The picture of the woman is Ate Betsi. She is married and has 3 kids who are from the ages of 6, 8, and 11. She is experiencing economical poverty due to the lack of income, assets, and resources received when working hard. She also experience the political poverty which is the lack of power and control of her own life due to her occupation of being a servant and because of her current social status. Given that she is part of the low class who receive very low amount of income, she said that when she goes to for example malls, people from the upper class ignores her and treats her badly. Because they know that she is a yaya due to the typical clothes and uniform a yaya wear, they would just treat her similar to how they treat other poor people from the streets especially if the people looking are Chinese because oftentimes most Chinese think low class Filipinos are equivalent to something like trash. Thus she said that she’s sad in how society today based ones influence, power, and thus interaction based on the amount of money that the person received. She said that if she received more income she knows that people will respect her more, give her the proper attention that she as a human deserve, and even create positive helpful influences on many others. Thus why currently she is ashamed to be part of the current society for people are so discriminative against her.

Currently, although she experiences these kinds of treatments, discrimination, financial and economical poverty, and political poverty, she doesn’t experience spiritual poverty for she believed that God will always help her in her work, decisions, and life. She says that even though she can’t go to mass due to her having to work in our house everyday, she stills pray deeply to God, be connected with Him, and also be truthful to Him. She says that even though she knows that she is poor, and people treats her bad, when she prays, or calls her children through her phone, she cheers up because she gets to hear their voices, chat with them, and help her have the determination to continue to work hard for her family is mainly the ones who truly loves, appreciates, and accepts her for who she is and what social status she is currently in.

She says that it’s through her family that makes her believe in God, believe in the possibility of improvement, and believe that her life can change because she told me that her family, and kids are all blessings from God, so if they are happy, loved, and feels ok she knows that it’s because of God’s love and care for her and her family. For her, as long as she knows that her family is ok, not sick, and have no problems, she is also ok with the amount of income earned for she knows that even if they earn so low income, they are still healthy, good, kind people. Thus even if currently she receives few amount of income, she prays everyday, still have hope, and still have strong faith thus showing her strong faith to God.

She said that there were times she experienced this poverty too and almost lost her faith to God when she feels so depressed and sad that she had to sacrificed her time and effort to be away from her family. Being my yaya, she needs to stay with our family everyday thus limiting her chance to see them physically, see them grow up, show affection between mother and child, and even sometimes missing out on their birthdays. When she feels this way she truly question God’s presence for she said to himself that if God was real, she would have given her more income, not make her be poor, not make her stay with us everyday, and make her be with her family. She reflected that if God truly loved her, He would have given her a better lifestyle wherein she can get to see her children grow and mature to fine young lads. Thus why when she misses her family dearly, and feels the feeling of loneliness at our home she experiences spiritual poverty.

She said that it took a long time and great effort of patience and understanding to accept that God is actually present, and that even if it’s hard to live, you can still see His presence. She learned that in a way, we reflect the image of God for its through my family that gives income to help her and her family not remain poor anymore and to b able to use this money for their future. She also said that God is making her be more hardworking, and persevering for even if it’s currently hard, if she doesn’t give up she knows that God will repay her someday in the future. Lastly she can also see God from her family for that’s where she can received the most amount of love from. Her family is like God who encourages her to be selfless, persevering, and determined to reach the goal that they want. Also, just like how her family is still with her, and that she everyday talks to them, this relates to how God is always present and loving Ate Betsi and us. Thus why she said that even if her circumstance is painful, God could be still be seen here.

Currently Ate Betsi’s occupation is a full time yaya. She wakes up like in 4am everyday to help my mom prepare our food for lunch and to make sure our school uniform is tidy, clean, and ready to be used. She also said she had to sacrifice sleep to follow her obligations just to work to earn her salary to help support the family. Also, there’s times when she need to sleep late because my grandparents would often times arrive late thus its their obligations as a yaya to wait for them, and as a result making them lose sleep altogether. She then goes with us to school to assist my little brother to enter Xavier during the dangerous rush hours in 7am. She is also the one who cooks, washes the places, and assist in the laundries. Nevertheless, she says that even if it’s challenging to work due to the circumstances she faced, she would rather work and sacrifice than be unemployed and not sacrifice since she knows that she and her family needs money, income to help provide the basic needs and to help for her children’s future. Even if the amount of income isn’t that high, she said that at least she’s able to give money to them. Thus I can see how much she sacrifice and loves her family for she is working very hard, very diligently, with many efforts to help sustain her family in income and to make sure that they won’t be in poverty forever.

