Zamboanga del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in region Mindanao. This is where Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, was exiled by the Spaniards. The Rizal Shrine in Dapitan is a tourist spot in Zamboanga. Also it is known for its beautiful resort Dakak.
Dakak Beach (first pic) ; Rizal Shrine (2nd pic)
Even though Zamboanga del Norte has good tourism there is other side of it, poverty. Three-fourths of the people there live on less than P6 pesos a day. Kara visited a family who lived in the highland of Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. To reach the place she needs to ride a tractor and cross a hanging bridge. There is no road going to that area. When she arrived at Mang Hinaros house, there she saw lots of corns whom the family eat everyday. They don't bring it to the town to sell because aside from few harvest the travel going down the town proper is very hard. The local government doesn't have enough budget to make and maintain roads. They can no longer produce a lot of crops due to the result of kaingin in the mountains. The family of Mang Hinaro haven't tasted rice, fish or meat.The government already forgets them just like how they forget that the government exist. Every day they just work to have something to eat. When Kara asked Mang Hinaro to write what he would like to ask about the next president he said he no longer have hope. Kara gave the notebook instead to Mang Hinaro's nephew who draw crops and animals with a P100 price on them. There is also a radio on the picture. To me it looks like he is dreaming of maybe selling their crops and be able to buy better food and at least have a radio. A very simple dream but looks like very impossible to reach. Its so hard to live without food, without good shelter and most of all without hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment