I woke up to an ache in my chest as I read the morning paper.
Mariannet, the 12-year old child who hanged herself last Nov. 2, was my daughter’s age. She is one of 11 million Filipinos who share a strange kinship with one billion more across the globe who live on less than a dollar a day. Her diary says she killed herself because she lost hope her family will ever get out poverty. Her wish list found in her diary was short: a bicycle, a school bag and jobs for her parents.
“Gusto ko po sana magkaroon ng bagong sapatos at bag at hanapbuhay para sa nanay at tatay ko. Wala kasing hanapbuhay ang tatay at nagpa-extra extra lamang ang aking nanay sa paglalaba,” she said in her “Wish Ko Lang” letter. [I wish for new shoes, a bag and jobs for my mother and father. My dad does not have a job and my mom just gets laundry jobs.]
This morning, as my daughter asked for her baon to go to school, I carefully looked at the P100 bill and kissed her goodbye. She gave me a warm hug and my heart constricted. I saw Mariannet instead, pleading to her father for P100 she needed for her school project.
A hundred pesos seems like a very small amount. My daughter will probably spend most of it on lunch at the school cafeteria and candies, not aware it could save someone’s life.
A few column inches away from the story on Mariannet, the Philippine Daily Inquirer banner story reads: Senate probes cash gifts. It talks of bundles of cash stuffed in envelopes and brown bags given to politicians one fine day in Malacañang.
Right there, we can see that Mariannet was right smack in the middle of the crux of life’s problems here in our country and around the world. Right there, we can raise our fists at government and say where is your heart? Releasing a P1-billion hunger fund is not the real solution! But Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz has a better answer. He says when an 11-year old child hangs herself because of poverty, somehow we are all to blame. The community is to blame. The society is to blame.
A few months ago, the Asian Development Bank released a study that showed in figures how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The middle class is vanishing, it said. A separate article I was writing made it clear that the emerging middle class in this country are, unfortunately, not in this country but working abroad as professionals, seamen, teachers, nurses, caregivers and household workers.
Those in Manila who could buy what they want, send their children to school, save for the future, dabble a little bit in stocks or bonds may feel alienated from the problem of the vanishing middle class. They may say, so what? I have hope. I have money. I am preparing myself for the future.
Unfortunately, rising poverty will affect us all. The more Mariannets there are, the less Filipinos there will be who can buy the products and services you are selling. Who can afford to go to school. Who can be skilled workers in our technology hubs. Who can become retail investors that will buoy up our capital and bond markets. As two songs go, the circle of life ensures that we are all in this together.
It makes sense for everyone’s financial future to wipe out poverty — even the ruling elite’s financial future. Even politicians’ financial future. As you prepare this day to make more money, save more and invest more, please do two things: look around you for someone like Mariannet and do something about it. Then continue to make your dreams for financial independence come true so you can help more like her.
November 9th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Day
Hi to all, I have been living in Northern Samar for almost 6 years and I can see the reality that Mariannet was facing daily. Poor people here only depend on fishing, farming, and working as househelpers to get by. Most of them have big families too, but I can say that they are not hopeless.
Most big families work together to earn money, with the typical big ates and kuyas contributing to the family income to support the younger siblings.
My own grandmother was born in a family of 12 siblings. She sold flowers and washed dishes (at the local sabungan) at 12 years old during world war II. Mariannet at her age (God bless her soul) could have thought of getting a small job, or going to a church organization for support.
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Parents should be responsible to bring up their children to be hopeful and resourceful.
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We cannot wait for the government to solve poverty for us, but we must also learn to pray, and do something ourselves.
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If you’re waiting for the government to solve proverty. Maghintay ka hangang sa mamatay ka sa gutom. Just like what happen to this girl. She can’t wait any longer so she ended her life!
November 9th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Miko
nasan cla??? ayun kasama ni Salina nagra-rally
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Sorry, Sweetie pie! Hindi ako ng rally, I’m too busy sitting infront of the computer and rise hell. This is where I spend my time if I’m not working. Si Mako, Nandoon sa kay Mrs. Pidal. Asking for donation bake swertihin siya. Goodluck!!!!
