Loon, Bohol – A violent altercation during a town fiesta in May 29, 2023 drastically changed the life of 21-year-old Roel Comamao Jr. A seemingly minor dispute with friends escalated into a brutal attack that left him hospitalized and in critical condition due to a severe head injury.
Roel underwent emergency surgery to remove a blood clot and subsequently required a cranioplasty to repair his fractured skull inflicted by a metal knuckle. Faced with overwhelming medical expenses, attending neurosurgeon, Dr. John Rodel Acosta, who handles Tzu Chi Bohol’s referred brain surgery patients, recommended his family to seek assistance from the Tzu Chi Foundation.
The physical and emotional toll of the incident was immense. Over the next 13 months, Roel grappled with agony, anger, hatred, and hopelessness. He turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism, isolating himself from family and friends. The betrayal he felt towards his former companions, with whom he had shared a history of delinquency, deepened his despair.
One month after the cranioplasty, a big scar and deformity is evident on the left side of Roel’s head.
Despite undergoing a successful cranioplasty in June 2024 through Tzu Chi Bohol’s medical assistance program, Roel’s anger and strong desire for revenge persisted. The scar and deformity on his head served as a constant reminder of the trauma he endured.
A turning point arrived unexpectedly on July 5, 2024, when Roel was invited to share his story at the Tzu Chi Bohol Youth Life Camp as a medical assistance beneficiary. As he recounted his ordeal during a briefing with the Tzu Chi volunteers, it became apparent that his emotional wounds ran deeper than what was initially documented.
Recognizing Roel’s need for continued support, Tzu Chi volunteer Brother Joseph Co suggested professional counseling to help him heal and move on. He was then encouraged to attend the youth camp as his turn to share his story was set on the 2nd day. Roel decided to stay and participated in various activities and workshops along with the youth participants. “I stayed and attended the Tzu Chi activity because I wanted to listen (to the sessions) and ( maybe try to) change myself.” Roel ambivalently said, unsure of what to expect from the youth camp.
The teachings and learnings on the first day of the camp had made a major impact on Roel as he took the stage the following day and shared his story with the youth participants. He declared, “In one of the sessions, I learned about respecting our parents. From now on, I will strive not to be rebellious because before, I used to be disobedient towards my parents, I always answer back at them when all they did was to take care of me.” As he came to realized his family’s unconditional love and support to him especially during his darkest moments.
With remarkable courage and a sudden change of heart, Roel openly expressed his remorse and guilt. “I still have a little bit of hatred, but I will do my best not to seek revenge against the people who did this to me”, asserting to abandon harmful behaviors, thoughts, and vices.
During the last day of the youth camp, Tzu Chi volunteer, Brother Alfredo Li’s talk was briefly interrupted after he recalled an experience a few years back in Ormoc when he was mugged by a drug addict. Instead of seeking justice, he let the perpetrator go and forgave him despite the severe physical injuries he sustained that time. As Brother Alfredo’s story was similar to Roel’s, he was once more called back to the stage. Here, Brother Alfredo compassionately gave a striking advice to Roel, “ Master Cheng Yen said, when we meet challenges, we should overcome it with wisdom and compassion, not with hatred and anger. So I tell this to you now, give it up (anger and hatred), let go and you move on for a better future, then let’s have a reunion again after 5 years, I want to see you become a better man by then.” In an instant, Roel affirmed to the audience that he will not seek revenge against his former friends anymore, drawing a loud applause from the crowd.
The once angry and vengeful young man had undergone an intense transformation. Roel expressed sincere gratitude for the help he received from Tzu Chi for his surgery and for everything he experienced and learned at the 3-days camp that helped him shed the darkness of the past and embrace a path of healing and redemption. “I will join Tzu Chi again if there are other activities in the future, and I also want to be like the other youths who are part of the working personnel.”
The Tzu Chi Youth Life Camp’s purpose is not only to instill Tzu Chi’s teachings onto the young minds, but ultimately to inspire the future generations to embody Tzu Chi’s values of compassion and wisdom to help create a better world in the service of those in need. Also, for this year’s youth camp, to discover the importance of encompassing acceptance and forgiveness to redeem oneself from suffering.
