The “Other Side” of Divisoria (Manila, Philippines)

The “Other Side” of Divisoria (Manila, Philippines)

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

While Divisoria has always been known as the shoppers’ Mecca, especially, during Christmas, there is” another side” of it which I do not want to present as an image of poverty but that of perseverance, patience, and honest endeavor. This is the “other Divisoria” which many people just refuse to see as it might cause them to puke! The accompanying photos show how these honest Filipinos contentedly strive to live in sheer honesty.

 

The skeptics always say, “it is their fault for going to Manila and suffer deprivation”. These hypocrite skeptics have  TV, radio, and occasionally read newspapers, so they should know that the provinces from where these people who are eking out an honest living on the “other side” of Divisoria, are infested with NPAs, Abu Sayyaf, opportunistic landlords, and loan sharks. For the arrogant, the world is just for those who can afford to live decently. On the other hand, as these skeptics have not endured days of hunger, they may not understand how it is to make a difficult decision to live a hand-to-mouth life in Manila by scavenging in garbage dumps, rather than die of hunger and be in constant fear for dear life in the province.

 

It is true that the slums have been in existence for many decades now, but there would be no slums had the government ever since the time the nation has become independent, did not get infested with corrupt lawmakers and officials. The slums have been around since the time that deprivation and exploitation have been propagated by learned Filipinos who found their way in the halls of Congress and Senate, as well as, agencies, even at the helm of the government. Unfortunately, the seed of exploitation has grown into an uncontrollable proportion today, making corruption as wrongly and unfairly viewed to be always a part of the Filipino culture.

 

The striving people from the slums near Divisoria, and other districts of Manila, in this regard, may be viewed by the arrogant as akin to dogs and cats, because of their many children, oftentimes making them utter unsavory remark, such as, “they know they are poor, yet, they keep on having children”.

 

How I wish these skeptics can also openly, make biting remarks –

• to the corrupt politicians and government officials, such as, “they graduated from prestigious universities and colleges, yet, they do not know what is right or wrong”

 

• to the filthy rich, such as, “they have plenty of money, yet they can’t even throw a piece of bread to a beggar”

 

• to the stiff-necked Catholic priests, pastors, and other religious ministers such as, “they are supposed to be representatives of the Lord, but they can’t afford to take a look at the spiritually hungry”

 

Finally, compared to the disgusting hypocrites, loan sharks, corrupt government officials, arrogant “religious ministers” and conscienceless rich, who are supposed to be learned and intelligent, the people who honestly make a living such as those who belong to the “other side” of Divisoria, are worthy to be called creatures of God – true human beings…slum denizens who are viewed by aforementioned with utter repugnance.

 

(This blog will definitely, not hurt those who do not belong to the mentioned “classes” of loathsome Filipinos.)

 

 

The First Time I Got Shocked in the Course of Doing My Random Acts of Sharing

The First Time I Got Shocked

In the Course of Doing My Random Acts of Sharing

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

When I made a short stop in Luneta where I planned to take a late lunch one Sunday after I finished my rounds in Divisoria and Tondo, I met Aileen, a young woman who sells tinsel ground tarps. She was wearing a hooded jacket and who gave me her sweet smile to entice me to buy. A few steps away was a child who I learned was Tokong, her “daughter”. I bought her five tarps and began a conversation. I learned that at her young age of 23, the father of her 3-year child abandoned them. She consented when I asked to take a photo, so she removed the hood off her head.

 

After buying them snacks, I continued my queries about her life which led me to learn that she came from Samar almost five years ago to try her luck in Manila. Luck, however, did not smile at her as she transferred from one job to another until she met the father of her child. When she gave birth to Tokong, they were abandoned by the man she thought would be her lifetime partner. She lived with her relatives who ran out of compassion, forcing them to sleep on sidewalk, and thrived on junks that she collected from garbage bins, until a new-found friend, also a vagrant in Luneta told her to sell tinsel tarps to park strollers.

