ‘When you give your word of commitment, do not break it.’ And that we are a committed group, and we may not be compared to many politicians who promise but do not deliver.”

As an aside, she told Michael, “It’s good you chose not to have a child, so now you have more time to help others.”

‘Love from Tzu Chi’

Michael recounts, “In 2014, we returned to Bohol. They appreciated Tzu Chi because we were the only group that promised help and came back to really help.  We could no longer engage in emergency response because the disaster had long been over. So, we went into prefab classrooms. We set up 150 classrooms because so many school buildings were destroyed. Many were parochial schools run by the catholic church. They were among those who had a hard time recovering because there were no Department of Education funds for them. Thus, Tzu chi supplied them with prefab classrooms.

“They eventually had been able to rebuild and so the prefab classrooms were passed on to places that had yet to construct new ones. It could be set up in one day. It was knockdown technology from Taiwan. The donation came from Taiwan but it was internationally funded.”

The operation in Leyte was large because it covered Tacloban and Ormoc, among other municipalities. He relates, “In Ormoc, we have 1,500 prefab houses and 200 classrooms. We also repaired many destroyed rooms of public schools. On their facades was printed LOVE FROM TZU CHI.”

Also in Leyte, one immediate response was the Clean-Up Project. The residents worked by the slogan, Bahay Mo, Kalsada Mo, Linisin Mo (roughly translated — Clean the road in front of your home). “We paid a daily wage of P500, which is more than the minimum wage of P260,” Michael said.

So much has taken place since those two places had been rehabilitated. Michael, too, has done a lot more good for his fellowmen. “It was a risk I took, but I felt that there was a need for volunteers. And I made that choice because Dharma Master Cheng Yen was very credible. She spoke from the kindness of her heart and she knew if you were sincere or not.”

At the time we interviewed Michael, he shared that Tzu Chi had brought in from Bohol siblings who were both cross-eyed. They were due for an operation at the Eye Center. He says, “We are not just correcting the defects in their eyes. We look at this as a way of doing our part for them to lead normal and happy lives. If these are corrected, they have better chances of having a more secure future. It’s not just about the present that we are concerned. It is about the future of those we are trying to help.”