Aired (January 25, 2025): Sa isang komunidad, may mga katutubong handang matuto at magbahagi ng kaalaman, anuman ang kanilang edad. Para sa kanila, ang matutong magbasa at magsulat ay isang kapangyarihan—isang lakas na nagbibigay tapang upang harapin ang hamon ng modernong panahon.
Ngunit sa kabila ng kanilang kagustuhang matuto, nahirapan silang magbasa dahil sa paglabo ng kanilang mata. Kaya ang mga mag-aaral, isang salamin na nagkakahalaga ng ₱50 ang kanilang pinaghahatian para makapagpatuloy sa kanilang pag-aaral.
#iBenteSingko
Ngunit sa kabila ng kanilang kagustuhang matuto, nahirapan silang magbasa dahil sa paglabo ng kanilang mata. Kaya ang mga mag-aaral, isang salamin na nagkakahalaga ng ₱50 ang kanilang pinaghahatian para makapagpatuloy sa kanilang pag-aaral.
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00:00In the heart of Sierra Madre, there is a watershed that is almost the size of the entire Metro Manila.
00:19It covers almost 58,000 hectares.
00:23The Angat Watershed Forest Reserve is well-known for its water and electricity.
00:30It is one of the places where the entire Metro Manila is supplied.
00:37From the drop-off area in Angat Dam, about an hour's boat ride will go to Sitio Pinaganakan.
00:43There is no other way to get there but by boat.
00:47But it's just a small boat and it's a bit shaky.
00:51I hope our trip will be fine for an hour.
01:03The sky is gloomy.
01:07The water is shaky.
01:10And our boat just won't stop.
01:18But no matter how shaky the journey is,
01:21that is how peaceful the paradise we passed through is.
01:34In the middle of the mountains, there is a community of seabirds.
01:40They live in a quiet environment.
01:53They consider nature as a part of their culture.
01:57But for the elderly residents here,
01:59they don't have enough to eat.
02:02They want to change the image of the community.
02:08Their main occupation in school is to be a seabird and a piece of antipara.
02:16This is the place where they will be taught about the importance of knowledge.
02:20Their main occupation in school is to be a seabird and a piece of antipara.
02:27This is the place where they will be taught about the importance of knowledge.
02:31This is the place where they will be taught about the importance of knowledge.
02:47We couldn't see anything earlier.
02:51I thought there were no houses inside, but there are still a lot of people living here.
02:57When we arrived at Sitio Pinaganakan,
03:00we had to walk a long way to reach the so-called classroom of the seabirds.
03:20Look at this.
03:21They pulled it off.
03:26Nice.
03:33We haven't walked for two minutes yet.
03:36The terrain here is a bit challenging.
03:57It's so beautiful.
04:05As we arrived, the old people entered this small cave.
04:13You'd think there would be a Council of Elders.
04:18We're lost.
04:24But their attitude is different.
04:29They are the students of the parateacher, Ma'am Melona.
04:38They are all underage because they don't have birth certificates.
04:47The classroom is here in the living room of their house.
04:57There is a small blackboard and a few papers and pencils.
05:03Even though we are old, we still have hope to learn.
05:09That's why everyone is interested.
05:18The schedule of the class determines when each student is free.
05:24The students are their relatives, neighbors, and neighbors.
05:31There is no signal in Sitio Pinaganakan.
05:35That's why the students are on the radio during class.
05:39The students are on the radio during class.
05:43The students go to the radio whenever the class is over.
05:50Because there is little knowledge in reading,
05:54Ma'am Melona showed them flashcards.
05:59La.
06:01Ma.
06:03Ma.
06:05Ma.
06:07But the classroom slows down when the lesson starts.
06:11They can write all the names,
06:15but they can't write the names of the seniors at the same time
06:19because their eyes will be blurred.
06:21They have to wait for one person to finish so that they can borrow the flashcards.
06:26This flashcard was bought for 50 pesos.
06:33An antipara was given to an old student by Ma'am Melona.
06:38The antiparas will be handed to the next student.
06:42Will you join the class?
06:46No.
06:48I have blurry vision.
06:51I can't read.
06:52I can't write.
06:54I can't write.
06:56I can't write.
06:58I can't write.
07:00I can't read.
07:02I can't write.
07:04I can't write.
07:05I can't write.
07:07I can't write.
07:09Okay.
07:11It seems like the grade is high because it's blurry for me.
07:15I can't read.
07:17I can't read.
07:19I can't read.
07:21The grade is high because I'm 100-100 but it's still blurry for me.
07:27I think this is 200.
07:29I think this is 200.
07:34This is how the scene in the class usually looks like.
07:59Some of the students haven't started their activities yet because they're still waiting for their exam.