 

The child was barefooted so I told her that when I come back I would bring a pair of slipper or sandals, aside from clothes for them. After bidding them goodbye and started to walk away, the child shouted to bring toys, too. The shout made me look back in time to see “her” lift up and bit the seam of “her” dress, as a gesture of embarrassment. I was shocked to find out that “she” was a boy, as the nakedness down there showed the glowing evidence – a male organ!

 

When I went back to Aileen to ask if there was a problem with Tokong, she was at the verge of crying as she told me that she could not afford to buy appropriate clothes for him. That day, he was wearing a dress that was given the day before.  I found out that he gets a change of clothes only if new clothes were given. The impression that one gets by looking at the child is that he is a girl, as the hair is cut with bangs on the forehead.

 

I asked more questions till she told me that they are spending the night on the park sidewalk, as the gates are closed at midnight. After hearing this, I gave back the tarps that I bought and told her to sell them to others, and handed her some cash courtesy of Perla who is an avid supporter of my effort. I left them with a heavy heart, but with a resolve to be back soonest…..

 

Sa Holy Week, Hindi Lang Dapat Mga Batang Gutom ang Pakainin

Sa Holy Week, Hindi Lang Dapat

Mga Batang Nagugutom ang Pakainin

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Ang sinabi ni Cardinal Tagle na sa pangingilin ng mga Kristiyano, isama ang pagpakain sa mga batang gutom…para sa akin ay bitin, kulang. Dapat ay buong pamilya na ang pakainin dahil kung may mga batang gutom, malamang ay gutom din ang kanilang pamilya dahil sa kahirapan, maliban lang kung ang tinutukoy ni Cardinal Tagle ay mga batang kalye na lumayas mula sa kanilang mga tahanan. Sa isang banda, kahit ang tinutukoy ni Cardinal Tagle ay ang batang sumisinghot ng rugby, o mga “batang hamog”, dapat isiping may mga pamilyang gutom din namang nakatira sa bangket at yong iba ay ginawa pang tahanan ang kariton. Hindi lang dapat pagkain ang ibigay sa kanila kundi pati na rin damit at tarpaulin na panglatag sa sementong hinihigaan.

 

Maliban sa tao, sana naman ay isama na rin ng mga nangingilin ang mga hayop na nasa kalye – mga aso at pusang walang mga “tao”, o mga taong nag-aalaga, o walang tahanan inuuwian. Sila ay may mga buhay din naman. Sana ang mga taong nangingilin na naglagay pa ng uling na hugis krus sa noo nang sumapit ang Ash Wednesday ay hindi mandiri sa pag-abot ng pagkain sa aso at pusang tadtad ng galis ang katawan kaya halos mawalan na ng balahibo. Sana ay hindi sila maduwal o masuka kung abutan nila ang mga ito ng mga pinira-pirasong tinapay.

 

At baka, maaari na ring isama ang isa pang nilalang ng Diyos na bahagi na rin ng buhay ng tao – ang mga halaman. Maraming tao ang pabaya sa kanilang mga halaman. Sila ang mga taong ang hangad lang sa pagbili ng mga halaman ay makisabay sa mga kinainggitang kapitbahay, subalit dahil talagang walang hilig, kalaunan ay pinabayaan na nila ang mga kawawang halaman. Itong mga mayayabang kaya ang gutumin at uhawin? Kung ayaw na nilang mag-alaga sa pinagyabang na mga halaman sana ay ipamigay na lang din nila sa mga kapitbahay na hindi nila kinaiinggitan.

 

Kung dapat maging mabait ang mga nangingilin sa mga hayop at halaman sa Holy Week, sana ay bigyan din nila ng puwang sa kanilang dasal ang mga taong ASAL-HAYOP na nagkalat sa Kongreso, Senado, at mga ahensiya ng gobyerno. Sana ay ipagdasal nila ang pagbago ng mga ASAL-HAYOP na mga taong ito upang hindi pa madagdagan pa ang haba ng kanilang mga sungay!

 

Higit sa lahat, sana ang gagawing pangingilin ng mga tao sa taong 2016  ay hindi dahil nakisabay lang sila sa mga kaibigan, kundi dahil bukal sa kanilang kalooban. Hindi sana nila gagawin ang pangingilin para sa mga nagawa nilang kasalanan, kundi upang bigyan din sila ng lakas na mapaglabanan ang tukso sa paggawa ulit ng mga kasalanan. Tuluy-tuloy sana nilang gawin ang pangingilin taon-taon, habang kaya nila hanggang sila ay malagutan ng hininga!

