Young Bacolodnons and Negrenses all need to face the harsh realities of a world seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic along with million of young people around the world. They are left with no choice but to strike balance between adapting to the so-called New Normal and still remain optimistic and determined to pursue their goals and aspirations in life. One important step is to pursue their studies despite the everything that is happening and inspite of difficult circumstances. There’s a brave new world waiting for our young people. But first they have to conquer the challenges posed by migration of classroom learning to virtual classes.
As September came, the Bacolod Barter Community launched a challenge for its members to mark its fourth month – to nominate and share a story about someone deserving to receive a Smart Bro Pocket Wifi LTE with 250 load. In just one day, the challenge drew 153 names. Judges went through all the stories and picked five young people. Their identities and stories were also validated. We invite you to read the short sharing of the nominators about their nominees below, in their own words and be inspired. There stories will give us a glimpse of the difficulties our young people face today as they immerse themselves in online learning.
Evame Lastimoso
Evame was nominated by her sister-in-law: Chirry May Despe, who wrote: “I chose Evame Lastimoso nga mtagaan sang pocket wifi kay naga believe gid ako sa iya sa pag dedicar sa pag-eskwela nya 15 years old palang sya nagbusong nasa but wala gid sya nag stop sa schooling nya until now nga ma 3 years old na baby nya. Sya ang akon nga bayaw kag ang iya bana isa lamang ka trycycle driver kay tungod sa pandemic indi ka byahe iya bana gabaligya nalang sila fishball Kung hapon para my ibakal gatas ka bata ya. While gatulok ko sya nabudlayan ko kay gastart na online class nila kung gabe sya kag aga pa gabugtaw para mag answer sang mga questionaire nila kay pagkahapon mabaligya naman sya fishball sa benta nya sa fishball dira pasa gakwa ipaload 70 pesos good for 1 week para sa iya online class. I hope attorney sya mapilian nyu. She deserve nga makakwa ka wifi para ndi na sya nabudlayan pa.tama ka tutum nga baye pag abot sa pageskwela ya I salute her. GODBLESS attorney“
(I choose Evame to receive a pocket wifi because I am impressed by her dedication to her studies. She became pregnant when she was only 15 years of age but she never quit school. Her husband who is a tricycle driver no longer had trips because of the pandemic. So as couple, they sold fishball in the day time, where Evame gets 70 pesos per week for Internet load for her online classes. I hope she gets the wifi because she is very hardworking when it comes to her studies).
Floriane Flores
Floriane was nominated by her aunt, Angelie Flores, who wrote: Gin pili ko sya nga angay hatagan sang pocket wifi ang akon nominado ky bisan ano ka budlay ga porsigido gid cla nga 5 nga mag utod nga maka tapos bisan ga patay patay ubra sa tawo ang ila nga iloy para my pang adlaw adlaw nga gawion ky ang amay nila wala na ga suporta sa ila kg very proud sa ila nga lima nga gin padako cla nga closer to God nga every Saturday ga serve gid cla nga bisan wala na ang amay nila ga suporta kg ga pakita sa ila pero ang heart nila nga mag ulutod wala sang ka akig kg ang mabatian mo lang sa ila palangga man japon namon c papa bisan wala nya na kami gina sapak batunon man japon namon siya kung balik cya… tani mapilian ang akon nominado salamat
(I chose Floriane because of her determination and that of her siblings despite the difficulties they face especially in not being supported by their own father. I am proud of them because they were raised with close relationship to God. Such that despite of their father not looking at their welfare, all of them still loves him and wish to accept him if he comes back and live with them.)
