You Should Know This

These are the  following documentaries taken from I-Witness on GMA 7.  I've made a reaction to these documentaries because it is an eye opener of what is happening around us.  We must be thankful for the blessing that we receive everyday and I hope that my reactions help you become aware of the true state of our country.  I just say that "YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS".

ANGHEL SA DAPITHAPON

Background

Progeria is an unusual disease that a children can make it look very old by its original age.  If a child has this kind of disease, he/she will only lasts for 15 years then he/she dies. 

The first child that was introduced was Rachel, a 9 year old girl but looked like a 50 year old woman.  She was adopted by the sister so that she can take care of this child.  Rachel is aware of her disease and it is easy for her to say that she will die if she reached 15 years old.  Despite of her illness, she is happy what is her life now and she is have social life with other children in their place.

The second child was Maureen, a 14 year old girl but looked like 90 or 100 years old.  She is staying with her mother in their house.  She almost locked in the house that she never go out except at their backyard.  Her mother didn’t tell what her disease is all about.  Maureen just knew that her disease is progeria but she don’t know that she has only 1 year to be with her family.  One of the reasons of her mother why she kept it a secret is she don’t want her to feel sad and don’t want something to mind. 

They meet together at Ninoy Aquino Wildlife Center and they enjoy each other company.  At first they are shy to each other but after that they became friends.  They also had a check up and this time, their parents knew their complications.  Rachel was diagnosed with more respiratory ailments, one of the illnesses of the aging person while Maureen was diagnosed with a lot of complications like heart problem, arthritis, diabetes, etc.

Synopsis

The story revolves to two children who share the same illness, and that illness is called progeria.  Even though you are a child, your appearance is very old and is expected to live for 15 years. It is not contagiuous, not inherited, and it is only appear to a person unexpectedly.  The sad part is there is no cure to treat this disease; you just wait until your life ends. If they reached 15 years then that is the time that they die.  Rachel, 9, and Maureen, 14, are battling this disease together with their family beside them.  Their family acts like their supporter to continue their life and to become happy.

My Reaction

As what is stated a while ago, progeria has no cure.  You just wait the patient until he/she dies.  This disease is can be hit to every child; in short it is unexpectedly to come.  Despite of their disease, they take life a positive thing that God gave them.  The point of view is between the two children which has progeria.

The positive thing that is very visible is on Rachel.  She can socialize with other people in regard of her disease and have fun with them.  She knows about her disease and not ashamed of having this.  The negative one is on Maureen.  Her mother don’t let her go outside their house because she don’t want o hear insult that can make both of them feel the pain.

Rachel and Maureen have one thing in common.  They are both young through heart and minds but old in appearance.  They also have loving families who are always beside them to support.  Rachel is very cheerful and sociable person while Maureen is a shy one.  Rachel is aware of her disease but Maureen doesn’t know about it until she died.

We must not discriminate these children who have progeria but this makes us to love them more deeply.  We must show and feel special attention to them because theier disease is very rare.  We must not let them feel that they hate the world for having this kind of disease though this must encourage us to thank all the small things which are present in our life.

BOY PUSIT

 

Background

The day starts early for a group of children at a remote coastal village in Masbate, an island province in the central Philippines. Even before dawn breaks, several children and a few adults line the seashore, busily preparing their boats and nets for a day of squid fishing.

Everyday, they set out to sea. A boat’s crew is comprised mostly of children. The adult stays in the boat while the children do the diving. The kids wear improvised goggles and fins made of wood that are fastened to their feet by strips of rubber.

The kids lure the squids into the nets by making noise by hitting the water’s surface hard with their arms or getting rocks underwater and throwing them hard at the water’s surface. They then dive as the net closes in to secure the squids that were trapped in the net.

Children are considered important in these diving operations because they work fast and don’t tire easily. In a day, they make an average of 20 dives. Most of the time however, they catch just a few squids not even enough to shoulder their family’s expenses in a day.

The children say they still have time to go to their classes, walking for hours through tall grasses along hilly landscapes to reach school. Their elementary school teacher, Melchor Rojas, though, says most squid catchers report to school only once or twice each week. Squid fishing takes up the kids time and when its harvest or planting season, there are the teacher reports even fewer students.

For these children, education remains uncertain, but they maintain high hopes. Given a choice, they prefer to attend school in order to finish their education rather than spend their time at work. Every summer, the number of child squid catchers rises because they are also saving for the coming school year.

Synopsis

Set in the remote coastal village of Masbate, the primary source of living is in the sea like catching squid.  The story revolves to three children: Jameson, Estoy, and Jason who are squid catchers.  They help their parents to earn money for the family’s expenses.  They are important to this job because they are energetic and don’t get tired easily.  The way to their school is in the middle of tall grass and they need to walk a long distance to reach their school.  The children combine studying and working but they tend to absent more frequently than going to school.  They are not sure if they can pursue their education but they have high hopes in life.

My Reaction

The primary cause why these children work is because of poverty.  They need to help their parents to earn money and to have something to eat.  This became their hindrance to focus in their studies but somehow they had graduated in elementary but uncertain to pursue their education.  Their school has a large number of dropout rates because of squid fishing or other jobs that they can help to their parents.  The story is centered to three children who are squid catchers.  It is more sympathetic to use children as their point of view.

The advantage of squid catching is there are squid to be sold to the consumers.  They only sold it to market for only P60 but when it is sold here in Manila, it become doubled.  Children help their parents to earn money but it is not acceptable for me that they are more focus on squid catching rather than studying.  It is because of poverty which these children are force to work even they don’t like it.

If I compare these children to the children of Manila (middle class), I can say that squid catcher children are more responsible to work than Manila children.  They are both children but the difference is they have different home place which makes them quite distinctive to each other.  Manila children can focus on their studies and are confident to finish it with high paying jobs while the squid catcher children are uncertain if they can continue their studying because of their work.

 

Squid catchers are amazing children.  They know how to become responsible because they know that they are the ones who will help their parents.  Even though they are in work, they can still go to school afterwards.  I just felt sad when these children said that they are not sure if they can pursue their education.  I hope they can continue studying because it is very important to everyone, a treasure that cannot be taken by anyone.