Hindi ko dapat i-po-post ito pero mabigat nang dalhin.
Eto po si Richard, nakilala ko siya sa Million People March sa Luneta. Tubong Cebu pero napadpad sa Maynila para maghanap ng trabaho. Dahil wala siyang mapasukang trabaho, siya ay nagtitinda ng kahit anong pwedeng itinda para maitawid ang kanyang mga araw araw na pangangailangan.
Sa araw ng protesta laban sa Pork Barrel, nakipagsapalaran siyang magbenta ng payong sa halagang Php 150.00.
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Ang lalim ng tarak ng sakit makasama sila sa Scrap Pork rally kahapon dahil alam ko matagal pa o malamang hindi na magbabago ang kapalaran nila hanggang sila ay minamangmang ng kahirapan.
Upang maging lalong makahulugan ang aming pag-pro-protesta, naisip namin tangkilin ang paninda ni Richard. Isang tingin pa lang, alam na namin na hindi matibay ang kanyang paninda. Sa katunayan nga ang unang payong na nakuha namin ay sira nang aming buksan.
Dahil sa kailangan niyang makabenta, dali daling pinalitan ni Richard ang sirang payong.
Hindi kaya ikalugi ni Richard yung sirang payong na yun? Sinabi namin na bibili na lang kame uli sa kanya ng isa pang payong pero tinalo pa ni Richard ang mga nakapag-aral na politiko sa kanyang katapatan.
Nakita namin sa kanyang mga mata at kilos ang pagnanais na ikatuwa namin ang kanyang panindang payong. Kailangan niyang kumita sa malinis na paraan.
Kay Richard ko nalaman, na ang mga tulad nilang walang pang-kapital ay “namomorsyento” lang sa kanilang paninda. Php 20.00 lang ang kikitain ni Richard mula sa Php 150.00 binayad namin. Ilan pa kayang payong na dala niya ang mabebenta niya sa maghapon para maitawid ang isang araw?
Isa lang si Richard sa madaming mahihirap na nakipag-sapalaran sa Million People March sa Luneta para maghanap-buhay.
May mag-i-inang mangangalakal din akong naka-usap na imbes na ipambili ng pagkain ng maliit niyang anak ang aming konting inabot ay itatabi na lang para may pambaon sa eskwela ang kanyang kasamang anak na dalaginding.
Naramdaman ko ang bigat ng responsilibidad na tulungan sila lalo na nang tanungin ako ni Richard kung may-ari daw ba ako ng recruitment agency o nang sabihin sa akin nung inang mangangalakal na kulang na kulang ang kanilang kinikita sa pangangalakal. Alam ko na gustong gusto nilang umahon sa kanilang kinasasadlakan.
Gusto ko silang ilagay sa ayos pero paano?
Paano agarang magkaka-trabaho sa Maynila ang isang probinsiyano na mababa ang pinag-aralan?
Paano iaahon ang isang ina na salat ang kaalaman?
Ang lalim ng tarak ng sakit makasama sila sa Scrap Pork rally kahapon dahil alam ko matagal pa o malamang hindi na magbabago ang kapalaran nila hanggang sila ay minamangmang ng kahirapan.
Sila ang dapat nasasalba ng PDAF kung nagagamit lang sana ng tama.
Si Richard at ang inang mangangalakal, may livelihood training na sana.
Yung dalagitang mangangalakal, hindi dapat pinoproblema ang baon sa eskwela.
Yung kapatid niyang paslit, hindi sana nagugutom at naglalaro dapat sa Luneta.
Pero hindi sila nakikita bilang tao ng mga ganid na politiko.
Ang mga tulad ni Richard ay pawang boto na may presyo.
Pero hindi nila alam ito.
Mike is the author of “Minsan may Isang Puta”, an allegory which has been circulating since 2004 and with over 50,000 likes and shares in social media alone. It won a film grant in 2010 to be included in the multi-narrative Indie film “Ganap na Babae” (International title: Garden of Eve). The teaser, reviews and commentaries are here. The movie was honored as Cinemalaya 2010’s opening film and has won international and local recognition.
The royalties from the initial 150 copies of Mike’s first sole-authored book, The Dove Files, went to a Project Malasakit scholar who graduated Cum Laude in April 2013, the rest was also paid forward to baby Mark who underwent a liver transplant in March 2013.
Part of the royalties of the “Minsan may Isang Puta” book at Barnes and Noble Online goes to support the education of a young Yolanda survivor taking up B.S. Accounting at U.P. Tacloban.
i love your post for having courage and empathy, not taking any moral judgment but immersing yourself into a whirling mass of water where many of our kababayans are sucked in.
Thank you, ALice C. The need to make known the plight of the likes of Richard made me post the experience. There’s so much “what if’s” and “what-could-have-been’s” burning in me, had our politicians genuinely did their part as public servants who serve.
I also want others to share the habit of knowing these hard working Filipinos who make the best of their lot in life. Usually our defenses go up when we encounter peddlers and anyone shabby, but our spirit know better. The defenses go down when eyes lock and the mind is heard. I do hope more will take the time to give back and pay forward, not for the sake of being good but only because this is the main purpose why we are created.
Just like what Metro Manila’s trailer has shown.
for me,janet napoles is not the pork barrel queen,,,,,,,she is a SCAPEGOAT…….just come to think of it…….baliw ang isang tao na magkakaroon ng maraming bahay…..sasakyan na mamahalin…….a little analysis……bakit maraming sasakyan maraming bahay? try to count the houses and the luxury cars….i bet if napoles owns 11 or 12 luxury cars,,,,the 1 belongs to janet and the rest are to the senators who share their pdaf……..kawawa itong c janet……
most likely she is just a scapegoat…but the public is too pre-occupied by their tele-novela to care…very sad…if we can only care enough to make our elected officials be accountable for their actions…
where can i find richard? am from cebu as well and maybe i can help him find a job here in manila. this effort may be too little but at least one of the many millions is saved from the street.
Hi Rosco!
Thank you for taking initiative to help Richard but I have very little information to give you. We felt we were holding him back from making a living by asking him to tell his story. He did mention though that he sometimes stay with brother but more often he sleeps around Luneta. I pray that you chance on him or somebody as helpful as you are.