3 young brothers stop school, wade through mud to harvest catfish, help their family make a living

Three young brothers sacrificed their education and joined their father in harvesting catfish to support their family.

According to an episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” Darwin, 12; Jeff, 8; and Mark, 5 (not their real names) have been helping out their dad Rolando for the past three years.

Working in a fish pond, they wade through mud, endure the hot sun for hours, and catch catfish using their bare hands.

The work leaves their clothes stained with mud all the time, but their mother, Nene, is already used to it.

Mud stains are the least of their worries. Sometimes they would hurt themselves on shards of glass under the mud.

Darwin, the eldest, has difficulty walking due to swelling in his left foot. He said he rolled his ankle and fell on the mud, but swelling grew worse after he kept scratching his foot.

Asked why he and his brothers kept helping out on the fishpond despite the dangers, he said they want to help their parents make a living.

“Nagagalit po sila sa akin, bakit pa lumulusong ako kaya naman daw po nila. Eh nakita ko po kasi nahihirapan po. Para mabilis po silang makaahon po tsaka makapahinga na po sila,” Darwin said.

(“They’d tell me that they can do it themselves. But I see that they are struggling. [I help out] so they can finish earlier and rest.”)

Rolando has been working on the farm for 10 years. He earns P6,000 a month and he is allowed to catch catfish for his family to eat, but his income is still not enough for their needs as his wife Nene does not have a steady job.

The couple did not want their children working at a young age, but the brothers are determined to help out.

“Dati, pinagbabawalan ko yan,” Rolando said. “Naaawa rin ako kaya lang e gusto nila talaga.”

(“Before, I refused to allow them to help. I feel sorry for them but they really want to help us.”)

“Talagang masakit sa loob ng isang magulang ‘yung ang liliit ng anak n'yo, makita niyo naghihirap. Hindi obligasyon ng anak ko ‘yung ganyan na kay bata-bata pa tutulong na sa akin,” Nene added.

(“As a parent, it hurts to see my children suffering. It’s not their obligation to help me at a very young age.”)

To help the family, the KMJS team accompanied Darwin so his foot could be checked by a specialist. They also gave Nene capital to set up a small sari-sari store.

Meanwhile, the local government unit gave the family grocery items and other gifts. The eldest brother, who dreams of becoming a soldier, also received a scholarship so he could return to school in the future.

“Gusto ko rin sanang makapagtapos ang mga anak ko para naman hindi sa panahon na laging nandito sila sa fish pond,” Rolando said.

(“I want my children to finish school so they won’t have to keep working in the fish pond.”)

“Gusto ko na din po tumigil po [magtrabaho]. Maglaro na lang po kami [I also wish to stop working and just play],” Jeff added.

The couple is thankful for all the help their family received. Nonetheless, they always remind their children to work hard for their dreams.

“Isa lang ang sinasabi sa kanila, ‘Magsikap kayo para maabot niyo ‘yung pangarap n’yo. Wala naman kaming maipapamana sa inyo,’” Nene said.

(“We tell them just one thing: ‘Keep working hard so you can reach your dreams. We don’t have anything we can pass on to you.’”)

For those who want to help, please deposit to:

BDO Unibank, Inc.
ACCOUNT NAME: Danilo Sotto Jr
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0084 1017 4370

—MGP, GMA News