..poverty..

Poverty in the Philippines is now really unfair. May mga nanlilimos kahit san ka pumunta. I fetched my tita last weekend sa airport and yes including airport. I then remember one vivid experience I had somewhere in Libis area when my uncle was going to treat us for dinner one Saturday night. While we’re caught on traffic, not to mention that it was raining quite hard that time, there’s this one boy around 8-10 yrs old selling Sampaguita. As he knocked on the car’s window, I, by chance gaped at his face particularly at his eyes. I saw his expression and gesture of trying to fight the coldness at the same time the enthusiasm to sell the Sampaguita. And just when I’m having second thoughts of buying, that’s when the traffic light turned green, that left us no choice but to go away. But then that encounter also left me crying for the whole trip until we get to the restaurant. That’s the kind of crying that requires no effort at all. Tears would just fall from my eyes. Di ko alam kung iyakin lang ba tlga ako or probably because I’m hurt, that in that huge reality I am feeling so small that I could never do that much to alleviate the poverty. I can hardly eat that time; I really pity that kid, so much that it seems like its breaking my heart. I don’t want to remember the face of that boy anymore. He’s not the type kc na nkakainis, tulad nung iba. Sa kanya sobrang naawa talaga ako. :(

Then every time I came across at Lotto centers, the lines are really unbelievable. That is just another testament that Lotto and the likes would be eminent in poor countries like ours. Also, last week I was able to catch some episodes of Extra Challenge on TV. It was taped on Payatas ata. Anyway, I learned that even after a day’s tiring work of having to dig other people’s garbage as if they were quarrying gold under the heat of the sun and pollution they can just earn as low as 13 pesos. (???)

It made me realize that we are so much blessed of having been able to see foods on our table during meal time. That made me appreciate more of what I have. It’s not that I’m rejoicing in the misery of other people but that we should be grateful for the clothes that we wear, the fine shelter, the descent work that allow us to support ourselves and basically everything that we have. Coz if we go to places like that; we’ll know how hard it is to have nothing. Don’t complain for the things that we’re lacking but be appreciative for what we already have.

And if in times I would feel otherwise, I will just remember that there are more people on worst situations. Hence, I have NO right to complain. :D