Untold stories often are the most touching and sincere. Tell us your #StoryofTheNation today.
MANILA, Philippines – An old man demanding for genuine change. A volunteer determined to finish building houses for Yolanda survivors. A tribal chieftain fighting for his land. And a bus conductor who helped out an unfortunate stranger.
For Filipinos worldwide, these are just snippets of the thousands of stories that make up our country.
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm, asked Filipinos to help capture the narrative of the country through photos and stories.
We launched the #StoryofTheNation campaign ahead of the fifth State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III with the hopes that these stories would inform and inspire people to take action. It wouldn’t be bad if the President and his goverment could see these stories as well.
Armed with their cameras and smart phones, Filipinos across the country heeded the call and shared stories of people in the shadows, communities almost forgotten, and a nation in development.
We compiled the most shared and discussed stories we’ve received:
Dominador Pastor
62, Carpenter, Tondo, Manila
(Photo by Leanne Jazul)
This photo submitted by Rappler photo editor Leanne Jazul sparked a long debate about poverty and why a majority of Filipinos remain poor. According to recent reports, poverty incidence among Filipino families fell only slightly in 2012 from 2006 despite the country’s economic growth.
Responding to Pastor’s statement, some netizens argued that Filipinos should not depend solely on the government for their welfare. According to , hardwork and perseverance are the main ingredients to success. However, others argued that one cannot simply assume that a person is lazy if he is poor.
“Paano sila makakapagimpok kung ni isang piso wala sila? Alam niyo po ba na araw-araw nilang sinusubukang kumayod kahit anong klaseng trabaho kinukuha na nila para lang mabuhay?” commented.
(How can they save if they don’t even have single penny to spare? Do you have any idea the things they go through just to get by?)
Ernesto Raymundo
GAWA Construction Worker
(Photo contributed by Gawad Kalinga)
One of the stories that most inpsired netizens is the photo of construction worker Ernesto Raymundo shared by Gawad Kalinga. Raymundo builds homes for those affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
“He is a true Filipino who knows the value of helping fellow Filipinos. I salute this good hearted man,” said .
Datu Makauyag Simeon
69, tribal chieftain of the Higaonon tribe in Libona town, Bukidnon province
(Photo by Bobby Lagsa)
Some netizens interpreted the story of Datu Makauyag Simeon as a reflection of a bigger problem in the Philippine justice system.
“Yan ang example ng mga kasong naka binbin sa SC..na naghihintay na may lumapit sa mga magistrate para ito maareglo,” commented.
(This is an example of a lot of pending cases at the Suprement Court which doesn’t move unless someone bribes a judge. )
Renato Gonzales
Electrician
(Photo contributed by MOTS Philippines)
Instead of criticizing the administration, Renato Gonzales chose to look at the bright side.
On Facebook, agreed with Gonzales and added that what the administration is doing to institutionalize reforms is not a walk-in-the-park. “The administration’s efforts are being recognized internationally, so it means they must be doing something right for our country. So if they want PNoy to be impeached, who will replace him? I am so afraid to ask,” David added.
While acknowledged the administration’s efforts, he said he cannot disregard the things that it did wrong. “If we sum it all up, they did more wrong than good. Instead of a straight path, the administration tended to the corrupt!” Yap commented in Filipino.
Augusto Liwanag
bus conductor
(Photo by Patrick Vega)
Among all the photos submitted, the story of Augusto Liwanag proved to be the most compelling, with over 130,000 likes and 12,000 shares on social media.
The photo tells the story of a bus conductor who gave a total stranger P50 because the man lost his wallet. Netizens filled the thread with praise for Liwanag and called him a good samaritan.
“With all the negative news about bad people, we should not forget that a vast majority of Filipino’s are nice, honest and trustworthy people,” commented.
#StoryofTheNation
We encourage everyone to continue being the storytellers of this nation and keep the photos coming.
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