Owen and I were wandering the streets on an early morning drive when we saw a crowd of like 30 on an uneven vacant lot along the road. as a photojournalist's instinct, Owen decided to stop and further observe on what the hullabaloo is all about. After a few minutes, a private dump truck arrived and then there was chaos. They were actually "Pro-Scappers" waiting for the golden loot to fall on their feet. It was dangerous enough to see them walk either barefoot or with just very thin slippers for they might walk on sharp, rusty metals, more so the sight of riskier scrappers who mightily stand facing the back of the truck just to be first in line to get their hands on the "finest merchandize". Such a typical scene of a daily scavenger hunt.But wait, something was wrong. I saw unwanted characters in this sight of the daily grind. Children as young as two were all over the place. Some were even playing as if they were just on a local playground. The slightly older ones were carrying metal scraps and seemed to be in a hurry to secure their bounty and go back to explore some more.
I was engaged on small talk with Jun, one of the locals and he mentioned that these children are already "pro-scrappers". I was surprised that there was a term for this job and even more aghast that there is no age limit to be qualified for this position. These children are supposed to be in school if not then what are free public schools for? They may be outstanding in arithmetic (thanks to the very early exposure on the buy-and-sell business) but what about other things like better comprehension and a possibility to grab a scholarship when they graduate in high school in the future?
Jun said that some of the parents prefer to take their kids out of the school zone and instead include them in their business arm so that they can earn more if more "staff" can find loot for the family. Who doesn't want to earn 600 -700 a day, tax-free anyway? But what they failed to realize is the danger they are exposing their children not just to tetanus but also death.
I understand that 700 is 700. Who doesn't want to earn more in the crisis that we're all facing. But as parents, please, let's not forget our responsibility to our children. We did not bring them to these world to be our assistants. We have the obligation to provide for them, nourish them, educate them and the list goes on and on and on. It may be too late to lecture on responsible reproduction but it is never too late to correct our approach in ensuring our children's safety and future.
The said dumpsite will be closed by its owners next month so goodbye 700. and so the search for a new profitable location begins. I hope these adults have saved enough to sustain their needs until they find their New Canaan. As for these children, the best of luck. I know that they are learning about life the hard way but I do hope that they will cease the tradition and become good parents when they grow up, good enough to know what parental responsibility is all about.
Photos by: Owen Segovia Bayog
No comments:
Post a Comment