Wanted: Umbrellas

I just had a chat with one of my former elementary classmates back in Masbate who is now a teacher. I was moved as he related what he saw on the road this afternoon, going back to the city proper from the remote town of Aroroy—school children going home from school at 2:00 pm, on foot, under the scorching heat of the sun, without protection.

In the vernacular, he told me:

Umbrellas for school children of Masbate [Photo from allcoloringphotos.com

“Kanina, hali kami sa Aroroy kay naki-birthday sa superintendent. While on the road home, nakita namon an mga kabataan hali sa school mga 2 p. m. Naga ralakat lang. Kahalayo san linakat kag kainit. Wara man lang kalo o payong. Pan-o kun naga-uran, maralakat lang guihapon sinda? Kun dili man mag-lakat, absent sa klase. Kaluoy gayud.”(“This afternoon, we came from Aroroy from a superintendent’s birthday celebration. While on the road home, we saw school children going home from school at 2:00 p.m. They were on foot. They walked a long way and it was very hot. They didn’t have hats or umbrellas. What about when it rains, would they still go on foot? If they don’t walk to school, they’d be absent from class. Pitiful indeed.”)

“Dapat may mga payong o kalo manla. Wara na gani siguro pamasahe, wara pan pandong. Hay buhay. Naluoy gayud ako kanina…” (“They should have umbrellas or hats at least. They don’t have money to pay for transport, and they don’t even have anything to cover their heads. I pity them.”)

Hence, once again, this note to you my friends—I am gathering umbrellas, or hats, or raincoats for the school children of my home province of Masbate.

With a little help from you, we’ll give them protection over their heads—rain or shine.

Your generosity will go along way.

Let me know. Thank you.

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