It was the worst of times; it was the best of times.

“Ondoy” was the worst flooding in 42 years that killed some very good people, some of the bravest and the finest (and now except for a few we will never know their names or accord them due honors). The rain that fell in one day that was equivalent to 30 days’ output brought out the best of our rescuers, heroes all, as it also shone a beacon on the thousands of volunteers, including children, who streamed in, in a flood of charity and compassion, into receiving stations, distribution centers, the covered courts of their schools to cook, to pack and repack relief goods for the victims.

ABS-CBN had to turn away volunteers who were so many they and their cars were clogging the street. In Cubao, Sandee did not know what to do with an overflow of helpers, more than 500 youngsters just waiting to be told what tasks lay ahead. Mar produced 700 sacks of rice, made his aides swear they would not attach a single blue-and-yellow sticker or say a word about the donor. (I’m not an aide, Mar, and I didn’t swear to anything.) Sister Tere, MIC, supervised the operations at Immaculate Conception Academy, her eyes bright with pride that in a matter of hours after she sent out text messages the campus of her “little school” was inundated with bags and boxes for the refugees of San Juan. And my daughter, who has never cooked arroz caldo for me, was seen doing just that, though not for me, for two days and two nights.

The worst of times demanded the best in people. But some of them could not help but live up to the cheap image of electioneering politicians going so far as tagging along a photographer to record the gift-giving and a press-release virus to spread the self-serving message. (And the unwritten message? “You’re all wet!”)

In the worst of times the fortunate who survive an epic disaster thank the Lord and pray for the less fortunate. In the best of times when altruism and heroism sweep away the garbage of cynicism, how reassuring to know that human frailty is just one breath away from a spark of the divine.