Suppose I must enumerate the positive impacts I embraced from our 11-day Sensing Journey in San Nicolas, Batangas. In that case, I deem it most fitting to begin with the most wonderful gift I received from this experience, and that is gaining a family I can go home to in Barangay Calangay, the warm and affectionate Biscocho Family—Jessa, Eduard, Patricia, Nicole, and the rest of their relatives who welcomed me with open arms and took care of me during my stay in their community. It is not every day that we meet random people and let you in their lives and homes in an instant, and through the short but meaningful time I lived with them, I felt the hospitality, generosity, and most importantly, the love of family and friends.
I couldn’t help but be emotional even on the first community night because I felt the burden of their sacrifice of having me around for 11 days. The family let me sleep in their children's room, while Jessa and Eduard slept on the floor without a mattress in the living room. I carried the weight of being a nuisance that would bother them for more than a week, and had them thinking of entertaining me during my entire stay with them. Just like any relationship, Jessa and I warmed up slowly, talking about our families and children, and as the days went by, although in a routine-like schedule of chatting over morning coffee, doing some household chores such as taking the goat to the grassy area, preparing and cooking food, taking care of Inggay (Jessa’s niece with Down Syndrome), just waiting for the hours to pass by after the chores (indeed the art of wasting time), to eating meals together with other family members and relatives in the common area, the sense of comfortability and familiarity between us developed. The children used to be shy and reserved during the first few days, but as we see each other more often, they have grown close to us, and we have grown fond of them as well. In fact, until now, I am still in complete wonder how the 13-year-old Riley (Eduard‘s nephew) thought of picking cacao fruits for me as a take-home gift without being asked to. I am asking myself what good I have done or what it is in me that he saw for him to do this kind act? Upon learning from his mom, Rose, that he was the one who thought of doing it, my heart was so full of happiness and gratefulness for the unforgettable moments with the family. With most days going by slowly, I listened to their stories about San Nicolas, about their life and struggles, and more importantly, about their dreams for their children.
They did not only offer me a physical structure to stay in and food to eat for 11 days, but the entire Biscocho Family including Nanay Baby (Eduard’s mother), Joy, Rose, and even the other foster families showered me with kindness, generosity, and affection as if I was also part of their family.
My 11-day stay with the Biscocho family also taught me valuable life lessons, and as someone who hails from an urban area and with no experience living and working with the so-called “poor” people, I finally have come to know what it is like to live simply and appreciate everything that allows us to survive in a day. There were times when I was so mindful of the amount of food I was eating, for it to be enough for everyone else. It took a while for me to get comfortable taking a bath in the improvised comfort room with only a sack curtain, trusting that no one would peep through the openings. When it rained hard on April 5, both rooms had leaks, and it was unfortunate to hear that there were new leaks now. I had to pray hard for the rain to stop because I was thinking how I would sleep if pails and basins were catching the water leaks on the bed. And although the girls’ bed came with a worn-out foam with only curtains covering the open window and door, I had the soundest sleep there since I started my MMC journey. And unlike my usual way of having our vehicle to travel around, I walked for some kilometers just to reach the Poblacion and the grocery stores in Calangay Taas. In short, it allowed me to take on their struggles in life, but I should mention that they are used to these challenges that they don’t regard as bothersome anymore. I realized that, as this is their way of life, being in a simple community, they don’t require much in life, just like we who grew up in the cities would not be content with what we have in life. We tend to keep asking for more, and we end up being desperate and unhappy with what we already have. This experience of “pakikipamuhay” grounded and humbled me in so many ways that I began to question most of my life’s decisions and discernments.
Finally, one of the significant lessons I learned from Jessa is how to be of service to others even without compensation and recognition. When I saw that she did not take the tilapia from his uncle as a reward for taking care of Inggay for two days, that hit me hard. I had to admit to myself that I am a person who would take what is due to me after giving a favor or help to someone, and how I would normally crave recognition every time I know I did something remarkable at work or home. Jessa also taught me to be generous and to share whatever blessings with others, because when I told her that the groceries were not for me but for them, she asked permission if she could give some of the canned goods to Rose. Again, another hard hit for me because I know in my heart how selfish I am most of the time, from hiding food from my siblings when I was a ki,d until now of being furious because my brother does not give their share or contribution in the household. Seeing through Jessa’s generosity and kindness without expecting something in return, I am inspired to be more open-handed to others and be modest with all my accomplishments in life.
“We must know that we have been created for greater things, not just to be a number in the world, not just to go for diplomas and degrees, this work and that work. We have been created in order to love and to be loved.” – Mother Teresa