By Quenzy L. Salvacion

Libertad Bajo, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental

When I was young, play and wandering stopped every Sunday night for Rated K, and each one in our family gathered at my Lola’s house for its all-time Filipino favorite rags-to-riches-themed stories. 

I’ve seen cars, huge houses, graduation photos, and people crying, remembering the struggles they’ve been through, saying they were once poor. Now I sigh and think, somehow phrases that go like our doses of hope for all of us, and subconsciously, to have what those successful people have and to say the same lines they were saying became a dream. 

But within those crucial moments in family life, the younger me had to wake early for the next day’s 18 per kilo. NFA rice line, the thought “we are poor” was more apparent.

My memories are vivid. During the 2008 rice crisis, I remember lining up on my mother’s behalf. I was the only kid there, so every other time, some adults would insist I was not allowed and call out my grandma for bringing me. 

People ask why I’m there and let me stay most of the time. Other times I go home without anything. My mother raised my two siblings aged 2 and 1, and my father juggled farming and worked part-time as a glass installer. 

On the other hand, I was sent to school and had a good play. Life was exemplary then since I was yet innocent, but not clueless. I knew very well there were so many things I couldn’t ask for. 

In 2009 we became beneficiaries. Each month there would be a day that I’d be full from consuming milk and choco malt powder and think we are wealthy for having eggs, noodles, and sardines for the rest of the week; new clothes are also purchased for Christmas parties and of course, a fancier pencil case we bought in June. 

Moments stayed that way for a while until my parents decided that we put up a small karenderya to help with the growing expenses, as my siblings were growing too. 

The initiative was a big help, and we lived off of that, but it never lasted since another problem came. 

My father experienced drug addiction and had nasty habits of gambling. 

Those times were terrible. We’ve had to depend solely on the assistance of the government and our relatives. 

It took us years to rise from that situation. It was about half a decade before my father recovered. 

He then started to work again, and we managed to make ends meet. But, in all honesty, I think we wouldn’t be able to do it without assistance, payment for electricity and water bills sometimes depends on it and even school fees. 

While heading to work, my father spotted an empty lot near the national highway. 

He thought it would be an excellent place to put up a small shop and start installing doors and windows on his own. 

He discussed his plans with my mother and left his daily job, and we then built a small shop in 2015. 

The progress was indeed plodding. At first, had to deal with the money since we never had sufficient capital. So we borrowed from relatives and eventually took bank loans. 

Luckily, the risk and his hard work paid off. The shop was then earning well until we’ve grown little by little concerning workforce and could employ other installers. 

Other things followed, vehicles and types of equipment. Then, finally, my parents sent me to a private school until college. Those were times I can call booming times. 

However, time changed since it never stayed that way. That was the time my father went back to gambling again. Everything started to fall.

Also, robbers took our vehicle, which was under installment. So we’ve lost almost everything we had.

Our family was financially challenged. But, despite it all, we remain healthy. My mom tried to make up for the loss by putting on a sari-sari store, but we were challenged and were trying to survive. But unfortunately, it never made its way. 

 To give a picture of where we are now, I’d have to say that we survive and find ways to navigate family life better.

We toil our garden in the morning, sell our harvests in the after, and entertain shop customers during weekdays. 

My father does all the installation. We live a hectic and tiring life schedule, but we’re always grateful for the assistance that saves us from extra challenging times.

To end, this is far from rags to riches story. This is not a fly-high journey but a slow, grow-tall one where situations teach us always to keep our feet on the ground.

Being a 4P’s beneficiary in the early years and a current TES scholar, I would like to express that I am immensely grateful for every peso sent for my education and my family’s welfare. 

I am now a graduating student taking a Bachelor of Science in Social Work at La Salle University, and I dream to inspire and lead in saying “we’re once poor” soon.

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