Is It In You? ~ My Feeling Heart

There is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting someone up.

Last meeting our professor had showed us a video clip—a documentary entitled “Basurero” created by Jay Taruc, an I-Witness remarkable reporter. The gist of the story was about one of the basic problems in urban areas today, garbage.

The case which wraps the top half of the story was about a family of mambabatchoys (those who feed on leftovers) living in an overpass in Cubao. Day by day their routine would be to look for food in the trash (usually of fast food restaurants) and re-cook it; or eat it on the spot just to get through the hazards of living life. Whether rotten or spoiled, they don’t mind. For hungry beings like them, food poisoning is not a catch.

On the other hand, the bottom half of the story unravels yet another side of the garbage dilemma—the scavengers. These are people who spend long tiring hours in the dumpsite looking for a basketful of plastic bottles and cans which they could barter for money. Sounds easy? NOT. Truth is, this case may even be more horrible than those of the mambabatchoys as more and more lives are at risk from being hit or ran-over by bulldozers and trucks.

Now these situations are just among those that the

Philippines

have been experiencing for the past years. Indeed, the lives of many Filipinos are getting worse as time passes by. Everybody blames everybody else—the rich, the poor, the government, even GOD! They know it’s a ruthless way of life, but what else can they do? It’s the only thing they could do to survive. But…have they ever given a thought of what else can other people do? Or what else do they do? No, because they’re probably too fed up with themselves or content inside their boxes of comfort to even try and think about just anything else.

No matter how corrupt or worse the government may be, still it is always there to help. To offer jobs and support free public education. There is always room for hope and the people. After all, this is what the government is truly all about. However, everything wouldn’t work by merely the government taking action alone. The people must also do their fair share of task. Break out of the box! Study, reach out and strive hard to survive. Everything should be a two-way process.

All in all, problems constantly repeat its self not for the people to suffer, but for them to open up and learn. If only they knew how to take time and listen, how to reach out and help, how to reflect and look within, everything would’ve gradually fallen unto its place. It is only we who holds the key to change, because no one else knows what’s best for us than we do ourselves. It just takes time, patience, courage, virtue. Now tell me, is it in you?