Description: Sa Rodriguez, Rizal, ang magkapatid na Ipiw at Rhealyn Sison, kinakailangang magbuhat ng sako-sakong kalakal na gulay at prutas mula sa bundok na doble ng kanilang bigat. Sa murang edad kasi ng magkapatid, pasan-pasan na nila ang hangarin na makatulong sa kanilang pamilya at makapagtapos sa pag-aaral. Sundan ang kanilang kuwento sa video na ito.
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FunTranscript
00:00 [Praying]
00:05 In a corner of Rizal's school,
00:07 a seat is vacant.
00:10 Relama Prince Ezequiel, Reyes Christian, Sison Jan Rey Culiantes.
00:18 The child is already sitting here.
00:29 This is heavy.
00:30 This is heavy.
00:33 Are you okay? Are you okay?
00:36 He is climbing to climb the mountain.
00:40 Ethio is 13 years old.
00:45 Ethio is carrying a heavy bag that is almost twice his weight.
00:52 I'm already in Grade 5.
00:57 I need to work.
00:59 He will do everything to help his family and educate his younger siblings.
01:08 I'm crying because my family is affected.
01:13 They are also hungry.
01:15 I'm tired sometimes but I'm not giving up.
01:20 [Praying]
01:22 [Music]
01:49 It's only 5 minutes before 12.
01:52 The class of Reyelin Sison is almost over.
01:55 She is only 11 years old.
01:56 She needs to hurry because someone is waiting for her to go home.
02:02 Outside their house,
02:10 Ethio's brother is already waiting for her.
02:18 Reyelin's cooking,
02:20 a cup of coffee,
02:23 and half a plate of rice
02:25 is what they have prepared for lunch.
02:28 This is enough for the siblings to eat before they go out.
02:32 Not to play,
02:34 but to climb the mountain.
02:38 [Music]
02:46 I accompanied the siblings to climb the mountain.
02:51 The sun is shining.
02:58 And the rocks are big.
03:04 The situation is bad when it's sunny because the ground is dry.
03:10 But just think about the hardships that children are going through
03:16 when it's rainy season.
03:18 [Music]
03:34 [Music]
03:42 Ethio is constantly stopping in the middle of the mountain to rest.
03:46 We are poor here in the mountains.
03:57 I am also having a hard time.
03:59 I also want to help my parents.
04:01 Sometimes we don't have rice.
04:05 We just borrow.
04:07 The mountains are rocky, rocky, and steep.
04:14 This is the hardship that the children are going through.
04:19 Just to earn a small amount of money.
04:21 But for them,
04:23 that small amount of money is a big help for their families.
04:28 [Music]
04:32 When it comes to bananas,
04:34 their father, Mangrejo, already got fruits from the banana trees.
04:39 He will sell this to the children to sell for 20 pesos per kilo.
04:57 How many bags are those?
04:59 Two bags.
05:01 Two bags?
05:03 It means two bags?
05:04 No, it's a bigger bag.
05:05 It's a bigger bag?
05:07 Yes.
05:08 The organization of the sale is important.
05:11 Yes, so that it won't hurt.
05:13 How many bags do you usually carry?
05:17 How many bags?
05:19 Just one.
05:23 I carry two bags.
05:26 How old are you?
05:28 Thirteen.
05:29 But you look younger than your age.
05:32 Yes.
05:33 Is it because of your weight?
05:37 Yes, because of my weight.
05:40 The bananas are being harvested from their bags.
05:45 The brothers already harvested more than 20 kilos of bananas from their heads.
05:51 [Music]
05:59 This is heavy.
06:01 This is heavy.
06:04 Are you okay?
06:07 Yes.
06:08 [Music]
06:20 [Music]
06:29 Are you okay?
06:30 Yes.
06:31 Are you okay?
06:32 Does your leg hurt?
06:33 Are you okay?
06:34 Are you okay?
06:35 Yes.
06:36 Okay.
06:37 [Music]
07:00 Look how fast those kids are.
07:02 They still have a load.
07:04 And their load is almost as heavy as theirs.
07:08 What do you want to think about to fight your fatigue?
07:16 I hope I can reach the finish line because it's tiring.
07:20 My neck and back hurts, especially when there's no support.
07:25 Sometimes, my load is reversed.
07:32 Sometimes, it hurts. Sometimes, it doesn't.
07:34 When I run, I get hit.
07:38 Of course, I get injured sometimes.
07:41 Be careful.
07:43 [Music]
07:55 When it comes to the village, the brothers stop for a while to rest.
08:00 How often do you stop? How many times do you rest?
08:03 Sometimes, five.
08:04 Five?
08:05 Do you just get your strength back?
08:07 Yes, when we're tired.
08:10 What if it's hot? It's too hot. It's like a hot sun.
08:14 We rest for a long time.
08:16 The brothers continue to fight their load.
08:24 [Music]
08:33 They feel tired and exhausted.
08:35 [Music]
08:40 The brothers are exhausted and tired.
08:43 One bad thing is that they might fall into a deep dam.
08:49 [Music]
08:54 Later, it seems that the brothers can't stand the tiredness anymore.
08:59 [Music]
09:06 So, they stop to see the river to take a break in the middle of the hot weather.
09:11 [Music]
09:19 The work was quickly forgotten and the brothers became tired again.
09:24 [Music]
09:53 But it's almost night and they need to sell their new cattle.
09:58 For Raeline, it's her way to help her family.