Ate Betsi is currently poor because financially she can’t earn enough money to sustain her and his family currently and for the future. For her, she defined poor to be not having many money that could be used anytime, thus she believed that if she saves now, she will get to have some money kept which can be used anytime she needs and wants to use it. When this happens wherein she has excess money that could be used at their disposal, she can say that she isn’t poor anymore. But for her, it’s hard to save money, hard to not remain poor, hard for them to buy luxuries, and sometimes even hard to buy the basic needs such as food and water. Given that her income is monthly, and the amount if relatively few, there’s days when Ate Betsi ran out of money to give to her family thus her family have to sacrifice the chance to eat food when this happens, There’s also times when her family is too poor to buy clear drinking water from the province so they sometimes have to go to the nearby lakes and drink from there even if it’s polluted, dirty, and unhealthy.

Even if she works very hard to try getting more income by saving more or by working overtime, a roadblock why is the large family members in her family. Because Ate Betsi’s family is big, she would need to spend more money to their health, safety, education, clothes, and much more. Even if she wants to save a lot of money for the future to not remain poor, she just can’t, because she need to make sure that her family is supported and sustained. Thus why even now she is poor because all the money that she earned are mostly immediately used for her family’s livelihood and for the consumption of basic needs. If her amount of income increased, then she said it can truly help her in her life for now there will be some extra amounts that could be saved for the future to not remain poor anymore.

Thus, Ate Betsi wants the Philippines government to stop being corrupt and to actually help those in need like her and her family. If the government can increase the minimum wage, she would be able to get more income and thus help her not remain poor anymore as well as make her family have a better and brighter future. When this happens, Ate Betsi can have more income, and can save few of that money for their future like for better education, getting actual foods, and having better quality clothing thus not being poor anymore. Which is she wants the government to sympathize, and empathize towards the lower class people to incentive them to help the society in the Philippines like through increasing the minimum wage. Therefore, even if Ate Betsi works tremendously hard to not be poor to have a better future through the many roadblocks, challenges, hardships, and problems that she faced when working she sadly is still poor today,

As a result she feels sad but still hopeful. She feels sad because no matter how hard she sacrifices in work, she remains to still be poor. She is also sad because people around her especially the upper class Chinese people doesn’t treat her fairly and just. They discriminate ate Betsi, ignore her, offend her, and even mock her. She is sad that most people todays aren’t like the Good Samaritan who is willing to set ego aside and let compassion, love, care flow in. IF this can happen she knows that there will be less chaos, fights, crimes, hate, and get more love in the world. Lastly, she is also sad because the Philippine governments aren’t trying hard enough to help the low class people like her. The minimum wage increased, but still there’s a lot of people that’s still financial and economically in poverty, many people who are poor thus why Ate Betsi personally believes that the government can do more things to help them in the future. However, she is also faithful due to her large faith and believe towards God. As long as she prays, and be morally good human being who cares about the society more than himself, there’s a chance and a chance of hope from God that her life can improve and developed. Thus why even if theres the feeling of sad, loneliness, pain, and embarrassment being felt by Ate Betsi, she also still have immense amount of hope and faith towards God’s love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

She wishes to received more income to help her children have a better future filled with more opportunities and better options for her children thus why she works very hard and sacrifice a lot right now. She wishes also to not remain poor anymore, and not be in financially, economically, and political poverty because she knows how hard, painful, and stressed it is to be part of it. Lastly, most of all she wishes with all her heart that she can be with her family forever. To see her children grow, graduate, mature, receive awards, have a family, and also to be there physically to be able to celebrate each one of her children’s birthdays, marriage, and other important days. Thus why she sacrifice, persevere, and is selfless no matter the difficulty in circumstance for she knows that if she does these things and remain faithful to God she knows that God will guide in her in making wise decisions and have a better future overall.

Some solutions to his poverty are first have more money stored to be able to use it anytime Ate Betsi wants and needs. By saving their money and receiving more income, they are able to decrease frictional and economical poverty for they have the funds to be able to buy the basic needs that sometimes they couldn’t before. She can also request for a raise or an increase in salary to help gain more income as a way for the having the possibility to save and earn money. Another solution is to give more attention, and respect one must have in interacting with low class filipinos like via riots or spreading in social media a viral comment. By doing this they are able to limit political poverty and make her receive the power, influence, and attention that she and the rest of the poor Filipinos deserves. Thus these are some solutions that Ate Betsi that can help her not remain in these poverty and not remain in poor anymore.

