‘Investigative Documentaries’ inspiring people of 2013

The year 2013 packed in a punch for Filipinos. On top of being plagued by natural disasters, Pinoys found themselves becoming collateral damage to disasters of the political kind — the pork barrel scam, dubious NGOs and offshore accounts, to name a few.

In its 2013 run, “Investigative Documentaries” covered these issues of rampant corruption, supplemented with stories of petty and systemic ones. Amid the slew of bad news, however, the program met people who prove that amid a society where institutionalized corruption influence some to resort to crime as a means to survive, individuals can and should be better than society, especially when the latter fails.
 

Dave Ba-Alan, mobile teacher
Featured in the episode "Bonus"

Dave Ba-Alan is a mobile teacher stationed in Porac, Pampanga for the Alternative Learning System program of the Department of Education. He has a monthly salary of P19,000 and receives a yearly performance-based bonus worth P10,000 and a yearly cash gift worth P5,000.

Ba-Alan spends half of his savings to support the education of his Aeta students in whatever way he can. He buys pencils, notebooks and uniforms. He even funds the tuition fees of some of his students who went on to study in college.

"Ang pagkakataon lang ang magbibigay sa kanila ng kaalaman para makatulong din sa mga katutubo. Ang inaasahan namin, kapag tumanda na kami, may mga katutubong teachers na magtuturo sa kanilang katutubong paaralan," he explains.

Ba-Alan's selflessness did not go unnoticed. In 2011, he was named as Outstanding Mobile Teacher of Pampanga by DepEd. His students, meanwhile, couldn't be more thankful for his efforts.

"Parang binigay po siya ni God na naging daan para makapag-aral ako," says Syra Santos, one of Ba-Alan's students.

The Castro siblings
Featured in the episode “Message Sent”



Cellphones may just be a passing fancy to some, with phone models coming and going. But for kids like Ara (12 years old), A (11 years old), and AA Castro (11 years old), buying a phone means frequently skipping recess. Before going to school, the kids keep their baon in their trusty alkansya.

The Castro siblings spent five months saving up for their cellphones as their parents Alberto, a carpenter, and Maricris, a laundry woman, only earn P2,500 per week, just enough to support the family’s basic needs.

“Sinabi nila sa akin, ‘Ma, mag-iipon kami para magkaroon kami ng cell phone. Hindi naman siya mahal basta importante may message na nanggagaling sa amin,’” shares Maricris. 

The eldest of the three, Ara, applied the same discipline she learned from saving for a phone to helping the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. She may not have enough, but that didn’t stop her from helping. With her friends, she went around her school and asked for donations. The end result: They were able to donate more than P2,000 to the Yolanda victims through GMA’s Kapuso Foundation.

Anton Leonen, informal sector worker
Featured in the episode "Raket"

In 2013, the National Statistics Office recorded 14.7 million Filipinos as part of the informal worker sector. Anton Leonen is one of them.

Anton is a father of two. For someone who only finished sixth grade, there's not much employment opportunities for him out there, but he makes it work in order to support his family.

Embodying the word "madiskarte," Anton works as a masahista in Divisoria and a cigarette vendor. He also moonlights as a barber and sells coffee in between.

"Ayokong magutom pamilya ko," he simply says.

Jacinta Adarne, informal sector worker
Featured in the episode "Raket"

Jacinta Adarne is already 80 years old, but on the busy streets of Quiapo, she still pushes her cart stacked with gallons of water.

Lola Cinta has been selling water in Plaza Miranda for 30 years. Old age is getting to her though with young and able-bodied men proving to be quicker and stronger.

"Talagang siya na ang nagbibigay ng mga tubig dito eh, kaso siyempre tumatanda na rin siya, humihina na rin siya magtulak,” says one of her suki or regular customers. “Ang ginagawa  naman namin, dahil naaawa na rin naman kami, hinihintay namin siya para siya ang makuhanan namin.”

Lola Cinta doesn't have a family of her own. What she considers her family are the friends she made in her stay in Plaza Miranda. She once treated the whole plaza to a feast of pansit as she celebrated her birthday.

"Masaya ako," she says when asked how she feels when her earnings are not enough. "Talagang ganoon. I'm very happy as usual because meron akong kwarta."

 

“Investigative Documentaries” airs every Thursday, 8:00 PM, on GMA News TV.

— Bernice Sibucao/CM, GMA News