MANILA, Philippines – While students in most of Luzon hurried home as Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) made its presence felt on Thursday, September 13, one student stayed behind in a public school in Atimonan, Quezon.

While checking his classroom at the Malusak National High School in preparation for the storm, teacher Mark Pee Pornasdoro chanced upon his student, 16-year-old Jeric Reyes, still doing his homework there past 7 pm, or a couple of hours after class had ended.

He posted the photo on social media, which went viral. As of posting, the photo had garnered 270,000 reactions and had been shared over 52,000 times.

After learning that Reyes stayed behind because there was no electricity in his home,  many netizens have been asking how they can help Reyes.

Jeric’s story

In a message reply to Rappler, Reyes said he is the eldest of 4 siblings.  Because of his family’s poverty, the children had to stay with their uncle, and they had been living without electricity for the past 5 years after problems with payments. They used a gas lamp at home.

When asked, Reyes said his parents served as his inspiration to study hard as he believed a good education would help him achieve his dreams for his family. He said he wants to become a soldier someday. 

He encouraged the youth to value their education and to remain steadfast in achieving their dreams. “Ang masasabi ko po ay mag-aral nang mabuti at huwag  sumuko sa mga haharapin mong pagsubok sa iyong buhay (What I can say is study hard and never give up as you face the challenges in your life).”

Pornasdoro, who shone the spotlight on his inspiring student, told Rappler that he posted the photo because he believed it was his moral responsibility to share Reyes’ compelling story of grit and resilience. 

“Dahil naniniwala akong may moral tayong tungkulin na magsalita tungkol sa danas ng kapwa. Lalo na kung kuwento ito ng kabutihan, lalo na kung mula sa maliit na tao. Para iparamdam na may magagawa tayo ukol sa napakatagal na nating inaasam na kalayaan sa mula sa sariling pagkaduwag at pagsusumikap. At esensyal na espasyo ang socmed para sa layuning ito. Tumugon lang ako sa tungkulin,” said Pornasdoro.

(I believe it’s my moral responsibility to speak about the plight of other people, especially if it’s a story about goodness, and about small people. I want to let everyone know that we can do something to break free from our own cowardice and to achieve our aspirations. Social media provided the essential space fo this goal. I just did my duty.)

Pornasdoro also reminded the youth to use their potential to inspire and help other people. He said seeing Reyes’ commitment to his studies strengthened his personal commitment to the teaching profession. 

Support

Netizens were moved and inspired by the message evoked by  the photo and quickly applauded both Pornasdoro and Reyes. 

Jeric said he was touched by all the messages of support he received and thanked those who sent them, as well as his teachers.  

Here’s how you can help Reyes and his family:

• Look for him in Malusak National High School in Atimonan, Quezon.

• You can also directly coordinate with Mark Pornasdoro through his Facebook account.

 – Rappler.com