It is not a question that we only have one family no matter how long it extends to both sides of one’s parents. No matter how big the family is, the fact remains that each person only has one family tree which may keep on growing and growing but is never capable of breeding another tree apart from its own.

That is technically true, and, at the same time, constructively false. We are capable of not just branching out, but also building other families. Maybe not the genetic one, but one that you really internalize and consider a part of your being. We have friends that we consider our family, and the not-really friends in a strict sense.

Here’s the other family of the first situation.

A new family found in Batch Santikan, Ateneo Human Rights Center Sembreak Internship 2010.

And a family of the other kind:

My host family during AHRC's immersion program in Tamala, General Nakar, Quezon.

And our home. My partner and I have had a different family experience that is truly remarkable and unforgettable. Theirs is the family of true Filipino values.

Yes, I have made good use of my semestral break and found two new families to call my own.

The whole internship program was geared towards a familiarity of the different sectors and communities that are in need of our service. It enabled us to find a different perspective and a better outlook in life, and perhaps a deeper appreciation of our social responsibility. I also realized that we are not at all that different given the disparity in terms of civilization because they were able to welcome and embrace us as their own. This led me to understand that we too can relate easily with others despite our differences so long as we consider ourselves one within the same nation.

They are not the friends that we spend our every day with, wasting our resources to find comfort and happiness in little things. They are our fellowmen and now my family. Their plight is our fight.