Raphael Casim
Raphael was nominated by a schoolmate Cherise Ascalon Cordova, who wrote: “Hi this is a batchmate of mine from lasalle nursing. Nursing in lasalle is very expensive however he is a scholar cause his dad works there. He is very smart and very hardworking. Taga adsisa sha sa silay which is very very far. And waay sha wifi only load. And every lecture week ga zoom kami for our Nursing major subjects and mahal2 ang zoom mag kaon sa load. A day guru he spends at least 200 for load. Nd man gd sila amo na ka rich and he is really challenged. To think sometimes grabe gd demands sang mga teachers namon. U may think pag lasalle damo kwarta especially nursing but NO. Hindi man gd kami ni amo ni ka close but i think he really deserves nya effortan cause i want us all to graduate as a batch. Future frontliners and i know he deserves it. Grabe sha mag workhard sa school. Despite he is challenged gd but he even gives off much better outputs than my wifi. His dedication to being a RN someday is someone who can inspire a lot of people 🙂 he lives in the far flung areas of silay. My mom said sulodlon pagd. I just want him to cope up also sa lessons namon and zoom classes. Kisa left behind man sha”
(I nominate Raphael, my batchmate in Nursing at La Salle. People may think, students in La Salle are all rich. But that is not true. Raphael is a scholar because his father works in La Salle. They are not rich so he is also struggling with expenses for internet load and demands of teachers, since Zoom eats up a lot of load. We are not that close but I see him as very hardworking. He exerts more effort than even those with a lot of Internet connectivity. He lives very far from Bacolod, at AIDSISA in Silay so has problems copin with lessons. His dedication to his studies will surely make him a good registered nurse some day, a future frontliner. I want us all to graduate as one batch.)
Kimly Ballerta
Kimmy was nominated by a friend, Francis Jim Esing, who wrote “She’s like a sister to me. We have been friend’s since Grade 2 and up until now, 2nd year college na sya taking Secondary Education major in Mathematics sa BCC. Si mama nya lang ang ga buhi sa ila kay recently nag ka sakit sya amo na na stop iya work sa tiyange to help her education. Halin sang elementary asta Senior High School consecutive honor student sya. Hopefully mapili sya kay her sister kag sya gakinahanglan gid para sa ila pag eskwela para ma buligan ila iloy sa ulihi. Salamat.”
(She is a like a sister to me and we have been friends since second grade. Her mother is their only bread winner in the family. But now she is sick and so they need to close their small store. She and her sister really need the pocket wifi for the studies, so they can help their mother.)
️Sofie Cabinbin
Sofie nominated her self and wrote: Hi maam good eve, ako gle si Sofie Cabinbin taga brgy16 purok dalawidaw Bacolod City. Akon kaugalingon ang gin pili nga eh nominate kay tungod naga pati ako nga isa ko sa deserving kag indi lamang ako nga maga pulos sini bangud akon pagid mga manghud, bale tatlo kme kabilog, tatlo man kme ang maga tubang sng online classes, tanan kme ga skwela isa nako kag college samtang ang duwa ko ka manghud isa sa high school kag isa sa senior high kag manug graduate namn ini. Kag kme tanan gna pa skwela sang amon amay nga trisikad driver, kag sa sbng nga tyempo maam wla kme suga naga gamit lng kme sang kandila adlaw2 kag ga charge lng kme sang amon mga cellphone sa amon tiya sa piyak balay ma budlay mn pero kayanon nmun para ma baylohan nmun ang tanan nga sakripisyo nga gn himo samon sang amon amay kag nd mn kme makabayad sang suga sbng kay tungod sa mga galakatabo kag ang income sang akon amay husto lng nmun igasto adlaw2. tne isa ako sa mapilian kag naga pati ako nga deserving ko kay dako gd ini mabulig sa amon panglakaton sa amon maayo nga bwas damlag. Kag isa ini sa maka buhin sang amon problema sa pag tubang sang online classes. Amo lng ina kag madamo gd nga salamat sa pag basa ☺️ halong kita tanan kag God bless us ☺️
(I nominate myseld because I know I deserve the pocket wifi. Me and my two siblings, all three of us need to study so we can repay the hardwork of our father. Our father is our breadwinner in the family and he is a driver. But since we are in a pandemic, he barely has trips. Because we need to spend for our daily needs, we have not paid our electricity bills. So now we have no light and we only charge our cellphones in our aunt’s house next door. We badly need to win the prize to help us with our studies.
The Bacolod Barter Community thanks Atty. Meddie Arbolado, Jr. for donating five units of Smart Bro Pocket Wifi. Meddie has been supportive of the mission of the barter community which is to spread kindness. Congratulations to all our five young winners and may God continue to bless them.
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Jocelle Batapa Sigue 