 

 

 

 

The “Other Side” of Divisoria

The “Other Side” of Divisoria (Manila, Philippines)

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

While Divisoria has always been known as the shoppers’ Mecca, especially, during Christmas, there is” another side” of it which I do not want to present as an image of poverty but that of perseverance, patience, and honest endeavor. This is the “other Divisoria” which many people just refuse to see as it might cause them to puke! The accompanying photos show how these honest Filipinos contentedly strive to live in sheer honesty.

 

The skeptics always say, “it is their fault for going to Manila and suffer deprivation”. These hypocrite skeptics have  TV, radio, and occasionally read newspapers, so they should know that the provinces from where these people who are eking out an honest living on the “other side” of Divisoria, are infested with NPAs, Abu Sayyaf, opportunistic landlords, and loan sharks. For the arrogant, the world is just for those who can afford to live decently. On the other hand, as these skeptics have not endured days of hunger, they may not understand how it is to make a difficult decision to live a hand-to-mouth life in Manila by scavenging in garbage dumps, rather than die of hunger and be in constant fear for dear life in the province.

 

It is true that the slums have been in existence for many decades now, but there would be no slums had the government ever since the time the nation has become independent, did not get infested with corrupt lawmakers and officials. The slums have been around since the time that deprivation and exploitation have been propagated by learned Filipinos who found their way in the halls of Congress and Senate, as well as, agencies, even at the helm of the government. Unfortunately, the seed of exploitation has grown into an uncontrollable proportion today, making corruption as wrongly and unfairly viewed to be always a part of the Filipino culture.

 

The striving people from the slums near Divisoria, and other districts of Manila, in this regard, may be viewed by the arrogant as akin to dogs and cats, because of their many children, oftentimes making them utter unsavory remark, such as, “they know they are poor, yet, they keep on having children”.

 

How I wish these skeptics can also openly, make biting remarks –

• to the corrupt politicians and government officials, such as, “they graduated from prestigious universities and colleges, yet, they do not know what is right or wrong”

 

• to the filthy rich, such as, “they have plenty of money, yet they can’t even throw a piece of bread to a beggar”

 

• to the stiff-necked Catholic priests, pastors, and other religious ministers such as, “they are supposed to be representatives of the Lord, but they can’t afford to take a look at the spiritually hungry”

 

Finally, compared to the disgusting hypocrites, loan sharks, corrupt government officials, arrogant “religious ministers” and conscienceless rich, who are supposed to be learned and intelligent, the people who honestly make a living such as those who belong to the “other side” of Divisoria, are worthy to be called creatures of God – true human beings…slum denizens who are viewed by aforementioned with utter repugnance.

 

(This blog will definitely, not hurt those who do not belong to the mentioned “classes” of loathsome Filipinos.)

 

Sa Pagsalpukan ng Iresponsableng Magulang at Suwail na Anak

Sa Pagsalpukan ng Iresponsableng Magulang
At Suwail na Anak….
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Pangalawang beses na itong pagsabi ko na swertihan ang pagkakaroon ng mapagmahal at responsableng magulang, o anak na mabait at hindi makasarili, ibig sabihin ay uliran at hindi suwail. Hindi na kailangang magtaas ng kilay ang mga magulang at anak sa pagbasa ng titulo dahil talaga din namang hindi lahat ng magulang ay 100% na responsable, ganoon din ang mga anak na hindi lahat 100% ay uliran. Ang blog na ito ay tungkol sa Pilipinong pamilya lamang.

Batay sa kultura ng Pilipino ang mga magulang ay inaasahang mapagmahal at responsable upang maging matatag ang tahanan. Ang mga anak naman ay inaasahang maging huwaran sa pagsunod sa magulang, kaya dapat ay mabait at hindi makasarili.

