ONE HUNDRED PESOS
(An open story by Aisa Kristine D. Lerio)
Valentine’s Day. On this special day, I received a red rose for the first time. Special indeed, it came with a hundred peso bill! The challenge: “How will I spend this money to change the society?” On this month, yes, on this month of hearts, officially starts my journey for a chance to celebrate love and life.
ONE HUNDRED PESOS: just enough for one value meal plus large drinks from our leading fast food chains; just enough for some tee shirts from Divisoria; and certainly not enough for a one day budget for every Filipino family. It is hard to imagine on how to begin this new journey. A hundred peso bill --- my dilemma as I crumpled the bill --- would a simple minded person as I will be able to spend it to change the society?
I recall when I was 9 years old. Then, I had no one to rely on but my family - my very own society; and, nothing to count on to but our daily afternoon rosary. The whole family had to transfer residence from Surigao del Sur to Manila. My father had lost his job in 1994 and took a new job at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. We had no choice but moved in to the city. Life was so hard then. All of us, my parents and my 6 siblings, lived in a small room at Tatalon, Quezon City. My mother was just starting in her job as an elementary teacher. We resumed our studies in public schools near home. At those times, my parents could not afford to buy even our uniforms and support school requirements. Suddenly and unknowingly, everyone matured and decided to take part to lighten the situation. I would sell stationary envelopes made by my mother from scrap magazines, and yema candies made by my sisters. Some of my sisters worked with relatives as helpers too. My only brother, 7 at that time, would solicit neighbors with used colors and pencils for his drawings. (He has always loved to draw, and he drew everything he saw as our youngest sister, who was four then, watched). With our humble income, my mother bought cloth and hand-sewn our uniforms. Most of the time, my parents are out to work. We, on the other hand, would just stay home and study. We were trained a simple lifestyle that we did not ask our parents things that we knew they may not buy: new clothes, shoes, school supplies, chocolates, and toys. Ironically, we survived and enjoyed every day, even without much money.
My parents, as educators, were convinced that our life will be much better if we finish schooling. Expenses, however, heightened as some of us reached high school and universities. My eldest sister chose to postpone her schooling and help support the family. Luckily, my two youngest siblings won many art contests. An older sister, who has always loved journalism, also won many essay competitions. From these, all monetary prizes were saved for school needs.
All these times, my mother, as thrifty as she has always been, saved at least a centavo every day. She would always say, “Never allow yourself to be a centavo poorer the next day, rather a centavo richer today.”
Now, those centavos had rolled us far. My second sister became a doctor; the third became a teacher; and, the fourth an engineer. I, being the fifth, finished an Accounting course. My eldest sister, who has two babies now, will be studying again. My two youngest siblings are currently in college taking Fine Arts. Just like we were together in hardships, we still are together today, but this time with a bigger apartment.
My life and experiences taught me to be patient, humble, simple, educated, honest, and many other life lessons. My mother’s centavos, which brought us to a better standard of living, made me value the importance of hard earned money. Top of it all, I learned that one must need to help him/herself to help others.
Indeed, a centavo will go in so many places. It has changed my very own little society over the past years. How much more a hundred peso?
I have decided. I take the challenge. I’ll finish this journey. I have chosen to support the Black Pencil Project. A hundred peso worth of black pencils at Php3.50 each!
The Black Pencil Project is an organization committed in supporting education of early learners’ by providing pencils and basic school supplies to select public elementary schools from beneficiaries of remote and or indigenous communities in the country. With most of these places not fully developed and reached by government projects, I was touched by the organization’s enthusiasm in starting causes and designing simple programs to reach the children. Their immersion and trekking programs, both of which allows volunteers to personally visit and facilitate in giving the school supplies as well as educating the children inspires me the most.
I don’t really know how those children’s life will turn out to be. All I know is that education is the greatest tool to change the society. Children, being the heir of every society, must be honed to shape better future for themselves and the next generations. As of now, all I can do is to help them shape future through their drawings and first letters. Just like my parents shaping mine and my siblings’ through education, it is a personal joy to be passing it forward and celebrate life.
This will be my own project; my very own journey, as I wrote it --- 100 pesos for the Black Pencil Project. It is not a dilemma after all. It is possible!
This is just a start.
It doesn’t end here.
The month of the hearts will never be the same again!
