A Glimmer Of Hope

May 4, 2006, Wednesday 12:24am

I wrote this a while back for a documentary. It seemed a waste to just let it just sit and wait in my hard drive when it might be put to some use by showing you the reality of life out in the boondocks. But, if you don’t give a rat’s ass one way or another, then maybe this can take you to a place I’m sure you’ve never been.

School. We see it as a building block of success in life. And every day, year in and year out, millions of children from all walks and social classes flock to it learning lessons that, parents all hope, will propel them towards a good life and a future that’s brighter than theirs. But schooling for those who have and those that don’t is very different, as you might expect. School buses and all forms of easy public transportation to get the children to school and back again, comfortable classrooms with desks and chairs for everyone, abundant supplies of pencils and paper, and cafeterias to keep them fed are all part and parcel of the system as we know it. But what if there were no pencils or paper or classrooms? And what if going to school meant having to walk long distances barefoot, sharing desks and missing much needed work in the fields? Would you still go? Join us as we take you to the village of Maragoc deep in the mountains of Northern Palawan and see for yourself how different our worlds really are...

Palawan. To many the mere mention of this place brings to mind images of exotic getaways and adventures, of sun, sand and surf all set in a lush green garden. While true, there is also another side to this paradise that we seldom, if ever at all see. The side that deals with the everyday lives of people who work, study, and strive to stay afloat much like you and me only, in places beyond the trappings of modern civilization.

The guide on this tour of discovery was Catholic priest Father Alex Abia who felt the need to feed more than his parishioners spirituality. He wanted to show us the lives his people lead so others could see their resilience and strength in spite of poverty and how a little help could go a long way in improving the lives of the people in the community.

Father Alex and City Councilor Vic met our team in Roxas City, Palawan and began to bring us into their world. A world where everyday life is far removed from what we would consider normal. This is a place of trees, rocks, mud and motorcycles, of carabaos, plows, sleds all coming together to keep the wheels of society, as they know it, turning.

The paths leading to the places we visited were mostly old, rock strewn mining roads running through the forest, beautiful but treacherous to those not familiar with it and we marveled at the skill of Father Alex and Vic in getting us to the places that mattered in one piece. The trails we took were narrow stretches of mud punctuated with ruts deep enough to swallow the tires of our motorcycles whole and it ran beside steep ravines that were enough to shake up even the most seasoned of travelers. There was no need to worry though because our guides knew their business. After all, these are the roads that take them to the people they serve. The rides we took were the fastest and most convenient form of transportation available and the alternative, walking, would mean many hours of backbreaking effort. Sadly, most people in this area have to resort to this to be able to get anywhere since passage on a motorcycle is a luxury most cannot afford.

Our first stop for the day was Tumarbong, Fr. Alex’s home parish. This coastal village while seemingly rural, is still much more progressive than the place we were going to. Although there were no concrete roads and electricity, there were stone houses, generators, and other familiar things like television sets and radios. But, despite these conveniences, it still was a place where the unfamiliar was quickly noticed. We were met with an obvious sense of curiosity by the community and though they were friendly enough, we probably seemed as alien to them as people coming from a foreign country would be to us. So, we stayed awhile and talked of things we were to expect when we did get to Maragoc and though we were told, each of us still needed to see so we could completely believe.

We left Tumarbong before the sun set and spent the night in a village called Antonino where Father Alex arranged for us to stay at the home of the village chairman. We were touched by the hospitality of these complete strangers as they welcomed us into their home and fed us a veritable feast leaving us humbled at their generosity in the face of obvious want. The quiet of the night consumed us as we tiredly settled down for the night and as we gradually fell asleep, we all knew that tomorrow would be more tiring still.

