ULOG #13: Helping In My Own Little Way

From college days, I always saw this old man sitting outside the MSU-IIT campus with a box full of ballpen. He always said, Good Morning, with a full-blown smile and an eye smile while waving his hand. Imagine every student he sees, he always greets them. Students call him Manong Ballpen or Tatay.

A morning will always be a good morning if someone greets you good morning brightly and genuinely. Apart from greeting the students, the staff and the teachers, he never fails to ask them about their life, like he would randomly ask: How are you? What’s your course? Are you a graduating student? Are you working already?

Image Credits: Obed Bagona
Source

Sometimes, he would give some piece of advice like, study well and pray. You will definitely pass the exam. Also, there are students who will take time to talk to him and then that was the start that every student in MSU-IIT knows his story with the help of social media sites.

Just this evening, another story of Manong Ballpen went viral to the MSU-IIT students and alumni. As I scrolled down the feeds of my Facebook, I saw this post made by one of the Alumni of MSU-IIT.

"Manong Ballpen needs your help. He came to me depressed, sleepless, and with little to eat. He even thought of ending his own life. Since he was expelled from his previous boarding house, he went to try and sleep at the overpass near IIT. When he saw me, we talked and transferred his things at Kuya Boyet's lodging house. For now, I'm paying for his food and stay--trying my best to keep him stable.

How can you help?

PRAY. Manong Ballpen goes through emotional and financial rollercoasters every summer (little to no income)

GIVE. We plan on opening a COOP account for him, just for this summer and for the next summers to come (and possibly for his meds)

BUY. His remaining ballpens are still for sale.

SEND. You can send letters of encouragement. Be creative. You can PM me or literally put it in envelopes so we can read it to him

SHARE. Please share this post to reach more people that Manong has reached.

You can contact me through FB or through my number (09354934150). Thank you!

P. S. If you ask, where is his son, Hiroshi? Truth is, JJ is a self-supporting student and is also in need of help. He's struggling with how to eat and where to stay, trying his best to find work and studying for quizzes. Please do pray for him as well.

#prayformanongballpen" - Obed Bagona

That's Manong Ballpen and Mr. Obed Bagona

Source

I then remembered my conversation with Manong Ballpen.

Him: Good morning Dai! Is the freshmen enrolment going on?
Me: Good morning tatay! Yes tay, the enrolment is on-going. (Filipinos refer the elders as Tatay. Tatay can also be mean as father.)
Him: Ah, that's sad. I should have brought my ballpen. I still have lots of ballpens and it’s my only source of income. One day of not selling it is a big loss plus it's summer break already.
Me: (I don't know what to respond at first!) Maybe you can sell by next week tay, the enrolment will last for a week or more perhaps.

After reading the post in the facebook, it really saddens me that our smiling Manong Ballpen is in a depressed, sleepless and hungry situation right now since his only source of income, selling ballpen, is on hiatus. People who knew Manong Ballpen are trying to help him in their own way. Some are tagging the famous Television Show here in the Philippines who help people who are in need. Some are extending their help through sharing the post, buying his ballpen and some are giving financial aid even though they are still student.

I also want to help Tatay in my own little way, so I'm making this blog and will be making a new one so that I can give something to Tatay. I've been very inactive for the past few months but this time I'll see to it that I'll be able to post something every day so that I can help him.