Subali’t sa panahon ngayon, hindi na ito kadalasang nangyayari dahil sa dami ng impluwensiyang nasasagap ng pamilyang Pilipino. May nababasang balita tungkol sa magulang na nagbubugaw ng anak o nagsasalang dito sa sex video upang pagkitaan. May mga kuwento rin tungkol sa mga anak na sa murang gulang ay sumasagot sa magulang o di naman kaya ay nagmumura pa. May mga magulang na nagtatapon ng anak sa basurahan o nagpa-flush ng bago pa lamang panganak o fetus, sa inuduro. Meron ding mga anak na nang magkaroon ng sariling pamilya, ang sariling magulang ay hinayaan na lang na lumaboy sa kalye at mamulot ng basura upang mabuhay.

May mga responsableng magulang na kahit anong gawin upang mahubog sa kabutihan ang anak, talagang walang kinahihinatnan ang pagod dahil malakas ang pagkontra sa kanila. Kung lumaki na ang mga anak na suwail ay halos sipain pa sila ng mga ito palabas ng bahay. Sa ganitong sitwasyon, ang magulang na hindi nakakatiis ay nagiging kawawa kapag matanda na dahil hindi makakaasang aalagaan sila ng kanilang anak. May mga nakausap akong matatandang namumulot ng basura upang mabuhay dahil sa kamalasan nilang pagkaroon ng mga anak na suwail, kaya nagtitiis na lamang sila sa pagtira sa bangketa.

May mga anak din na uliran sa kabaitan, subali’t ang mga magulang naman ay iresponsable at gumon sa mga bisyo, kaya pati sila ay naipapahamak. Sa pamilyang ito nagkakaroon ng bugawan ng anak upang kumita ang magulang. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon, kadalasan, ang mga anak na hindi makatiis ay naglalayas na lamang at nakikisasama sa ibang bata na may kahalintulad na kuwento ng buhay. Sila ang mga nagugumon sa pagsinghot ng rugby, at kalaunan ay natututong magbenta ng sarili o magnakaw upang mabuhay.

Ang matinding sitwasyon ay kung parehong may mga kasalanan ang mga magulang at anak tulad ng nakita ko sa isang pamilya sa isang barangay na madalas kong pasyalan. Ang mga anak ay puro batugan. Paggising, ay cellphone agad ang inaatupag. Nagsilakihan silang ni hindi nakahawak ng walis nang may kusa, dahil kailangang utusan pa ng magulang, at sumunod man ay animo nilamukos ang mukha dahil sa pagsimangot. Ang mga magulang naman ay masosyal at ayaw patalo sa mga kapitbahay pagdating sa mga kagamitan, dahil ayaw paawat sa pagbili ng mga gamit, kahit hindi kailangan. Dahil sa pagsalpukan ng hindi kagandahang ugali ng pamilya, umaga pa lang ay nabubulahaw na ang malalapit na kapitbahay dahil sa kanilang pagsasagutan.

Ang basag na relasyon ng magulang at anak ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit ang lipunan ay tuluy-tuloy sa pagbulusok, habang nawawalan ng kabuluhan. Hindi lahat ng Pilipino ay may iisang pananaw at panuntunan sa buhay. Ang iba, kahit walang laman ang tiyan ay okey na, makapagsamba man lang. Subalit may iba ring dahil sa gutom ay nawawala sa sarili kaya hindi lang pamilya ang nabubulyawan, kundi pati na ang Diyos ay pinagdududahan na rin. Idagdag pa dito ang mga impluwensiya ng teknologhiya at ibang kultura, at lalo na ang kapabayaan ng pamahalaan, kaya kung wawariin ay halos wala nang masusulingan ang Pilipino.

Sa puntong ito dapat ipasok ang pakikialam sa ating kapwa nang may kabuluhan. Ang pakikialam ay hindi lamang pagpayo kung ano ang tama, kundi ang pagpapakita sa pamamagitan ng kinikilos natin na maaaring tularan. Ang isa pa ay ang pakikialam sa pamamagitan ng tulong na abot-kaya. Huwag nang hangaring makatulong ng malaki kung ang kaya ay para sa isa, dalawa o tatlo lang…dahil kabawasan din sila kahit papaano, sa hanay ng mga nangangailangan.