#KinayaNiMama: Jeepney barker successfully puts daughter through school

When one says "jeepney barker," people might imagine a man shouting for passengers in the streets.

But not only is Marissa Casonete a woman, she's a widow with seven children, too.

The 50-year-old mother has been a barker for 11 years, and a widow for 8.

She is stationed at the Pasay-Rotonda terminal, working double-time to support her children.

"Syempre mahirap. Para noong nawalan akong ng tatay nila, para akong naputulan ng pakpak. Paano ko kaya palalakihin yung mga bata? Kasi pito sila. Tapos nangungupahan pa kami ng bahay," she said.

Her eldest daughter, Melissa, still remembers the hardships Marissa went through.

She said she was worried her mother would lose herself in her grief after her husband died in 2011.

"Nakita ko 'yung paghihirap niya 'yung time na yun, lalo na wala si Papa. Akala ko nga bibigay siya. Akala ko talaga parang mawawala siya sa sarili, kasi bigla nalang siyang naiiyak," Melissa said.

Outside of her grief over her husband's death and her everyday struggles of being a mother of seven, Marissa also has to overcome discrimination.

"Barker ka lang," and "Hindi ka pa nakapagpatapos ng anak," are some of the things that have been thrown at her in the streets.

But Marissa endured, and keeps enduring, until this day. She is  focused on putting her children through school, partially because of her own harsh experiences.

Marissa was able to finish her degree in midwifery, but she was never able to practice her profession.

Melissa said she knows that her mother is sometimes ashamed of her job as a barker, especially when she sees that her old classmates have better and more stable jobs.

It is because she was not able to practice her profession that Marissa is determined have her children finish their studies.

"Underboard ako. Ngayon, gusto ko man kumuha ng board exam ulit, sabi ng anak ko, bakit hindi? Sabi ko, kaya lang nasa edad na ko eh," she said.

"Kaya gusto ko sa mga anak ko makatapos sila," she added.

Marissa turned emotional when she said that her biggest dream is to have all of her children finish school.

"'Yung pangarap ko talaga sa buhay, makapagpatapos ng anak. Yun 'yung pangarap ko sa buhay kahit na mawala ako gusto ko makatapos sila ng pag-aaral nila," she said, crying.

"Hangga't buhay ako, hangga't nakatayo ako sa sarili kong paa, magaral kayo," she continued.

Marissa's hard work is starting to pay off.

Last year, Melissa graduated college with a Bachelor's Degree in Office Administration.

But Melissa is proud of her mom more than anything.

"Sobrang, sobrang proud kay Mama. Hindi lang ako, kundi 'yung mga kapatid ko rin. May diploma ako, nakapagtapos ako kasi sa tulong ng isang barker. Isang nanay na barker," she said.

Just last April, three of her younger kids graduated elementary school, junior high school and senior high school. One of them, Margeryss, even finished with honors.

"Ma, thank you sa 8 years, nakakapagod na maging nanay at that time. Alam namin na pinagsikapan niyo to," Margeryss told Melissa, proudly wearing her medal around her neck, told her mother Marissa.

"Hindi to para sakin. It's all for you," she said. —LBG, GMA News