Silid Aralan

Nene, Totoy, Tinay, Nonoy

Maupo na ang lahat, andito na si kuya Buboy

Naihanda niyo ba ang inyong takdang aralin?

Mga bagong leksyon ngayon ang ating tatalakayin.

Makinig at itatak sa utak niyong kuwaderno

Mga mumunting aral at maikling mga kwento,

Na sana’y mamalagi sa mga kukote ninyo,

At magbigay dunong sa gutom na ulo

Magkaroon sana ng saysay aking krusada,

Maghatid karunungan aking adbokasiya.

Kapos man sa gamit at teknolohiya,

Aking tinig na lang ang gawing pisara.

Ang amin mang silid ay mismong kalsada,

Ang aming napag-aralan ang siyang mahalaga.

Pormal na edukasyon man kami ay pagkaitan,

Ay may mga puso paring may dalang paraan.

photos and words by: jeklog
@ P.Noval St., España, Manila

Class Room

As I was navigating my way through River Espana in the hunt of the elusive “Belly of the Beast” (Isaw), my comrade pointed towards an unlikely vista. With high hopes that we can finally harpoon this monster of a street meal, I saw something else. A flock of juvenile Juans and Marias seated contentedly along the outskirts of the boulevard has stolen my sight. I approached them as I took blurred shots of the group. I sparked a conversation with their mentor named “Buboy” and asked permission to have better shots of them. I luckily had a few subpar shots, enough to hotwire my imagination and tell their story my way. These are the moments that I am constantly reminded of how privileged I am to have formal education. I keep on wining about hardships in schools before well in fact, I was fortunate enough to be in one. Comparing myself to these children, I suddenly realized that they are not that ill-fated as I thought. They had their Kuya Buboy to be their “Master Splinter” that will guide them through the things that matter in life. Short stories and essential lessons that will make a kid survive through adulthood are transferred in this fractional encounter. I cannot help but give my thumbs up to the “Efrens” of the street, more so, the “Buboys” who have yet to be even noticed and commended to accomplish a noble job well done. As long as we have them, classrooms will not just be a term described in terms of being a room where classes are held, they will be turned in to places that have enough room to have a class.