Rallies on the Streets

It was a Monday afternoon, I had no class for my classes are only up to 12 noon, so I planned to go to church for a mass. I’ve prepared myself, took a bath, ate some snacks and then had a ride on a jeepney bound to the metropolis.

When I reached the terminal, I decided to walk from the terminal to the church for the church is not that far.

As I was walking my way to my destination, my attention was caught by a faction of young individuals with banners and cards shouting and yelling while forming an assembly on the streets. I stayed in my position for a while and started observing what these people are doing.

          

    

I heard them shout about education, about their right to education and the like. There was a man holding a mega-phone and was shouting his sentiments to everyone;

“And edukasyon ay para sa lahat, ang edukasyon ay karapatang dapat ipagkaloob ng bulok na gobyernong ito sa atin”, he said.

A reporter went near on one of the rallyist, they’ve conversed for a short while and was both speaking in English, the interviewee had all the conviction and the vigor as she was answering the questions of the reporter;

“Education is a right that we, the youth, should enjoy”, those were some of the words that I’ve heard from her.

As I looked at their faces, most of them looked very tired and were full of sweat, I asked the vendor near me of some details of what those people were doing before I came, she said that they were there for hours, beginning at around 8:00 am and never even had lunch.

Some ideas were then formulated inside my mind;

“Why do these people shout about their right to education? I believe that they were enjoying that right already; first of all, these people won’t learn how to speak fluently in English or even in Filipino if they’re not schooled. Why would they shout about Filipinos having the right to go to school? On the first hand, they are students and they’re on school. It’s like that, they’re kids, complaining and crying because they want a lollipop, but if you’ll look at their hands, they’re already holding one on the left and one on the right.

“These people have parents; these people’s parents are expecting that during that time, as they’ve given them their “baon” or allowance, they’re on their classrooms learning algebra, history or physics, but instead, they’re on the streets, dehydrating and exhausting themselves of a thing they’re shouting which they have taken  for granted that very time, they had classes during that day I guess, it was not a national holiday”.

“You’re shouting that you must have the right to go to school, but during that time you’re supposed to be in school, yet you decided not to go to school because you want to shout out to the whole world that you must be in school!” What was that?

I had many realizations that day! What an experience; so I continued my way to the church, and as the mass went on, I thanked God for the new knowledge I learned that afternoon of Monday.

-Ronnie John Dohina Barrientos