A few days ago I went to Samal with my oldest son Chris and my nephew Deo. I went there to get some pictures of a real estate property that I am working on. Someone from the States wanted to see some photos of the place. After we went to the area that was of interest, the 3 of us then went to the beachfront property of my friend because I want also to take some more photos there. As we were getting to the beach, I saw some people on a boat, not too far away. They were fishing, I also saw some people who were swimming on the beach and other people sitting in the cottage.
As we approached the cottage I could see 4 kids sitting there. Ages ranging from 8 to 11. When I got to the cottage I asked the kids if they went there to go fishing as I could see guys fishing nearby. They said no. I ask them if it was their family there fishing at the distance? They said no. So then I ask who are you guys with coming here and where do you guys live? They told me that they just came there just the 4 of them to swim and that they did not know the people fishing nearby. So I decided to talk to them more.
The kids came from a far hillside on Samal. They went to the beach just to go swimming. They told me that they go to school just nearby the beach. They said they walked from their house to school like an hour each way. They said that no motorcycle goes to their place because its a hard and rugged way. So they just walked.
I asked them if they have to go to school early because of the 1 hour walk? They said yeah and that they had to start heading down early so that they won’t be late for school. They had to get up early and prepare to go to school. I could see when they pointed and described to me the place they lived it sounded really far and when they told me an hour walk everyday to get down, thats far for me. How much more to a kid that age?
Just by looking at them I could tell that they don’t have so much money or food in the house. They’re so thin. Me and Chris and my nephew had some extra snacks in the truck, so we shared it with them. They were so happy to accept it. I gave them some money too for drinks or maybe they could save for their money for school the next day.
I told those kids that I used to live in the farm and that some of my classmates and schoolmates are like them living away from our place and school and they have to walk over a mountain and rivers just for them to go to school. And a lot of them really finished up a good educations and some of them already residing abroad.
I could see one of the girl’s eyes lit up when I told them. I continue on saying that if they really want to finish school and want to be somebody they can do it if they wanted it to. The more that one girl was inspired upon hearing me and Chris converse in English. She asked me if I am married to a foreigner? I told her yeah. She said she just wants to make her life better. I told her you can do it if you want it to. Study really hard and don’t give up hope.You can really make a difference if your life if you try. She asked me so many questions about life abroad. I told her that I am just like her before, we grow up poor and good thing my parents wanted us to have good education and sent us kids to a good school.
She told me that her parents really don’t have money and how in the world is she going to finish up her schooling? I told her of one of my classmates life story. That my classmate studied and finished up his teaching degree by his own hard work. He tried to worked during day time and go to school during night time. He finished up in no time. I am proud to say that I know and I used to be the best friend of this guy during grade school. He is now one of the successful teacher/principal/supervisor in one of the schools in Sarangani Province.
Just watching the eyes of that little girl listening to what I’m saying and her desire to finish and become somebody one day really made my day. I hope that she will continue her dream. I hope that she succeeds. I hope sometime whenever I go to Samal again I will see her. I want to take her photo. I was gonna take some photos with them but the battery of my camera went dead. I will update you guys when I see her again.
Cheers!
Very nice story Feyma. I hope your words of inspiration will stay with that girl and her friends and motivate them to reach for their dreams.
Hi Peter M – Thank you so much. That will really make me happy to see those kids succeed in life. I hope they will work really hard to follow their dreams.
Thank you for the nice words. Good to see you here.
Take care!
Feyma,
I am moved by your story. I am proud for you, for your ability to reach out and uplift.
Bless You,
Jade
Hi Jade – Thank you so much for your nice comment. Gosh, I would really be happy if I could help this girl achieve her dreams. That would be something.
Anyway, good to see you here again and keep sharing your thoughts.
Take care!
Hi feyma well you touched those childrens hearts aswith mine as well ,you are truly a kind person feyma you also reminded me of my wifes story her father passed away when three girls were very young his dying request was to a nun that she should look after the girls as they had no mother they worked during the day and schooled themselves at night to get through university and all of them finished with degrees in teaching ,buisness and comerce (my wife) her sisters are both teachers and the eldest is doing her masters ,she has told me how hard her life has been and that she never wanted our daughter to be in that position ,it is like i tell my daughter you cn be what ever you want to be but if you dont get an education you will end up like me just a carpenter working all his life to make ends meet i hope that the little girl is inspired by your story and one day maybe she might even be president of your republic anything is possible if you put your mind to it
chris
Hi chris – Thank you. I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you also for sharing your wife’s life story. I’m happy for you guys. You know what another good story to share with the kids that wants to make their life better.
