My Insights

It's been four years since I last participated in this sort of event, a feeding program for hapless children. This year, we fed little children from a public school here in Antipolo, my home town. The feeling wasn't really much different from the feeding program we conducted in a slum in Cogeo couple of years ago. Though before we had problems with transportation because the location was quite hard to find.

Senora Dela Paz Elementary School

The picture above is the façade of the school territory. I couldn't take a shot of the whole school because it was exactly beside the highway and I couldn't move away from my place any further. It doesn't look like a school, well what do you expect from public schools in the Philippines. Really sad to say but they have the worst situations you can imagine a school would have. Each classroom containing 40 to 80 students and most of them doesn't even have their own seat. Students sit on the floor. One book can be shared by three to four  students, sometimes there is no book at all. Worst, no classrooms available.

The Children busy coloring their color books while waiting

We held the event at the school's covered quadrangle. The tables and chairs were moved out of their classrooms and brought to the quadrangle. We bought a lot of color books and crayons to be given away to the children, most of the children used them while waiting for us to set up the and prepare the food and other stuff needed during that time. The children were well behaved enough, though there are some especially the older ones who are ill-mannered. They would actually go and steal some stuff. Prizes and game paraphernalia were placed at the stage so that they will be out of reach by the children. But a few would climb up the stage just to get one when they could've just asked. We had lots to be given away, they don't need to be sneaking behind our backs to get some. Later on we noticed our balloons was decreasing in number, and few students were bringing balloons to their own rooms. I guess it can't be helped.

games and give aways

We prepared some games for the children and it seemed that they enjoyed, well of course much more when everyone had a prize to take home. It was fun on our part as well to see innocent children with minds like sponges ready to absorb whatever they are taught. I just hope that they are taught well not just by the school but most of all by their parents.

standing in line for their share :)

The children wasn't much of a headache, like I said earlier they were well behaved. After the programme it was time to go home. Okay so I'll get to the point where I wanted to share my observations, and I believe that this is important.

We all grew up being taught of good manners and right conduct. Before we even hit puberty we must have at least a decent behaviour and courteousness towards others.What I noticed during the event, is that there is no problem with the students OR the school facility. Yes they maybe unknowingly suffering because of the lack of seats, books and stuff but really--when it comes to learning you don't need much. (But then again this topic goes to the government, where the hell do our taxes go? why are these children still suffering? Can they explain why the government officials can buy rest houses abroad and NOT a chair for a single student.)

After the event, of course we were all tired. Students (we) woke early in the morning to prepare the food. And not just food for few but food for a number of people! brought the food (and other stuff too) from our college to their place. We haven't had our lunch yet because we wanted the event to start at exactly the time it should start. We don't want the little children to be starving since we promised them food right? Before the programme actually ended, the president of the parent's community announced that if they could stay for a while and help us clean for a bit and return the tables and chairs back to the classrooms. You know what these mothers did? stood up, raised their brows, turned their backs and walked away. Gave us the look of pride. As if they were telling us "what you did is not enough. we are poor, you are obliged to pity us and give us what we don't have" (like, wtf.)

I REALLY hate to say this but these are common to the Filipino--they have CRAB MENTALITY. No wonder our country seems to continuously sink. They were walking away, when another announcement came-- the nursing students will be giving away free vitamins for the children. Guess what? they walked back and patiently waited for it.

What hurts the most was THERE WAS NO SIGN OF APPRECIATION, even for the smallest. Instead, they gave us an unsatisfied look. After they got the vitamins, they all left. So it was still us the college students who carried the tables and chairs back to the classrooms, cleaned the whole quadrangle and all the cleaning up. We just wanted a little help from them since we were tired already. But no. They even frowned at us. They left without even saying thank you. :(

I have witnessed a number of times children nowadays act inappropriately, no respect to elderly and lack of proper conduct. I have been wondering where they get these, but seeing the niece of a friend of mine who also studies in a public school (with the same situation) She still retains her manners and doesn't get affected by her classmates' improper conduct... so I have come to realize that these behaviour doesn't really come from the school, or the teachers or peers. It's from their own home. How their parents think and act reflects on them. 

I worry about the children. I see a 5 year old cussing his own brother. I see a sixth grade student talking to his teacher as if he is talking to a person of the same age he is. I see children who doesn't care about their future, or what they want to become. I see highschoolers engage in premarital sex before they even have enough knowledge of what they're getting into. I see teenagers getting pregnant at the age of 15. Children who smoke even before they get into highschool. Who are these children going to be next? the next tricycle driver? a prostitute? a drug addict? an addition to the endless list of unemployed citizens?

The teachers at school won't even reprimand them when they behave so ill. What are their parents teaching them? Or how are the parents behaving to make them act this way? Are they using poverty as an excuse to behave improperly? Do the parents know what they do affects their children?

We always say that the future is in the hands of the children today. But with the kind of children we have today, what future will we have?

And it goes back to us, we do not leave things to the children alone. We must be there to mold them into better persons. They don't grow up by themselves.  They need guidance. It's really saddening to see the government not do anything about this despite the fact that we are paying our taxes for the betterment of the country. As I say, it's not the children alone who needs education but the adults as well. If they could give them free seminars about parenting, family planning, livelihood education programs and so on and so forth. The government can give them work. There are so many things that could be done! We should mold these children, and we should prepare the place for them to grow. These children did not ask to be brought to this world, so it's our responsibility isn't it?

This is the time we should stop blaming, and believe that we can do something. Change starts from us. Stop saying, "mahirap lang kasi kami" (we are just poor) Yes you are poor, but do you want to remain helpless? wouldn't you want to help yourself too? Wouldn't you want to strive for a better life?

My mom wasn't rich to begin with. As a matter of fact, we are not rich up to now. But with all her hardwork, look where she is now. She made it, she was able to support me and my sister. It is possible for everyone of us if we just learn to keep a positive attitude and to persevere. Stop blaming others for things that cannot be undone instead think of something that can be done, and do it.

If we want change, then we should make the change.

Posted in: education,government,parenting,public school