Hard Work

Before the sun rises, before the first rooster crows early in the morning, this man sets out to work.

While other parents and children are still cuddled in bed, comforted by a thick blanket on a cold morning, he and his son are already out in the river. On a bamboo raft, they transport loads of eggplants from a vegetable plantation upstream.


After almost an hour journey down the river, he unloads the eggplants from the bamboo raft, then he brings some loads down a steep hill where clients already wait. Since he could not carry all the loads of eggplants, his 4-year-old son stays behind and “guards” the eggplants until his father is back and ready to bring them downhill. This has become their routine almost every day.

The man does not own the vegetables. He is just a “transporter.” He is paid a measly amount for his services. Yet, there was something in his attitude that inspired me when I met him one Sunday morning. He was sporting a sunny disposition. He was smiling. He seemed happy. And content.

God sends us angels in the men and women we meet along the way. On that Sunday morning, God sent this man to remind me that hard work brings us to the ground and makes us appreciate the simpler things in life.

Pedicab Boys

I met these boys while I was tending my mother’s sari-sari store.

“Maupay!” they called out. “Maupay“, in Waray dialect, means “good.” But when we visit another person’s house or go to a store to buy something, “Maupay” means “Tao po.”

The boys wanted to buy “ice water,” or simply, cold water. Since we do not sell “ice water,” I offered to give them water from our fridge.

While they were drinking, I noticed a pedicab parked in front of the store.

“You drove that pedicab here? Namamasahero kam?” I asked them.

Their answer, a “Yes”, felt like a stab in my heart.

“Who drives it?” I asked.

“Ako,” answered the older one. He was thin and I estimated he was not tall enough to reach the bicycle’s pedal when seated properly on the driver’s seat. How could he maneuver a pedicab? I could only imagine how hard he pedals when he is going uphill or on a steep road. Pedicabs in my province are different from the ones you see in Metro Manila. Mas mataas ang bicycle na gamit sa pedicab sa amin, minsan nga parang racer bike.

I offered them some packs of biscuits. I learned that they are brothers and they have 2 younger sisters. They are orphans so their sickly grandmother, a labandera, is taking care of them. The older one drives a pedicab to help bring food to the table.

“I help him sometimes. I go with him. I push the pedicab when he is having a hard time, especially if the load is heavy,” said the younger one.

I took a photo of them as they pedaled away after our short conversation. I noticed the driver did not sit properly as he drove. His legs were still short for the pedals. He managed to look back and give a shy smile. Beyond his smile, I know there are a thousand more hardships he could not tell me…in words.

I wonder how long they will have to do this. I wonder how long their young, fragile bodies will endure. While other boys their age are probably enjoying at the mall or busy playing war games on computers or PSPs, these brothers are out in the streets fighting their own war, pedaling to keep their family afloat.

Welcoming Another 365 Days

Another set of 365 days is over. A new set of 365 days is beginning.

Thank you, God, for the gift of life.

LP7: Hiling

Kung minsan ay masarap hilingin…

na ang mga paa ay umangat sa lupa,

at malayang lumipad bahagya,

at sa hangin ay magparaya,

at masayang magpatihulog sa dagat na payapa.

The Golden Grain

About 3 billion people depend on rice for sustenance. That’s nearly half the population of the whole world. So can you imagine the world without rice?

Over at Yhen’s blog, she is promoting love for rice through a fan sign campaign. It is actually a contest being held to celebrate the National Rice Awareness Month. Deadline is Nov. 20 so there are still a few days left to catch up

“Since the 1990s, population growth has been faster than the growth in rice production. It is estimated that by 2025, there should be a 30% increase of rice production to meet the demand of a growing population. However, many factors such as climate change, soil erosion, and water shortage pose a threat to rice production.” Unless we learn to take care of our environment and all other resources that are valuable to rice production, the survival of half of the world’s population is threatened.

And please do not waste rice. By saving rice, you are not only helping sustain the supply of rice, you are also honoring this hero’s hands.