08:06Their vision is blurry.
08:07They can't do it now.
08:20They're measuring the length of the legs of the students to learn.
08:29I can't read.
08:30I can't read.
08:32I can't read.
08:34I can't read.
08:36I can't read.
08:38It's small on the top.
08:40It's small on the top again.
08:47Here.
08:50Just make it bigger.
08:51You have to do so all your life.
08:55The younger ones are still struggling because they can't leave their children.
09:10To be honest, they understand each other here in Sitio Pinag-Anakan.
09:15But there's a reason why the young ones are trying to learn how to read and write.
09:24Even if it's just a small mark, don't make it bigger.
09:28Because writing is more important than making it bigger.
09:35Don't make it like this.
09:37Yes, don't make it like this.
09:40That's what we need.
09:42So that we can at least sign our names.
09:48The adults, like Rudy, Roberto, and Armando,
09:53are already tired of the pain they experience every time they go out of the mountain.
09:58But I have a son who is also a bit illiterate.
10:03If he faces the Tagalog people,
10:06the Tagalog people will treat him differently.
10:10Because they know that he won't be fooled easily.
10:13But if it's just us, they are happy.
10:15They don't want us to be ignorant.
10:17They are happy.
10:18Okay, let's go. Let's sit down.
10:22In the case of Rudy's father,
10:24every time he sells his last fish,
10:26they are always in a dilemma when it comes to payment.
10:31Sometimes, we are still in a dilemma when it comes to paying our bills.
10:36When it comes to paying, what happens?
10:38Sometimes, we think that that's the price of a kilo.
10:44But we are also aware of the price of a kilo.
10:49Sometimes, we are aware that that's the price of a kilo.
10:54But if it's five kilos,
10:57they will say,
10:58this is five kilos, father.
11:00I am not angry with you.
11:02You are the one who is fooling us.
11:05We won't give you rice.
11:07We won't give you rice.
11:08We won't give you rice.
11:09We won't give you rice.
11:10We won't give you rice.
11:13The situation is getting worse when it comes to the election.
11:18When we vote,
11:20someone will assist us.
11:23I will tell them who I want to vote for.
11:26I am not sure if they will vote for me
11:29because I don't know how to write and read.
11:32We don't know if we want to vote or not.
11:37We don't know if we want to vote or not.
11:41Our children who know how to read
11:45cannot assist us if they don't allow it.
11:51They cannot read because of the receipt.
11:54Yes, the receipt.
11:55In father Armando's experience,
11:58when it's time to vote,
12:00they lose their right to vote
12:03because they are not sure
12:05if they are marking the ballot correctly.
12:10Do you know what you are writing?
12:12No, we don't know.
12:14So some of you are just saying,
12:16this is it.
12:17Yes.
12:18This is it.
12:19We won't give you rice.
12:21We won't give you rice.
12:23Now, there are people who will vote.
12:26They will ask me,
12:28what do you want to vote for?
12:30I won't tell them.
12:32When they say the name,
12:35that's the only thing they will remember.
12:37But when they give the ballot papers,
12:41I don't know how to write or read.
12:45I don't know how to write.
12:52This is the challenge for Ma'am Melona.
12:55But because she is alone,
12:57it's hard for Ma'am Melona
12:59to teach all of her students.
13:06They study for two hours a day.
13:11The movement is limited
13:13because of one school.
13:27After class,
13:29the hardworking Emy and Anely
13:31will get ready to go fishing.
13:36Because there are other students who need to study,
13:38both parents have to help out.
13:45I was joined by the women
13:47in their search for a job.
14:09Ma'am Melona is also a part of the movement.
14:13They will sacrifice themselves to go fishing.
14:19Our small boat was left unattended.
14:29We will go fishing.
14:31We will go fishing.
14:33We will go fishing.
14:35We will go fishing.
14:38We stopped at a mangrove.
14:42Ma'am Emy is singing
14:45while we sacrifice ourselves
14:47to go fishing.
14:58It's hard to breathe
15:00because of the roots.
15:05And it's cold.
15:06The water is cold.
15:12I'm going to cry.
15:16Because
15:18it's hard to step on
15:20and it's uneven.
15:22Slowly.
15:24It's stuck to the rocks.
15:28The water is murky
15:30and we can hardly see anything.
15:37But they continue to sacrifice themselves.
15:46At the bottom,
15:47they are choosing a hiding place.
16:01And they will wait while they are walking.
16:06They will wait while they are walking.
16:26I estimate
16:27that they will hold their breath
16:29for more than 10 seconds
16:31just to catch a fish.
16:36Let's go.
16:54Finally,
16:55Ma'am Melona caught something.
16:57She caught a fish.