Hey, anything is possible. I hope they could be somebody someday.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Cheers!
When I was preparing your article for publication, I was touched by your story, which you never related to me. I can see that young girl’s face when she was so intrigued by your story, and inspired by it. I can only imagine how it brought back memories of your own childhood. I hope that you do see the young girl again, I would also enjoy meeting her.
Hi Hon – Yes I would like you to meet those kids. I told them about you. They also eager to meet you especially I told them you can speak Bisaya now. I know you will like them.
I even asked them about our favorite little friend there Bea. They know her. She’s in Palawan now with her mom. Her grandparents still lived there near the beach. I really missed her every time I visit that side of Samal. I hope to see her again someday.
Great story Feyma!
It reminded me of my trip to the P.I. and how the kids work so hard and want an education so bad. I was struck by the differences between the kids in the P.I. and the kids in North America. The kids had so little and valued an education in the P.I. Their dream was to improve their lives and the lives of their families. The kids in North America have so many chances, they don’t care and often throw those chances away. Their dream seems to be get rich and never work. Just party away and who cares about anyone else. Life is not fair, is it?
Hi Allan Kelly – Thank you for sharing. Really big difference between the 2 lives. One here struggles to survived, the one there takes everything for granted. Thats just the cycle of life I guess.
Nice to see you here.
Take care!
Hi Feyma,
Your story reminded me of a conversation that I had with some nephews and their friends recently. They were shocked to find out that both of my children have had jobs since the age of sixteen and are fulltime students. They were surprised to learn that my children would also get second jobs during summer breaks from school. I explained that my children were following my example of setting priorities and working hard to achieve a goal. The nephews said yeah but the US government gives them jobs; right? I asked them where did you get that false information? That was just what they had heard. I explained that it is not the governments role to hand out jobs and to my knowledge it does not happen. I told them that God does not give you anything but the tools and determination to succeed so they should not wait for something to fall from the sky into their outstretched hands. My brother-in-laws were complaining about the cost of their children’s education so I told them that they should insist that their children get jobs at the mall since they spend so much time there after school. They agreed but the children did not for some reason. I told them that my son needs 500 dollars for his school books which he will be reimbursed for later with his scholarship. Rather than ask me for a loan he called one of my friends that has a landscaping business and is working a second forty plus hour job with him to get the money. I would have happily loaned him the money. I am more happy that he is resourceful. He knows that something that is earned is cherished. Sorry if it seems that I am bragging about my children but I am proud that they appreciated my hard work and followed suit.
Hi Tom Ramberg – The family must be shocked of your stories then? They really got a lot of wrong informations here. Not sure if they got it from the TV shows of just false information from other people that never been to the States or other part of the world. Somehow the people here thinks that all people in the West lives happily ever after. That all the houses has special tree thats producing dollar. I wished for that tree ever since, but it never grow in the part of the country where I used to lived though. 😉
Thank you for stopping by.
Take care!
Yes, wonderful posting. Hard to know when to give (and to inspire) and when not to give (and hope they will find out that work and study are key). One thing you wrote saddened me, although I know it is true for most people. You wrote, “And a lot of them really finished up a good educations and some of them already residing abroad.” The clear implication is that residing [and working] abroad is the pot of gold at the end of the education rainbow. So nice balance with the story of the man who went on in education to become a teacher and administrator HERE. Such a tragedy that so many of the “best and brightest” must leave the country in order to utilize their talents and education effectively, and who often must take jobs below their skill levels in order to support their families.
every time I hear Filipino politicians blap, blap, blapping about how they want to help the poor Filipinos, I think of 12 million Filipinos working abroad because there is so little for them here in their own country.
It could be that the Filpino politicians are the same as all politicains… blap, blap, blapping about how they want to help the poor. But the real truth is, they are only in for what they can do for their selves…all Politions are that..they are the worlds best liers..always have been and looks like they always will be..does not matter if they are there in the Philipines or Uk..or USA or any place else….I belive most in the know would say that there could be great potential for many wonderfull things there in the Philipines, but as long as the Goverment there is doing things for the select few then it will never change…of course the high ups feel kind of powerfull when they look down at the poor…kinda gives them that, I am better than you feeling!! I would think the right kind of goverment there that really cared about their people would do everything to make the country a better place to live and and come up with productive ways that would be encouraging to the young people to want to stay there and make a life there…….but! Maybe it is easier for them to just export their people all over the world and make sure they send most or part of their money home and (not sure about this) I am thinking there must be some kind of tax on the money that the Fillipinos make and send home…..there has to be some kind of grease for the politicians there to grease their wallets.
dan
u are very right there mate self first and still self and if there is some left self thay not here for us mate but just what thay can make out off it there self i was ask to day who will i vote for this time as we are about to have a new pm here in australia and lol i did tell tthem i would not be voting god bless mate as u are right in every way
from peter martin
Hi Dan – Gosh, I wished for a good solutions for the people here. Too many people suffered already. I still wished for a good and better Philippines. I hope it will happened in my lifetime.
