Striving To Survive, Causes Death

In these times of hardship, Filipino poor people find ways to earn a little for their survival. They sometimes are not concern on what will be the result of their action, as long as they knew that what they do can give a little remedy for their hunger.

On my Living In Metro Manila Blogsite, I have a post entitled “Eating Garbage” which talked about the tendency of the Filipino poor people to eat garbage just to survive from the day’s hunger, without knowing that what they eat will just give them more trouble than relieving their pain of hunger.

Now, here’s a news:

10 Dies As Trains Derails … The Manila-bound Philippine National Railways train, with about 400 passengers, went off the rails at speed near Barangay Duhat, Padre Burgos. … Four of the six passenger coaches plunged down a 40-foot slope, eyewitnesses said. Some of the wheelbases remained on the track.

People might think that what had happened to this train was just an accident. But hey! Is it really an accident or was just a result of some foolishness? Now let us consider this:

10 Dies As Trains Derails … The PNR suspects that the tracks were damaged by thieves who remove tracks, rail spikes and other equipment to sell for scrap.

See. Although I didn’t witness the accident and even didn’t investigate about this, but I do believe that stealing tracks, rail spikes and other metal or equipment and sold for scrap was the major concern on this. We can not deny the fact that there are Filipinos who didn’t use their head before doing such actions.

When I was in Cebu, that was on the year 2000, when I was about to leave the Iglesia Ni Cristo chapel in Tisa, Cebu City after our worship service, I saw 3 teenagers who were carrying the metal covering for the open canal on both sides of the road.

I knew that would be sold for scrap for their living but they were also trying to leave the canal open and that would cause harm to people walking along that road especially during night time. And I couldn’t leave this way just like this. I ran after them. When they noticed me, the two young men faced me with a metal rod on their hands, while the other one tried to hold the metal covering.

I was challenged by what they’d showed me. So I got a piece of wooden rod, divided it into two and struck the right arm of the taller one. The metal rod, he was holding, was thrown away. And then I aimed to the arm of the other guy… I would hit him if he didn’t run leaving the younger one who was holding the metal covering and the taller one who was moaning in pain.

The younger one pulled the metal covering back on place as what I instructed him. And warned them not to touch again those metal covering, otherwise they will stay in prison.