Igorot boy crosses 4 mountains, 2 rivers just to get to school
Rose Carmelle Lacuata, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 24 2016 08:05 AM
MANILA - For most people, education is the path that will help them reach greater heights, with each grade level bringing them a step closer to a better life.
But for Ruben Nayusan, a ten-year-old member of the Kalanguya group of Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, the road to success involves crossing rivers and mountains, just so he can reach his school, which is an hour and a half away from where he lives.
The youngest in a brood of ten, Nayusan spends most of his time helping his family earn a living.
His family lives in the slopes of the Sierra Madre mountain range, where they are surrounded by pristine rivers, fertile land, and lush greens.
Their lifestyle and the location of their community makes it difficult for the Nayusan children to study. In fact, out of the ten Nayusan children, only one was able to reach high school.
"I want to finish my studies so that my parents don't have to work too hard," Nayusan said.
Nayusan and his siblings have to go through four mountains and two rivers to reach their school.
The children have been crossing mountains all their lives, but it is never a guarantee that each step will keep them away from danger.
"Our feet get muddy. We get drenched in the rain," Nayusan said.
During rainy days, the usually slippery trail becomes harder to cross, forcing Nayusan and his siblings to walk barefoot just to avoid accidents.
The path was never friendly, especially for the children. The dangerous cliffs are covered by grassy overgrowth. One wrong step can lead to death.
Such difficulty once disheartened Nayusan. At the onset of last school year, he frequently skipped classes, until he eventually quit school in the middle of the semester.
But Nayusan's mother, Norma said she wants her son to finish schooling despite the difficulties.
At ten years old, Nayusan is just an incoming grade 1 student. Despite his small physique, he still stands out among his classmates, most of whom are younger than him.
He endures the difficulty of going to school just so he can finish his studies.
And at the heart of Nayusan's every attempt to learn is his dream of improving the life of his family.
"I dream of becoming a soldier or a policeman. I want to help my Mama and Papa so they won't have a hard time working for us," he said.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/06/24/16/igorot-boy-crosses-4-mountains-2-rivers-just-to-get-to-school
But for Ruben Nayusan, a ten-year-old member of the Kalanguya group of Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, the road to success involves crossing rivers and mountains, just so he can reach his school, which is an hour and a half away from where he lives.
The youngest in a brood of ten, Nayusan spends most of his time helping his family earn a living.
His family lives in the slopes of the Sierra Madre mountain range, where they are surrounded by pristine rivers, fertile land, and lush greens.
Their lifestyle and the location of their community makes it difficult for the Nayusan children to study. In fact, out of the ten Nayusan children, only one was able to reach high school.
"I want to finish my studies so that my parents don't have to work too hard," Nayusan said.
Nayusan and his siblings have to go through four mountains and two rivers to reach their school.
The children have been crossing mountains all their lives, but it is never a guarantee that each step will keep them away from danger.
"Our feet get muddy. We get drenched in the rain," Nayusan said.
During rainy days, the usually slippery trail becomes harder to cross, forcing Nayusan and his siblings to walk barefoot just to avoid accidents.
The path was never friendly, especially for the children. The dangerous cliffs are covered by grassy overgrowth. One wrong step can lead to death.
Such difficulty once disheartened Nayusan. At the onset of last school year, he frequently skipped classes, until he eventually quit school in the middle of the semester.
But Nayusan's mother, Norma said she wants her son to finish schooling despite the difficulties.
At ten years old, Nayusan is just an incoming grade 1 student. Despite his small physique, he still stands out among his classmates, most of whom are younger than him.
He endures the difficulty of going to school just so he can finish his studies.
And at the heart of Nayusan's every attempt to learn is his dream of improving the life of his family.
"I dream of becoming a soldier or a policeman. I want to help my Mama and Papa so they won't have a hard time working for us," he said.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/06/24/16/igorot-boy-crosses-4-mountains-2-rivers-just-to-get-to-school
Nald: A kid with big ambitions
April 15, 2016
A small town kid with big ambitions, this is what best describes 17-year old Ronaldo “Nald” Dapena who is one of the members of the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) football team. He came from San Antonio, Delfin Albano, Isabela, which is considered as one of the poorest barrios in the area. The third of five siblings, Nald’s father works as a farmer while his mother works part-time at a local bakery.
“Medyo mahirap din po ang buhay namin pero kahit paano po nakakaraos naman po kami sa pang araw-araw at kung may pagkakataon, tumutulong din po ako sa aking ama sa bukid,” says Nald.
Aware of their difficulties in life, Nald often finds solace in playing the sport he fell in love with at a young age, “Ten years old pa lang, naglalaro na ako ng football at madalas akong sumali sa Intramurals sa school. Nakapaglaro na din po ako sa mga Provincial Meets. Doon po ako nadiskubre ng coach po namin ngayon na si Mr. Alexander Tabubuca," says Nald.
