Pedro Pobre

So we watched this documentary yesterday about the lives of our poor kababayan and their daily struggles just to live. I could say that it was an eye-opening experience, that I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of the reality of what daily living is like for them, or that this awakened in me a desire to help my fellow countrymen and such. But in all honesty, it hasn't.

The truth is, I really don't like these types of documentaries. First of all, there's no sign of empathy from the host. Actually, his tone of voice sounds more like he's jeering at them. He has this....explosive tone of voice, which I though was inappropriate for the situation. I really prefer the Jessica Soho-type of documentaries. Next, when someone is forcing me to watch it (meaning I didn't decided for myself to watch it), the whole thing feels like a slap to the face. My love for my country and my fellow countrymen didn't change really. All it did was it made me feel like crap, because the message I'm getting is "Millions of Filipinos live like this while you live with all your needs provided. You have no right to be happy while a lot of Filipinos are suffering". I may never know if this was really the case, but even if it was, what the hell can I do? I'm just a kid who can't do much of anything. Heck! I can't even drive! People might say that I may not be able to do much right now except to know and understand, but in the future I might. That may be so, but until then, I'll feel like crap thank you.

Third, my father grew up in the backwater town of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. We used to take family visits there every year (we stopped when I entered college, because since then summer classes came to my life), so I know what it's really like in the province. I've known ever since I was a kid. How he hiked through mud and cross rivers just to get to school, how my grandparents worked so hard to feed their family of 8 children, how my dad and his siblings had to work in the farms, and how sometimes they just have tuyo and rice for dinner. I know all that and I revisit it every year (last visit was this past sembreak). But my dad always told me, that his family wasn't exactly fortunate, but they worked hard and never gave up. They always strive to be better and that's how he was able to save enough money to study in Cebu and become a lawyer. He told me stories about him when I was still a small kid, so I've always carried this notion that hard work will always prevail. And even he said that those who are suffering and in poverty, in some way it is their fault that they're in that situation. It might sound cold and harsh, but I actually agree with him.

As a person, my heart does go out to those people. But right now, there's not much I can do.