a piece of OUR reality

it is very seldom that i watched a noontime show when i arrived here in naga due to wide array of choices over the different channels (both international and national) to watch. but one noontime, papa watched Eat Bulaga! (the longest running noontime show in the Philippine TV) and during that day, it was Ryan Agoncillo's birthday. of course, it is quite a custom to TV shows especially variety shows to give the birthdayperson a kind-of-blowout and greeting. Ryan's birthday celebration was highlighted when he gave the earnings of his brother-in-law to mang rogelio, an impoverished jeepney driver which he knew from BBC's Toughest Place to be a Bus Driver. So as a curious audience, i searched and actually watch the BBC's TOUGHEST PLACE TO BE A BUS DRIVER which i can say is a real piece of OUR very own reality in the eyes of a foreigner.

The close to an hour documentary revolved around the story of Josh West, a British Bus Driver from London who drives a state of the art double decker bus and the challenge imposed upon him to actually drive and have a taste of how it is to be a bus/jeepney driver in the Philippines specifically in Manila which according to the narration is being referred as the most densely populated city in the world. Of course, as a first timer, Josh found it hard to navigate the streets of Manila and much more to drive using the jeepney which he even described as "a vehicle which he thinks as not roadworthy." But eventually, he made it with the aid of attending to a driving class and with the help of Mang Rogelio.

Well, i decided to post some sort-of-a-review for the documentary not just because a Filipino and the Philippines is being featured but because on the important pieces of our reality it captured while Josh's story is going on. the first of our piece of reality is that many filipinos are still trap under the spells of poverty, that no matter how hard they tried to work and work and work even harder, when the sun rises anew, they are still in the same situation they are in. it's as if a trap wherein poor filipinos no matter how hard they strive will still end up being poor just like Mang Rogelio's situation which happens to be the very sentiment of Mang Rogelio. that everyday, many filipinos do job that at the end of the day will hopefully suffice their needs for that day alone. another thing is that even the Reproductive Health Bill or popularly the RH Bill was featured. well, personally the situation of Mang Rogelio's neighbor (which unfortunately i forgot the name) made my personal stand firmer that there is a need for the passage of RH Bill not because it gives everyone an artificial contraceptives but it gives the couple a chance to choose on what they think is better for their family.

Hmm. so much for the RH Bill. what was truly saddening i

s the part where "pagpag" - a kind of food in tondo wherein it's ingredients are collected, washed and recooked remains or remnants of foods from a fastfood chain is being served. it is shocking and saddening but we cannot blame the people of tondo in making and patronizing pagpag. it is their situation that made them do that. come to think of it, if they have better access to foods or let's say opportunities for employment, they will not do that. Josh even cried upon hearing the story and the sentiments of the pagpag maker (photo below). it is saddening because it once again caught a piece of our reality through a foreigner.

perhaps the reality that the documentary gave Ryan and inspired Ryan's decision to help Mang Rogelio even for the short-term. the realness of the story and the documentary itself is so good because even though foreigners made or produced it, there is no exaggeration but it tells the story on how the people say it. Nonetheless, the documentary made me proud that i am a Filipino. that no matter what obstacles or hurdles we face in life, we fight and we try our best to become better. Furthermore, just like josh for sure, the story of Mang Rogelio humbles me and made me appreciate our and my status now and it inspired to do more once i started working because there are jobs that are worse than mine.

Lastly, Josh was successful with his challenge though there was a part where he was lost along the route and had a hard time with driving and counting change. I hope that Josh's adventure in the Philippines would become an eyeopener to the British people as to how lucky they are that they are developed and perhaps could share some not only to the poor Filipinos but to the poor people all over the world

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ps. Jollibee was kinda featured but not really. it's just that Mang Rogelio and his family together with Josh ate at Jollibee when Mang Rogelio's jeepney was covered by the number/colorcoding. (seepicturebelow)