With continuous mentoring and guidance, Nald’s game continued to improve and develop along with his team mates. With dedication and team work, they became the champions in CAVRAA Meet where they won P15,000 and were qualified for this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Not resting on his laurels, Nald used his P1,000 share of the cash gift to apply for an NC II for Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) at the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). Asked if he was hesitant to let go of his prized money given their financial situation, “Alam kong para sa gaya namin, malaking pera na ang P1,000, pero wala naman akong panghihinayang sa ginawa ko dahil magagamit ko din iyon para sa aking kinabukasan," he said. By investing his money wisely, he is now a proud holder of an NC II certificate.
Everything seems to be going well for Nald until a little bump on the road temporarily stopped him in his track. In preparation for the 2016 Palarong Pambansa, all the delegates were required to train in Tuguegarao City, a place far and unfamiliar for Nald and his parents. All his life, he has only competed in his home province. Playing on a much farther venue meant additional expenses for Nald and his family, although the fare is only P50. Just when Nald was about to throw in the towel, coach Tabucaca came to the rescue.
“Pumunta si coach sa bahay namin at sinabi sa mga magulang ko na siya na ang bahala sa pamasahe ko at titingin sa akin habang nasa malayo ako para hindi na sila mag-alala,” Nald recalls smiling.
Believing in Nald’s potential as a good football player, there was no way Coach Tabubuca would let that go to waste. “Sayang naman ang talent ng bata kung hindi siya mabibigyan ng opportunity para mahasa sa sport na mahal niya, masipag naman at mabait kaya hindi ako makapapayag na mawala sa kanya ang oportunidad na makasali sa Palarong Pambansa,” said Tabubuca.
When asked if Nald plans to further his football career, “Gusto ko po sanang ipagpatuloy itong football, makuha sa mataas na paaralan, makakuha ng scholarship, at matupad ang aking pangarap na maging propesyonal na football player. Pero tanggap ko din naman po na maaring hindi rin siya mangyari kaya iyon din po ang dahilan kaya kumuha ako ng SMAW. Hindi ko man maabot ang aking pangarap sa buhay at least po secure naman ang aking kinabukasan dahil may NC II na ako na maari kong magamit upang makakuha ng magandang trabaho at makatulong sa aking mga magulang at kapatid,” says Nald.
END
http://deped.gov.ph/stories/nald-kid-big-ambitions
“Medyo mahirap din po ang buhay namin pero kahit paano po nakakaraos naman po kami sa pang araw-araw at kung may pagkakataon, tumutulong din po ako sa aking ama sa bukid,” says Nald.
Aware of their difficulties in life, Nald often finds solace in playing the sport he fell in love with at a young age, “Ten years old pa lang, naglalaro na ako ng football at madalas akong sumali sa Intramurals sa school. Nakapaglaro na din po ako sa mga Provincial Meets. Doon po ako nadiskubre ng coach po namin ngayon na si Mr. Alexander Tabubuca," says Nald.
With continuous mentoring and guidance, Nald’s game continued to improve and develop along with his team mates. With dedication and team work, they became the champions in CAVRAA Meet where they won P15,000 and were qualified for this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Not resting on his laurels, Nald used his P1,000 share of the cash gift to apply for an NC II for Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) at the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). Asked if he was hesitant to let go of his prized money given their financial situation, “Alam kong para sa gaya namin, malaking pera na ang P1,000, pero wala naman akong panghihinayang sa ginawa ko dahil magagamit ko din iyon para sa aking kinabukasan," he said. By investing his money wisely, he is now a proud holder of an NC II certificate.
Everything seems to be going well for Nald until a little bump on the road temporarily stopped him in his track. In preparation for the 2016 Palarong Pambansa, all the delegates were required to train in Tuguegarao City, a place far and unfamiliar for Nald and his parents. All his life, he has only competed in his home province. Playing on a much farther venue meant additional expenses for Nald and his family, although the fare is only P50. Just when Nald was about to throw in the towel, coach Tabucaca came to the rescue.
“Pumunta si coach sa bahay namin at sinabi sa mga magulang ko na siya na ang bahala sa pamasahe ko at titingin sa akin habang nasa malayo ako para hindi na sila mag-alala,” Nald recalls smiling.
Believing in Nald’s potential as a good football player, there was no way Coach Tabubuca would let that go to waste. “Sayang naman ang talent ng bata kung hindi siya mabibigyan ng opportunity para mahasa sa sport na mahal niya, masipag naman at mabait kaya hindi ako makapapayag na mawala sa kanya ang oportunidad na makasali sa Palarong Pambansa,” said Tabubuca.
When asked if Nald plans to further his football career, “Gusto ko po sanang ipagpatuloy itong football, makuha sa mataas na paaralan, makakuha ng scholarship, at matupad ang aking pangarap na maging propesyonal na football player. Pero tanggap ko din naman po na maaring hindi rin siya mangyari kaya iyon din po ang dahilan kaya kumuha ako ng SMAW. Hindi ko man maabot ang aking pangarap sa buhay at least po secure naman ang aking kinabukasan dahil may NC II na ako na maari kong magamit upang makakuha ng magandang trabaho at makatulong sa aking mga magulang at kapatid,” says Nald.
END
http://deped.gov.ph/stories/nald-kid-big-ambitions