10:08 There are times when they can't eat enough in a day.
10:15 It's hard to sleep hungry.
10:19 I cry because my family is affected. They are also hungry.
10:24 If that's how you feel, what do you tell your brothers?
10:29 I tell them to study well so that they can help our family.
10:35 We are also tired sometimes but I don't give up.
10:39 I do it so that I can finish my studies.
10:43 [Music]
10:47 Out of the six brothers, none of them finished their studies.
10:51 But Raeline is determined to continue her studies.
10:56 I need to work. I want us to improve in this hard time.
11:04 Ethew finished his studies this year.
11:08 He's in Grade 7 now.
11:10 But because he stopped studying twice,
11:14 he's now with his younger brother, Raeline, in Grade 5.
11:18 I stopped studying in 2024.
11:22 For their father, he's sad whenever he sees his children working.
11:30 But they won't eat if Ethew doesn't help them.
11:36 Especially when he's old and has a hard time climbing mountains.
11:41 His wife has a stomach ache.
11:44 As a father, we are both parents.
11:48 It's hard to see your children working to help their family.
11:56 I'm not sad because they helped me.
12:01 But I feel that they are the ones who are working.
12:07 It's hard for me. Even if I'm tired, I still have to work.
12:12 I feel like I'm not hungry.
12:16 Everyone feels sad.
12:20 Even if I'm just a parent.
12:22 I don't have a job. I want to help.
12:25 I'm thankful to them for helping.
12:27 But I forgot about studying.
12:30 [Music]
12:37 [Music]
12:43 When they arrived at their place,
12:46 a buyer was waiting for the bananas that Ethew and Raeline planted.
12:51 When did you arrive?
12:52 Just now.
12:53 How much is this?
12:54 Give me the same amount.
12:59 400 pesos was paid to Mang Rijo for one bag of 20 kilos of bananas.
13:06 Here you go.
13:08 Thank you.
13:10 How much is this?
13:13 50 pesos.
13:15 Are you happy?
13:17 Yes.
13:18 What will you give to your children?
13:19 I will give them food.
13:21 I will give them food tomorrow.
13:23 I will give them food.
13:26 [Music]
13:38 To find out the health condition of the family,
13:42 Nanny Marivic and her siblings Ethew and Raeline were immediately examined at the health center of the town.
13:48 [Music]
13:58 This is the first time that the children will be checked up.
14:02 [Music]
14:03 When Dr. Ethew arrived, he found out that he is a minor for his age.
14:09 According to our assessment of the usual 13-year-old children in the Philippines, he is shorter in stature and thin.
14:19 It can also be because of the lack of nutrition, depending on what they eat in the village.
14:25 Children should not carry heavy things, especially if it is possible for the child to affect the growth rate.
14:35 This is where we learned that his mother is suffering from a serious illness.
14:39 In remote areas, we have a common disease called tuberculosis.
14:45 That is why we always have such cases done.
14:50 If we have findings, we will reassess and return the results.
14:57 [Music]
14:59 Despite the hardship, Ethew still has hope of returning to school.
15:06 What do you want to be?
15:08 I want to be an electrician so I can help people.
15:12 I can fix electric fans.
15:17 I will just test how much electricity I can get.
15:25 I will just test how much electricity I can get.
15:29 I will just test how much electricity I can get.
15:33 To learn more, he is also being taught by his younger brother, Reyaline, by some students.
15:40 I told him not to stop because it is for the people who are suffering.
15:44 If he enters, we will help them to carry their things.
15:48 [Music]
16:14 Just this Monday, Reporters Notebook brought to the local government of Rodriguez, Rizal the situation of Ethew and Reyaline.
16:22 [Music]
16:26 Good afternoon.
16:29 Is Denve and Reyaline here?
16:34 A representative from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, or MSWDO, visited them so that the family can talk in person.
16:44 You will enter again, you will not be dropped out. We will talk when this time is over. It's okay with you.
16:52 The children don't like the situation.
16:55 That's why they need to work to meet the basic needs.
17:02 Let's check if this is okay.
17:07 Because of the condition of the father, of course, they are the ones who are suffering.
17:11 But because these are still children, they should not be.
17:15 The state should also see how we can help and care for these children.
17:21 [Music]
17:24 There is a risk to the health and nutrition of the children.
17:29 Especially for them, they are still young and their work is not appropriate for their body.
17:42 [Music]
17:45 There is also a risk that they will not finish their studies, they will drop out of school.
17:54 [Music]
17:56 The local government of Montalban will also provide financial assistance to EPU and Reyaline so that the children will not return to work.
18:05 And the good news is that EPU will return to school.
18:10 [Music]
18:12 That's why some school supplies, new uniforms and shoes were also brought by our program for him.
18:19 I am happy because I will be able to use it when I go to school.
18:23 I am happy because you gave me a school supply to use in school.
18:31 They were also given a scholarship from Rodriguez LGU so that they can continue their studies until high school.
18:38 [Music]
18:42 And on Wednesday, after more than two months of EPU's studies,
18:47 [Music]
18:51 he no longer needs to carry vegetables and not in the mountains.
18:56 [Music]
19:03 Because he will return to school, his seat is already waiting
19:09 [Music]
19:13 that will bring him a better tomorrow.
19:16 [Music]
19:28 Until next Saturday, I am Mackie Pulido.
19:31 I am Egyen Venaracion and this is Reporters Tonight.
19:35 (upbeat music)