November 9th, 2007 at 9:22 am
MJ
Guys,
If you happen to see children na nagigipit or nangangailangan try to extend some help, di naman necessarily pera pedeng encouragement or give them hope. Yan kasing mga bata ay observant sa paligid nila. if somebody tries to reach out to them and help in any form it will help in a small way..
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It does’nt matter how small your donation it really make a different. Don’t you know that if one of us just sponsor one child even just $20. 00 Dollar a month. It really make a different in child life. I sponsor many of them where I come from most of them already finish college. In fact one of them is already here in the U.S. Working. She’s RN. I thank all my sister/brother for doing it also. We put our resource together and sponsor our poor relatives so that they can get a good education.
November 9th, 2007 at 9:14 am
12215111
I cried unashamedly this morning while reading Marianette’s suicide Story! I had to stop several times because I could no longer see the words I was reading.
I am a man yet I could not control my emotion knowing that my kids are more blessed than Marianette. If I were able to give that 100 pesos, she could bave been alive today.
This thought never left me prompting me to tell my wife we have to do something without waiting help from or blaming the goverment. THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF MARIANETTES WHO NEEDS OUR HELP! THEY ARE NOT FAR…THEY ARE JUST AROUND!
I and my wife decided to sponsor one or two impoverished children to school unconditionally! This is our own little way of doing something while we can still help. We could do away with our vices, our caprices and start checking and helping our neighbors! LET US NOT WAIT FOR POLITICIANS TO COME! LET US DO SOMETHING BEFORE MORE MARIANETTES WILL DIE OF POVERTY!
MARIANETTE’S DEATH IS A WAKE UP CALL FOR US FILIPINOS TO START HELPING EACH OTHER UNCONDITIONALLY…
Jesus told us ” I was thirsty but you did not offer me a drink…I was hungry but you did not give me food..I was naked but you did not clothe me” …..Whatever small things we did to our neighbor, we did it to Jesus…..
I am from Davao….
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Thank you! For thinking of helping other’s who needed help. You’ve bless 7x over!
In my mother barrio just about everybody is poor but they help one another. The only people that are rich is the Mayor all his children are studying abroad. Where the hell he got that kind of money to send his children abroad when they’re not making that kind of money. Even President only making P50,000 a month which is only $1,000.00 thousand dollar a month. Do you have any idea how much the tuition pay in college here in the U.S.? I can see why there is no improvement in my barrio or anywhere in the Philippines, Because of this. They’re nothing but crooks! Thats where your taxes money went to the pocket of crooks. I don’t know how can these people even sleep at night.
November 9th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Juwan
11-14 year olds commiting suicide because of economic hardships is just so difficult to take considering the 200K-500K payolas that this administration can give to politicians just to cling on to their power.
i say shame on you GMA, Mike A., Puno, Abalos, and all the others who just have insatiable greed for money and power!!!! how many more 11 years olds are you waiting to commit suicide just so you’ll really do something to alleviate poverty? to provide the basic necessities expected from a government like free education, public health care?
i not only raise my fists at GMA & her cronies, i raise my middle finger at them!
“sobrang kayamanan, akala mo’y walang hangganan, darating ang panahon iyan ay iyong iiwan!
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Juwan: For as long as Gloria Arroyo, The one in power there is more people going to kill themselves because of hunger. And this bitch have the nerve to lie to filipino people her so call booming economy. The only booming she’s talking about is their bank account. Go ahead and stick your finger into her $$$, I’m with you on this!
And now she’s saying that the girl home town is not cover with her program. Of course not. Because her bugos administration is not given money to this town, Because the Mayor in that town is opposition. Any opposition is not getting any support from government for their project. Only the people who’s supporting her ass getting money so that they can contenue supporting this bugos President Of cebu. Ang dapat sa kanya ipakain sa buwaya. Pisti nga yawa!