by: Charlene Joy D. Ramos

Every traveler has his or her own purpose for visiting a particular destination. It could be for leisure, business, searching for oneself, seeking medical treatment, looking for growth opportunities, meeting new people, building social relationships, and so on. As for me, I usually travel to discover new places, experience different cultures, and appreciate the beauty of His creations. However, my most recent travel experience was different. It was different because I had a bigger purpose that didn’t focus on my personal enrichment but rather on touching the lives of other people and doing something beneficial for the community.

It was around 4 o’clock in the morning when we arrived at the Port of Calapan. The vessel we rode for 2 hours from Batangas smoothly sailed along the vast ocean, so I was able to have a pretty good sleep on my seat. From the port, we had to travel by land for three to four hours to get to the far-flung town of Bulalacao. Along the road, I’ve seen rice fields and coconut and banana tree plantations, which I believe implies that the province greatly relies not just on tourism but on agriculture as well to boost their economy. Most of the houses there were built from bamboo and dried coconut leaves. Seeing those by the window pane made me wonder how the locals manage to live through the rainy days.

The sun was already up and shining brightly beneath the clear, blue sky when we arrived at the school where we were going to meet the children, teachers, and some of the parents for the Balik Eskwela Outreach Project. We were warmly greeted by the locals as we entered the vicinity. They prepared breakfast for all of us—well-prepared sweet potatoes on a medium-sized bilao and some freshly harvested buko juice. It was not the typical elementary school I used to see back home. There was only one classroom that was built from concrete while the other two were built from lightweight materials, such as plywood and dried coconut leaves.

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As I looked around, I saw how excited everyone was about the activities that we were about to conduct. We readied all the supplies we needed and started the program after settling ourselves, while the others started cooking some food to be served.

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Together with the teachers, we asked the students to form lines according to their grade as we were about to start the program. Barefooted, the children stood under the blazing sun. They immediately followed the instructions and stood there quietly, waiting. It seemed as if they’re used to getting exposed to extreme heat due to their social condition. These children don’t have proper clothes to wear. Some may not have eaten a grain of rice for breakfast before getting here, or they had to walk miles from their home just to get to school. Yet, they still managed to have a warm grin on their faces. I watched as they played the games and had fun. It was a sight to see. Some of them felt shy, but they eventually joined with exuberance.

Even though the children didn’t say a word, I felt how glad and grateful they were as they received the gifts we prepared for them. Even the parents and teachers, who are the real heroes in this story, showed genuine smiles and expressed how they deeply cherish the good deed that reached them. It was priceless to see their smiles and their happiness.

It was not the typical travel escapade a person normally experiences. It was exhausting, coming all the way from Manila to this remote town, yet the invaluable moments with these people—the Mangyans—didn’t only remove the somnolence and weariness I’ve been enduring since we arrived, but it made me realize how I should be more appreciative of all the blessings I receive and things I get to buy without worrying about what tomorrow may bring. I was again able to meet new people—the volunteers who were once strangers to me. These are people who I now admire for being kind enough to share what they have and work together toward a greater purpose, not just in traveling, but in life as a whole.