The Basureros

[blue1108]

nkakaantig nmn tong story na to...pwede cguro irefer nyo cla sa local DSWD pra mreview yng situation nila...o kya kng my local ng mga NGO na tumutulong sa mga tulad nila paki inform cla about these kids.....

frankly medyo irita din ako sa mga palaboy pero pag totoong nangangailangan we should not hesitate extending a helping hand din naman...bow po ako sa'yo sir...

[pinoy_cal]

The Basureros

Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a possible heart enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical exercises.

I do jogging during week days and do long - ride mountain biking every Sunday.

But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to the mountains of Busay (cebu) hoping to strengthened my heart by this exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene that changed me.

I already passed the Marco Polo Plaza (formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel) when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carenderia located along the road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I need fruits to have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top.

I am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the garbage area. "Basureros" I said to myself and quickly turn my attention away from them to sip a small amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them even more.

You see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when in fact the 'plangganas' , 'kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their favorites.

I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside and saw two young basureros running away with my newly installed antenna.

Hatred may be a little bit stronger word to describe my feeling towards these basureros, but I do not like them honestly not till I met these three children.

I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other, a 12-yr old boy, "kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga kumain, nakakahiya" , only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me biting slightly his finger. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my 5 years old son (but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. Old).

Though he did not asked for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked at the customers who were eating , enough to convinced me that he intensely craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera saying "kawawa naman yung mga batang yun mababait pa naman " . I learned further from the carenderia owner that the children are from a good family , both parents were working before, and that their father got a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralized and their mother died of heart attack while their father was still confined at the hospital. The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened, and the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for their father's medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought 20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially refused including the little boy. "Sige lang po, salamat na lang, bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami," the young girl said to me.

I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain. "Nasanay na po kami", the girl answered again.

Again, I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll become sick there's no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning their father, they nodded and accept the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat.

When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them he smiled but as he's about to explain, the little girl, who is the more talker of them interrupted, "Linggo po kasi ngayon,pag sabado at linggo hapon lang po sya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po. Pero pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po nag-aagahan, kami hapunan lang pero kung marami kaming benta , kami pong lahat (kumakain) she continued. "bakit kung kumain kayong lahat, hati-hatiin nyo na lang kahit kunti lang ang pagkain? I countered.

The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch up the teacher's lessons. " P ag nagkatrabaho si kuya, hihinto kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya", the little boy added proudly.

Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia where I left it.

I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself; pretending again this time that I was mending by bike.

Finally I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid goodbye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they can never change; that is , their being motherless. That little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all , the love of his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their mother's presence.

I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I reserved for our department's bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl, "suntukin kita pag hindi mo tinanggap yan" . She smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. "Salamat po, makakabili na kami ng gamot ni papa", she uttered. I then turned to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still noticed that while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack , his left hand was holding a toy ? a worn out toy car. I waved my hands and said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just found the toy in the garbage area or the toy was originally his - when the misfortune did not took place yet? - I did not bother to ask.

But one thing is crystal clear to me, that inspite of the boy's abnormal life, he did not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it that way he hold and stare at his toy.

My meeting with that young basureros made me poorer by 100 pesos. But they changed me and made me more richer as to lessons of life are concerned.

In them, I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me flat footed. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life, cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who sometimes cannot eat three times a day, still able to hold on to what they believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.

Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them through.

And in God's own time they will win.

------------------- may kurot ba sa puso nyo? ---------------------

------ mas mapalad tayong nababasa lang ang kanilang buhay -------

Boss praktikal, baka pwede kang magsimula ng fund drive para sa mga batang ito. I'm out of the country, but I'm more than will to send whatever money I can spare. Maganda ang qualities ng mga batang ito according to your story. Kahit man lang matulungan natin yung panganay na makapag-aral para aasenso naman and buhay nila kahit papaano. I'm sure other fellow tsikoteers can help too. For example, we can skip a routine dinner or two in restaurants and just donate the money.

This case reminds me of the behavior of many fellow Filipinos who are in hardship that we meet here. My wife and I love fishing at maraming kapwa Pinoy na tulad namin sa hobby na ito. Yung iba sinasabi talaga na naghihirap sila sa buhay, at yung iba napapansin mo pero hindi aaminin. Sa mga Pinoy na open magsalita ang sabi ay mas may dignity pa sila kung mangisda na lang o mag-collect ng recycle items sa basura keysa manghingi ng tulong. The ever present Pinoy pride, I guess. The Kids in your story seems to have similar outlook. Others catch fish to sell to neighbor Pinoys so they can supplement their income also. Like the kids, yung ibang nangangailangan ay ayaw tumanggap ng "donation" ika nga until you find a subtle way to convince them. Often we just give them all our catch since we're into fishing for the fun and relaxation at si misis ay hindi rin masyadong mahilig kumain ng isda. We've given away some of our fishing gears by telling them were gonna throw them out anyway because we dont use them anymore. Saka lang nila tinatanggap. We also often have pot luck dinners right at the pier/wharf with our close fishing friends who are mostly retired pinoys too. Every pinoy (even other races) get invited to eat if they are near us at the pier at the time. The local homeless guys (white) has made it a point to pass by our regular gathering spot in the evenings to find out if our group is having dinner. Yes, we always invite them to join. They are not as bad as other people say. They are respectful and helpful folks too. Sabi nga nila ay sumigaw lang kami (especially the ladies) sa kanila pag may mananakit sa amin at sila na bahala. At least daw makakatulong sila at siguradong may 3-meals-a-day at tulugan sila sa kulungan. hahaha!

[cablespy]

cliffnotes?

[CVT]

That is why I always ask/pray with the Almighty for long life, good health and a stable job for both my wife and myself so that we can guide our kids as they grow up....

If the story is true,- I'd be willing to part with some of our hard-earned money every month so that these fine and noble kids will have a better life. There is still hope for them.

I am sad but am resolved.

3909:trampoline:

[maykel]

i've read this letter before, touched din ako sa story na ito. im sure madami pang bata ang kagaya nila at nangangailangan din ng tulong.

sana di magbago ang prinsipyo nila sa buhay, mga ganitong tao na lumaki sa hirap ang mga nagtatagumpay. i am willing to help din, sana may way para matulungan sila.

[VtEC]

amp, kakatouch naman ang kwento nayan.
kailan pa ba lumabas yang kwento nayan??baka by this time e tapos na sa pag aaral yong panganay.

[Galactus]

I've also read this story before, and kumalat din sa email ito...nagtaka nga ako kasi yung mga quotes were originally in Cebuano.

I think credit should be given where credit is due. Sino ba talaga author ng story na ito? Yung threadstarter ba?

[fourtheboys96]

very touching story.

pero yung first part ng storya about the bogus basureros/street kids mejo totoo. dito sa amin naman yung mga kunwari nagtitinda ng sampaguita. pag ndi ka bumili sasabihin sa iyo kahit penge na lang daw ng piso with matching paawa voice. kakainis.

[MAXBUWAYA]

Mukhang Matagal na nga ito,

Antenna and Mike Tyson fight.


Mukhang iba na din situation ngayon

Kailangan sa ngayon hindi basta bigay, kailangan isipin mabuti ang pagbibigyan dahil baka mamaya you are not really helping.

[claRkEnt]

looking at it in another angle, this should remind us to value our health as a lot of people really depends on us. Those kids could be ours if we do not prepare for the unexpected...