17:04We caught three small fish.
17:07There are a lot.
17:23Ma'am, what happened?
17:27My clothes got stuck
17:29and I almost drowned.
17:31This is how it is.
17:33It's not hot.
17:35The fish are stuck to the grass.
17:37It's deep.
17:38It's hard to catch.
17:40It's hard.
17:41And it's cold.
17:48The sun is about to set
17:50so we can't catch anything.
17:53They have nothing to sell
17:55but they have something to eat
17:57this evening.
18:19Even though they are small,
18:22they catch fish almost every day.
18:31In order not to forget their lessons,
18:35they also review their homes.
18:45Nice land, Ma'am.
18:48That's why we talk about
18:50going to school.
18:54Our children are trying
18:56but they don't want to grow up.
18:59They know how to fish
19:00but they don't want to.
19:08Usually,
19:09Emy's hard work
19:10is being reviewed by the mothers.
19:18It's only been a month
19:20since they started going to school.
19:33The problem is,
19:34they don't go to school regularly
19:38because their priority is
19:40to learn how to fish
19:42instead of spending time in class.
19:45We go to school once a day
19:47for about an hour.
19:50We don't go to school together.
19:53We look for jobs.
19:55We look for jobs.
19:58That's our job.
20:04Most of the students
20:06are the wives.
20:08Because they are busy
20:10looking for a job.
20:13Why did you decide to go to school?
20:16You could have gone to school
20:18when you were young.
20:20I didn't go to school.
20:22We are thankful
20:24to Ma'am Arlene.
20:27She helped us.
20:29Every uncle went to school.
20:34But the worst part
20:36of this community
20:39is that they exchange knowledge.
20:43Ma'am Melona's oldest student
20:45shares different traditions
20:47of the fishermen.
20:52One of them is
20:54the common communication
20:56that only a few remember
20:58and are afraid to lose.
21:06When there were no paper
21:08and cell phones,
21:10the fishermen would talk
21:12on the leaves.
21:14For example,
21:16we would talk
21:18to each other
21:20and he would pass by.
21:24For example,
21:26the leaves are like this.
21:32Especially if there are
21:34a lot of leaves,
21:36it means something
21:38to us.
21:48He's there.
21:56Now,
21:58the fishermen use
22:00two-way radio.
22:04We don't know
22:06what to do.
22:08We don't know
22:10what to do.
22:16But the batteries
22:18of the two-way radio are limited
22:20and only rely
22:22on solar power.
22:28That's why
22:30Ma'am Melona
22:32uses technology
22:34to keep
22:36the culture alive.
22:52This mountain is the classroom
22:54of the children today.
22:58Together with Ma'am Melona,
23:00there are two grandpas
23:02who are also students.
23:08They first pick
23:10the leaves.
23:22Each one
23:24has a meaning.
23:26We call it
23:28pag-ebig.
23:34I love you.
23:38I love you wholeheartedly.
23:46So,
23:48what is the name
23:50of the leaf?
23:52It sounds like the word.
23:54It is used
23:56to express
23:58love.
24:00I love you
24:02wholeheartedly.
24:04I promise.
24:08These children
24:10go from grade 1
24:12to grade 10.
24:14They are students
24:16at Pinaganakan Integrated School
24:18in the subject of Culture and Tradition.
24:20I promise.
24:22I promise.
24:24Unlike their parents,
24:26they have the privilege
24:28to read,
24:30write,
24:32and know when they were born.
24:34I promise.
24:36What is that?
24:38But it is important
24:40to the children
24:42to not forget their culture.
24:44I promise.
24:46I love you wholeheartedly.
24:48I promise.
25:18There is no way
25:20to erase the lineage of the ancestors.
25:22As a millennial,
25:24I admit that
25:26the ancestors'
25:28way of communication
25:30is old but unique.
25:32It is a shame
25:34that this culture
25:36is almost extinct
25:38in the place
25:40of the ancestors.
25:42There is nothing better
25:44for a teacher
25:46to see that you have changed
25:48the life of your student.
25:54And for the
25:56children of Sitio Pinaganakan,
25:58there is no age
26:00that is too old
26:02as long as you are determined.
26:04For them,
26:06learning to read
26:08and write is
26:10their only defense
26:12so that
26:14the future will not be repeated.
26:26For us,
26:28in the past,
26:30we were closed.
26:32Maybe now,
26:34we can read
26:36when our children are able to study.
26:38We learned that
26:40we can study
26:42and our children can learn
26:44while we can't.
26:46That is why we are
26:48fortunate
26:50to be in this situation.
26:54And we can study
26:56at any age.
27:08I am Mav Gonzalez
27:10and this is
27:12Eyewitness.
27:38Thank you very much.