Kaban ni D_BystandeR: KANUNAY'NG ALAOT ANG MGA BATA, KON GINIKANAN DILI NA MAGKASABOT!!!

This 11-year-old boy is making use of the last days of the summer vacation to earn more from selling soft brooms, to help his mother. While children of his age are mostly at home, watching television, Jhaybee (not his real name) is still in the middle of his trade. Jhaybee, the second in a brood of five, has been selling the produce of his mother all summer. 

When Cebu Daily News chanced upon him around 9pm last Sunday evening outside a fastfood restaurant in barangay Tabok, Mandaue City, he still had 13 brooms left. His brooms are priced P220, P85 and P55. When asked why he was still up late at night, he replied shyly, "Kinahanglan man ko maninda para makatabang ko ni mama." (I need to do this to help my mother.) Asked if business was good that night, Jhaybee said that he still has to sell a broom and he would not mind staying for 10 hours in the area. "Naa juy usahay nga inani wala koy matinda pa," he said. (There are times when sales are really bad.) But he was quick to add that he is hopeful a person who needs to sweep their house and without a broom passes by and buys his mother's produce. 


The incoming 4th grader is not even thinking of the first day of school on June 3. He says that even if he goes back to school in the Paknaan Elementary School, he will still sell brooms at night to help his mother earn money for the family expenses. His mother, Maricel, he said is single handedly raising them after their father left them. Maricel earns a living by making brooms  a well-known product  of barangay Paknaan. Jhaybee who started selling brooms at the age of nine is not without ambition. When he grows up, Jhaybee said, "Gusto ra man ko makahuman ug eskwela unya mahimong police. (I want to finish my studies and  become a policeman.) Asked why, he said, "Para dakpon nako ang mga drug addict." (So I will arrest drug addicts.) Jhaybee shared that his family has been broken because of his father's drug use. "Nalipay ra man pud ko nga nagbuwag sila akong mama kay wala nay mokulata namo," Jhaybee said as tears fell down from his cheeks. (I feel consoled by the break up of my mother and father, at least now, no one mauls us.) Despite Jhaybee's experience at an early age, he said that he will still continue to study for his mother and siblings. He said that sometimes he gets discouraged and gets tired but still perseveres because he does not have much choice. Jhaybee said that he and his  four siblings are all studying and his mother buys them school supplies to be used in school./Jucell Marie P. Cuyos.

COMMENT: How many children, like Jhaybee, are leading a life who are forced by circumstances not of their own making to help their family because their father is irresponsible and hooked to drugs. Some children who are supposed to make use of their adolescent years and enjoy their childhood to their full satisfaction are now sharing the responsibility that, normally, only parents bother to care. The precarious way by which a  young boy is exposed to outside world doing a decent work to earn a living needs the help and concern of our government officials to find ways to help children who are exposed to selling their wares even late at night where they are already supposed to be at home taking a rest. 

Or some charity organizations should take note of cases like this so the child's burden of self-imposed responsibility can be given assistance and enough encouragement to help him capture the realization of his dreams.

(Bug-os ang  pasalamat sa KAHAYAG ngadto sa magtatampo  nga si JOHNNY LOVE nga nagkutlo sa paambit gikan sa Cebu Daily News. Nagtakuban siya sa pangalan, "D_BystandeR".  Natawo siya sa Sugbo apan anaa na karon manimuyo sa Illinois sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika. Ang kusog nga koneksyon sa kasayuran pinaagi sa internet kanunayng naghaling sa iyang kadasig  pagtuki sa mga nagbukalbukal nga hisgutanan dinhi sa atong nataran. Usa siya ka magsusulat nga gradwado sa kursong komersiyo padulong sa pagka accountant sa University of San Carlos kaniadtong tuig 1961.  Nahimo siyang miyembro sa usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat nga gitawag ug STUDENT PRESS.  Nahimo usab siyang   Associate Editor sa basahon  USC-JPIAN sa tuig 1962-63. Magtatampo usab siya isip magsusulat sa nasudnong magasin,  "Philippines Free Press" ug sa mga nag-unang peryodiko dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa lunhaw pa ang iyang pangedaron. Nahimo siyang mamumuo sa usa ka pribadong kompaniya sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, ESCAÑO LINES, sulod sa napulo ug duha (12) ka tuig  dayon niyang tapon  ngadto sa NAPOCOR  ug nahimong kawani sa kagamhanan  sulod sa bayente dos (22) ka tuig. Niadtong tunga-tungang bahin sa tuig 2000, nilalin siya ngadto sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika ug sulod sa napulo (10) ka tuig, nagtrabaho siya sa  buhatan sa kagamhanan sa nasod sama  sa  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS).  Karon sa pangedaron nga 68,  gihuptan gihapon niya ang walay pagkutat nga kadasig ug walay busganan nga kaikag sa pagpaambit sa iyang nahuptang abilidad  ug kabatid sa panulat.  Dili niya mapugngan ang kaugalingon sa pagpaambit sa iyang mga hunahuna labi na kon molambigit kini ug hisgotanan nga makadani sa iyang mga mata. Makadawat siya sa inyong mga hunahuna mahitungod sa iyang sinulat sa johnnylobedica@yahoo.com)