Boy Pusit: Reaction Paper

“BOY PUSIT” A REACTION PAPER IN SOCIAL STUDIES II SUBMITTED TO: MARIO DE LOS REYES SUBMITTED BY: JOHN PHILIP L. MALICDAN 

Introduction

In Masbate, the children of Sitio Paradahan can already be found by the seashore before sunrise, preparing to take home their biggest catch of the day. These children spend more time catching squid to survive, than going to school and study for their future. The money they gain from catching squids is merely enough for them to eat to survive. These particular children travel out to sea and free dive to find squid to catch.

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In Manila, a kilo of squid costs around P200, but in Sitio Paradahan, the squis only sell for a cheap price of P60. With the cost of nets and gasoline, there is barely enough for everyone involved in the fishing group. After a full day at sea, each child goes home with less than thirty pesos (P30) income for their hard work. But for the overworked children, this is more than enough for the day. Sandra Aguinaldo meets Jameson and Romnick, two graduating elementary students whose dream is to finish college.

But their chances of even reaching high school are slim. Their work as squid catchers has caused them to be frequently absent from school. The squid catchers are torn between studying for a better future and providing for themselves and their families.

Summary

The day starts early for a group of children at a remote coastal village in Masbate, an Island province in the central Philippines. Even before dawn breaks, several children and a few adults line the seashore, busily preparing their boats and nets for a day of squid fishing.

I-Witness' Sandra Aguinaldo meets three boys -- Jameson, Estoy, and Jason -- who at a very young age were taught by their fathers to dive for squids. The residents largely depend on the sea to make a living. There are no concrete roads, water comes from deep wells, and there is no electricity. Everyday, they set out to sea. A boat’s crew is comprised mostly of children. The adult stays in the boat while the children do the diving. The kids wear improvised goggles and fins made of wood that are fastened to their feet by strips of rubber.

Diving in with the children, reporter Sandra Aguinaldo experiences just how exhausting the job is. The kids lure the squids into the nets by making noise hitting the water’s surface hard with their arms or getting rocks underwater and throwing them hard at the water’s surface. They then dive as the net closes in to secure the squids that were trapped in the net. Children are considered important in these diving operations because they work fast and don’t tire easily. In a day, they make an average of 20 dives.

Most of the time however, they catch just a few not even enough to shoulder their families expenses in a day. The children say they still have time to go to their classes, walking for hours through tall grasses along hilly landscapes to reach school. Their elementary school teacher, Melchor Rojas, though, says most squid catchers report to school only once or twice each week. Squid fishing takes up the time and when harvest or planting season, there are the teacher reports even fewer students.

Of the few squid divers who are his students, Rojas expects less than half would be able to pursue higher education. The kids parents themselves seem resigned to the fact that they would never be able to send their children to school. For these children, education remains uncertain, but they maintain high hopes. Given a choice, they prefer to attend school in order to finish their education rather than spend their time at work. Every summer, the number of child squid catchers rises because they are also saving for the coming school year.

Reaction

I for one, feel lucky that I am not in their position.

I pity them because they are already working at a very young age just to survive; they also have to frequently absent themselves just to catch more squid for their needs. Although they are like this, I idolize them for being so industrial and hardworking. I think they deserve better livelihood than their current situation.

Conclusion/Lesson

The lesson learned here is simple. Be humble in working for the sake of you and your family. We must also be contented for what we have because God himself will guide us to a better future if we remain faithful and pray.

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