OUR TRASH IS THEIR TREASURE...
Born in the panoramic city of Maasin Leyte, yet to a family that mirrors an ugly society, an innocent mind was forced to realize and live the life of an indigent slave. Christ was his nickname because he always had a cross necklace wherever he went. He is an ordinary boy of his age and is used to a "HAND-TO-MOUTH" life, or, in Filipino dialect, "ISANG KAHIG, ISANG TUKA". Ever since he was young, this has been his life: scavenging at the city dump called Payatas in Maasin Leyte, derived from the original Payatas Dumpsite in Quezon City, in Metro Manila.
Happy moments with kids scavenging for stuffs in a junkheap
Cris' family picture, but some of his siblings were not captured during this time. Additionally, part of their house materials were captured here.
Early morning, when school days are off, Cris (I'd prefer to call him this way) and some of his siblings would pack their things up, ready for another long scavenging day with a rumbling stomach. Brought with them were a trash grappling hook or stick and a used sack to store collected trash such as bottles, plastics,cans, metals, and the like. After which, when their sacks were filled up to the lid, they would be sorting them out and getting ready for delivery to the nearest junk shop. With ecstatic expressions filling all over their faces as they reckoned up their chump gain, they rushed to the Sari2x store or Sundry store to buy a kilo of rice or less. For some lucky days with a viand and coffee on a table, however, a portion of rice in regular days was enough to make porridge to cover the whole meal in a day, a thing to be thus far grateful for.
After collecting scraps from the dumpsite, those were get weighed in the junkshop to make money
As scavengers, they used to be so thrilled to briskly rummage around the trash hill because many times they could unearth valuables in the course of searching for some discarded things such as clocks, pots, storage containers, shoes, and many others that were useful to their end.The same thing happened during school days: before and after going to school, they would drop by at the junkheap for forage in a little while. Thus, they would SMELL STINKY when they arrived at school, and their classmates would whine constantly.
Hard-pressed on every side, Cris would have a Wednesday syndrome. He's off to school at all Wednesdays for a whole school year because he needed to chase scavenging one after the other, or else they might miss the distribution of the so-called "papag" (Jollibee leftover food) since the entire neighborhood of scavengers was mobbing and scuffling it hard as tough angry rivals kept, by-standing patiently, waiting for the truck to stop off. Upon the Jollibee left-over delivery, he could say, "Ang sarap ng buhay" (How beautiful life is). Thus, their hunger was solved absolutely.
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"Pagpag", is a tagalog term that means "to shake off the dust or dirt" and be eaten immediately, depending on the case. They might cook it through frying or as a soup-based dish for consumption in marginalized areas. It can also be traced back to a famous statement advertisement, "Wala pang five seconds," which literally means the food that fell is still edible since it falls to the ground in less than a minute. It is actually one of the Filipino beliefs. It may sound partly disgusting and silly, but honestly, I tried it too😅 for dried food only, like peanuts,because alas, it's a waste of money.
To continue, pagpag is leftover food or items like expired frozen products, fruits, and vegetables from restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food chains like the famous Jollibee, Mang Inasal and the like, scavenged from garbage sites. What a sad reality! Due to the challenge of EXTREME POVERTY, papag has evolved purposefully. As a matter of fact, this has become an ongoing business in the Payatas area of Quezon City.
One night in the year 2016, as Cris was about to graduate from elementary school, his parents had a fierce fight. Until this brawl turned into an unpremeditated separation, eight of the siblings were deeply affected. This led to more intense suffering for their children. But what sunk his heart most was that he couldn't contain the fact that graduation day was coming. It was such an inopportune time!
Cris' life continued that way; however, there were times while he's alone that he couldn't resist the thought of hopelessness, some regrets running through his mind, and he even questioned God about his dilemma. Worn out body and soul, a restless heart was strangulating him to the neck. Hostaged by a total grief and a zero visibility of hope, only he could find that moment.
He grabbed a knife, and tears kept streaming down his face, ready to end his life. However, God moved in and began to unclutch the sharp tool from his hand.
Cris, at 13, was so determined to hunt for some opportunities, so on December 29, 2017, he took a ship bound for Cebu. And live with his aunt in Consolacion, Cebu, for a period of time while searching for a job.
Since he was just a new kid on the block, he's not used to the illicit activities of people in the main city. Regrettably, his relatives were drowning in a drug addiction unknown to him. One day, the police force conducted a surprise anti-narcotics operation in their barangay, and unluckily, his relatives were caught red-handed and arrested before long. GOD IS REALLY TOO WONDERFUL TO COMPREHEND; His own ways are too infinite to mistrust, for he let Cris go for a walk outside early that morning and was preoccupied with job scouting. On account of this, he was spared from a close-at-hand peril.
Cris, as Sundry store aide in September 2018
Cris, as cashier in a karaoke entertainment hub.
To expedite the story, on September 18, 2018, he landed as a store assistant at Mrs. Bacalla's Sari2x store in Tabok Mandaue City until the next year. It was through this family that he found the real service to God; he repented of his sins and ACCEPTED JESUS, and LIFE'S TRANSFORMATION WAS BEGINNING TO UNFOLD. However, his pittance cannot suffice to meet his entire need. So by September 2023, he had shifted to work as a cashier in a karaoke entertainment corner nearby. However, due to the grueling demand of work, until early dawn, his strength toward studies was abating badly, but worst of all, he felt mentally racked when he was indicted for fraud when the turned over money at the end of the shift was short. It was deducted from his four-month salary in an instant without him being heard out of his side of the story. Despite the misfortune, he cannot leave his work at a stroke. As he reckoned on his past ordeal, it was matchless compared to his status at present.
Until his situation was made known to Bishop Cornelio Mangoba, he was accepted as a church worker up to the present in Paknaan Mandaue City. Currently, he is in the 11th grade in high school. He is one of the active members of the church usher and media team, helping to win souls for the Lord and serving the hearing-impaired in its department. All for the advancement of God's kingdom.
REALIZATIONS
- You should consider yourself blessed if you can eat three meals each day.
Shout for joy instead if you have porridge or rice seasoned with coconut oil and soy sauce, because others don't. Like what happened to the families in Africa, they only have a bread made from mud.They term it "clay cake," ubelievably😔😥. While others just waste food like games, similar to what I saw on YouTube, the kids keep scattering and tossing up the rice unthinkably.
If you can't afford the most up-to-date iPhone your wealthy classmate owns, it's acceptable.
You're also in good shape if you can attend school or find somewhere to stay.People's misfortunes teach us to be grateful for our current blessings.
CONCLUSION
Truly, life is Manna and Mira. SWEET AND BITTER RIDES OF LIFE ARE INSEPARABLE. You can't push either one away. Your only choice is to embrace them both, and that makes our lives complete. Life is a difficult and drawn-out journey that calls for endurance, patience, and tenacity. It implies that achieving success and happiness takes sustained effort and dedication over time rather than experiencing them right away because you can't appreciate the beauty in life without those ugly hours you've been through. Most importantly, be reminded that when times become so unkind, we grow tougher as we walk with God, while He unbeatably, steps in, to take the wheel against our giants!
Note: Some pictures are not mine.I secure them from Cris and my church mates.
Always thankful to you guys for reading this story. Until nex time 😊.