It had been a long strenuous trip; I was already bored sitting for about two hours. I was heading from Cagayan de Oro City to Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Along the road I saw a wooden houses, trees and mountains. All these reminded me of my family in Malaybalay. I couldn’t believe that I’m already a college student and taking a degree in Economics at Mindanao State University– Iligan Institute of Technology in Iligan City.
It was already passed 6 o’clockin the evening. I was sitting on a passenger’s seat near the back door of the bus, when suddenly I heard the loud voice of a man talking to someone. My attention was caught so I turned my head to them. It was the ticket collector talking to a young boy sitting on the stairs of the bus. The boy is about 10 years old who is very poor and looks thin, pale and I’m sure he was hungry. The ticket collector asked him how he got in and why he was sitting on the stairs of the bus. In a soft voice, the boy replied that he got in from the bus terminal. He added to the man that he want to go home in Valencia City, a place after Malaybalay City. He doesn’t have any money and he hasn’t eaten for many days, so he begged to the ticket collector to take him a ride for free and he will only sit on the stairs of the bus. But the man didn’t listen to the please of the young boy. When the bus stopped, he ordered the boy to go out.
I really don’t know why the boy is in Cagayan de Oro. I could think many reasons. The first that came into my mind was maybe he was left by his parents or he left his family in Valenciabecause of abuse. But there’s only one thing I’m sure, that there’s a big reason why he wanted to go back to his home. I was so sad because there were many passengers in the bus who saw the young boy. But no one offered anything even just only a coin for food. Mostly of the passengers are professionals and I’m sure they have enough money but they just ignored what they have seen. I was just hurt watching the young boy begging and the people around him. I really felt the emotion brought by the young boy. I want to help him but my money was enough for fare and I have only a P10 coin in my pocket. When the boy went out in the bus, I called him from the window and I gave my P10. I told him to buy it for food. I felt sorry for that was only I can do for him.
The situation of the boy was really difficult. I just have thought that what if we were the boy in the bus? Can we still have a time for playing which the children usually did? We’ve all been kids in our lives. And because childhood is one point when we all could dream, some of us probably wants to become a policeman, a teacher or a doctor when we grow up. But I’m just thinking that how the young boy dreamed for his future. He already entered the dirty and selfish world of adults at his young age.
The scene of the young boy and the people around him reflects the mirror of our country at present. There are lots of people in our country who have the power and wealth, but they just think of themselves first. They just ignore what they have seen around, the poor family who have lived in slum areas, side walks, squatters and in under the bridge.
Poverty is the biggest problem of our nation today. It results into different crimes like robbery, murder, kidnapping, drug abuse and many more. The causes of these are the unstable economic condition of our country and some corrupt politicians who are enjoying their positions. And the one who suffers the most are the children. Just see around, they are abused and obliged to work at an early age. They don’t have any time for playing and even dreaming for their future. The rate of uneducated Filipino children has been increasing and only few can afford to a proper education.
Unity and good leadership that is only I could think for a solution of our problem. If we will support our government, then we can stand our country again. Our concern to other people and to our country is very important. We are the inheritors of a glorious past and we must do our responsibilities and that is to serve our nation. It doesn’t mean that we need to become an influential leader or a wealthy person. It’s just only to share what we have to others.
The young boy in the bus is only to remind us that our country needs us. The one who suffers the most of our selfish deeds are the children who are expected to be the hope of our nation in the future. If we will not help them, then one day when we wake up, we will be surprised that our country is already a mirror of poverty, crime and corruption. We must be a better person and then serve the nation in our own unique way. We, the Filipinos must always use our senses to care and to listen the call of our nation.
* I wrote this when I'm still at 1st year college, thanks for reading! =)