This country really survived by the remittance of the OFW and the Balikbayans. I hope the politicians will wake up and try to work hard for the better Philippines.
Cheers!
Hi Feyma…Yes..It would be nice if the politicaians there could wake up and work hard and come up with some ideas that would be helpfull to the people there in your country, and I know that the remittance of the OFW and the Balikbayans help many out. I quess I just find it sad that near 10% of your people there are else where besides there ,because there is nothing there for them as far as making a decent living goes. Always enjoy your posts here you make Feyma.
Hi ProfDon – Yeah, you have to mention to the kids here about working or living abroad. To be honest most kids here if you asked them what they want in life? They will answer you by saying study hard and work or live abroad. It’s really the reality here in the Philippines. Too many people lived and worked abroad that the kids were inspired by that now. I don’t really like it because a lot of our good and intelligent people go out of the country now to find high paying job abroad. Can’t blame them for that too. I am still hopeful for a better Philippines someday.
Thank you for your nice thoughts.
Take care!
hi Feyma,
that is a very lovely story it made me very sad to hear that but sad to say it would not just be that little girl but 100s and 1000s of little filipina girls that is in the same shoes as her there i know when i was there in 1999.2000 i would see kids just like her in manila beging for food so sad to see love ur web page keep up the good work god bless to u and Bob
from peter martin tassie
Hi peterjoy – Thank you for your nice comment.
You are right too many kids right now that just as the same as the girl I’ve meet. And the sad part its growing. Really its depressing. Just wishing we could help them out.
Good to see you here!
Our helper is working for us and going to school at night. She wants to be a teacher. We are happy to help all we can. She is the first in her family to attend college. She works hard! It can be done.
Cheers,
Gary
Hi Edward Gary – Good for you guys. Good job. I’m sure she will be thanking you big time at the end for helping her.
Take care!
Wow Feyma, now thats reality, I love your story there and to not take for granted the things we do here like an education that is so important to some from a poor family.
It’s nice you can inspire the younger there from a story from your past. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Tommy – Thank you so much. I just hope and pray that she can achieve her dreams in life.
Thank you for stopping by!
Cheers!
You not only inspired that young girl Feyma, but you also shared some good values through example with your kids in the process. I’ll bet they’re proud of you! I read ProfDon’s comment about the moving abroad issue and he reminded me that I caught it too! 🙂 It’s to be expected, given the economic situation there. I’ve discussed this with my [Filipina] wife many times. I really hope our niece that we helped finish nursing school is able to find employment there that utilizes her talents and training, and we encourage her to keep trying. Perhaps the next time you see that young girl on Samal you will take the opportunity to point out to her how happy you are living, working, and contributing in the Philippines!
Hi James Fox – Thank you so much for your nice comment. Good luck to you and your wife on helping her family. I am really looking forward on seeing those kids again.
Nice seeing you here again.
Take care!
Kamusta ka Feyma,
Thats a great story, very touching. When I was there in Leyte, the kids there ask me many questions about living in the USA. Of course to them, the USA is what they see in movies and tv shows.
But when I was there, the kids were so interested in there education, I was there during school vacation, and the kids when nothing to do, would read or do art projects. Those words to that little girl that day, could mean another bright future for her, hopefully she will take that advice and work hard at her education and schooling.
I love to read and hear about this kind of stories, the kids there really touched my heart, I wish there was more I could do for them..someday soon I hope.
Amping,
Danny 🙂
Hi Danny – I’m glad you did finally visit Leyte for the first time. Good to see that you had fun there. As always they think you as a foreigner that had lots of money and can do anything. Honestly I really hope and pray for the success of that little girl. It was really priceless seeing her eyes lit up. She really wants to be successful in life later. I can see the desire in her. I will never forget the eyes of that girl. I’m sure you already touched some kids life when you visited Leyte a few months ago. Good for you too.
Amping pud kanunay Danny.