We awoke to a cold mist filled morning, refreshed and eager to face the day. We thanked our hosts for their wonderful hospitality and got ready to go. There was still about an hour’s worth of journeying through the breathtaking mountains left before we reached Maragoc and when we did reach it, we found ourselves in a quaint village that belied the poverty that we came to observe. Rice fields were all around and nipa houses neatly lined the unpaved streets of this village. It was orderly, pleasant and the golden sunlight breaking through the morning mist lent the village a wonderful glow that promised a hot but gorgeous day. The people were no less warm and we were greeted with much enthusiasm by the members of the community who offered us the best of everything they had. The amount of food prepared for us alone was more than we could comfortably eat and every request we made was promptly acted upon. We were among friends and they all made sure that we knew this.

We reached the school and were pleasantly surprised to see that it occupied a generous amount of land that was more than adequate for a full sized school building. But this bit of good news quickly faded when we found ourselves looking at the school itself: an unpainted, concrete, one-room building with a rusty roof no bigger than small condominium unit and another nipa structure with a dirt floor that serves as a second classroom. There are more than 80 students from grades 1 to 6 attending this school and just two teachers to handle them all. They group three different grades together in one classroom and three more in the other classroom and teach them alternately just to cope with the lack of facilities and the need to provide instruction. The plight of this school doesn’t stop here. Worn nubs serve as pencils and clean paper is almost an absurd fantasy to these kids but they make do with what they have. Books are old and outdated, not to mention very worn, tests and homework are turned in using any scrap of paper they could find, there is no food service, and even medical care is done by a school nurse only once a year that is, if she can come at all. Sad to say, they have almost no chance to compete in a world that is growing more complicated by the day not because they lack intelligence but because they lack the basic necessities of a good education. These bright-eyed children are cheery and eager but the crippling lack of tools they need in order to learn will eventually turn them into sub-standard performers that cannot compete realistically in the 21^st century.

Another problem the school system in Maragoc faces is the need for the children to work. This sometimes becomes a hindrance to learning for these kids because every pair of hands counts for much when working the fields. This is, after all, an agricultural community and some parents feel that it is useless for their children to spend valuable time doing schoolwork. They would rather see them working the fields because the practical benefits of doing real work often casts a shadow on the intangibility of getting an education. This is set in their minds because they themselves did not finish and had to work at an early age. Thankfully, most parents there do realize the benefits of an education so they send the children off to school and even participate in parent-teacher associations just to make the best of an undeniably bad situation.

Life goes on for the people of Maragoc and poor as they are, they still find time to laugh, and play, and just enjoy the company of friends and neighbors while they go about their business of working the fields.

With our work done, we started saying our goodbyes. We thanked the people for the generous and wonderful treatment we were given and we knew that all their hopes were sent with us as we boarded our motorcycles and sped away.

We got to see Father Alex in action back in Tumarbong. He traded the coveralls and cap he usually wears for the more familiar robes of a priest and started to say Sunday mass. Not your typical priest, his ministry extends beyond the spiritual and takes in the social realm as well. Her wants to see his flock prosper and he does his share in encouraging them to be as productive as they can be. He is seen as a figure of authority but more importantly, he is seen as a friend always ready to lend a hand, a thought, or a prayer to anyone who asks.

The overwhelming contrast between the world of privilege and backwater places such as Maragoc is a glaring reminder that despite the gains made by this country, there are still those untouched by progress. Forgotten and left to their own devices, the people there will continue to struggle in vain against massive poverty and ignorance, much like bailing water from a sinking ship with a can. The children will continue to flock to their run down school, write with their worn pencils on their scraps of paper most thinking that this is as good as it gets not knowing that there is a world out there bigger than their village.

Making a difference is not all that hard. It could be as simple as giving a box of pencils and crayons, some paper, a few pens and some chalk. Or it could be something bigger, such as contributions for buying construction materials to build sorely needed facilities and hiring more teachers. Maybe a generator, a satellite dish and a TV so the kids and their parents too, can catch a glimpse of the world that is sure to be new to them. Who knows? Maybe through this, one or more of these kids will begin to aspire for more than what life is offering them and look to find their place in a world they are entitled to occupy but might otherwise never find.

Its up to us. We can either just stop and stare or we can actually reach out and touch these poor but deserving children. Think hard and think deep because their hope lies in your hands and in your heart.