This activity truly opened my eyes on the people who takes care of me. My parents hired these people like my yayas and drivers to care, assist, and help us when needed, but I never realized how much they are sacrificing to work for us to gain income. I learned more of my yaya through this activity and learned to be more compassionate, encouraging, and kinder when treating her because now I know that her life is so challenging already thus by being kinder and compassionate I can alleviate the feeling of being poor and alone from her family. By being kind, and caring it shows that I care for them and thus can relate to the Good Samaritan.

Honestly, she said that it was challenging to open up these context to me given my higher class due to me being supported financially due to my parents. She was embarrassed to tell me these things for it hurts her to feel this way which honestly shocked and made me on the way I treat Ate Betsi, for I didn’t know that she felt this way and that her condition was this severe. This really opened my mind for even if currently her context is hard, her faith to God I can say, is stronger than mine. I sadly became complacent, and unappreciative for my family and the blessings I received from God thus why oftentimes I don’t connect with Him. For Ate Betsi though, because she has to stay with us, she can’t go home and can’t physically see her children, and also, because she is poor, she is treated badly, but nevertheless her faith, gratitude, and love for God is truly evident.

It’s easier to find God in all things for her for she will already be thankful for the simplest of acts which makes me guilty again for sometimes I would say that I will only believe that God is real now if for example it rains. I need big extravagant things to proved that God is real for me, unlikely Ate Betsi who I can say can easily find God in all things which sadly embarrassed me. Unlike her where she works everyday cleaning my home, I would have the proper education from Xavier School San Juan, with CLE classes and having multiple masses yet in the end of the day, its apparent that she believes, loves, have a strong faith to God, and can easily find Him even now. When she works at home I never heard her complain about working rather even heard her thanking God for the opportunity to work and to get money. When she cleans the table I never heard her missing her family, but she actually greatly does which made me realized how selfish, and truly self centred I’ve been because I didn’t note how the people around me are feeling.

Through listening to her, I now feel ashamed of my actions, and embarrassed on the way I treat my yaya. I treated her like a literal slave, since I thought I had the right due to the difference in social classes and income, but in the end, I sadly realized I was wrong in doing so. After the interview that’s when I finally realized and made a revelation that I never should’ve treated her like this. I never should’ve shouted at her or commanded her to bring up my bags, or get me water. She already feels sad and lonely, and with the selfish way of treating her, as a human being she doesn’t deserve this, no one should. Thus why I really feel guilty for instead of hiring her and give her income and treat her as a friend, and treat her as a good samaritan who can help her to get more money to help in her family, I was instead a selfish, self centered, annoying, immature teenager who only cares about what I want not about the people around me. I was too consumed in my desires and about my stressed that I didn’t notice that my yaya was suffering from loneliness, and being poor. Instead of being men for others by giving them a chance to improve their livelihood, to help achieve their goal for the betterment for their kids, I was in fact the typical tyrant who abused my own social class to achieve what I want. I wasn’t a man for others, I wasn’t following what God wants me to do, I want being a Good Samaritan or even a good labourer, rather I was just a simple bad selfish person. I realized that now. Though it’s later than what I would’ve wanted, at least I finally know my mistakes and can help this dilemma.

Thus why I realized that I must treat my yaya kinder, and be less self centered, rather be sympathetic and empathetic. Even though currently I can’t assist in giving her money directly from me since I don’t have allowances, I can ask my parents to increase Ate Betsi’s salary, or make her have more chances of day off to be able to see her family again due to her missing them tremendously. I can also try helping representing and giving a voice to those low class Filipinos to make them have the proper attention that they deserve to not be thought and equaled to trash anymore. If there’s times that she wants to talk to me, I can sacrifice my time to give my attention to her to make sure everything’s fine and to make sure that she won’t be lonely anymore missing her kids. By doing these simple yet meaningful act that I know she will be able to recognize, I now that I’m able to really help her already, and that I can reflect how God is present and how the Good Samaritan is exemplified through me. By being selfless, more caring, more open minded, less self centered, less immature, and be more responsible on my actions on how I treat others, I know that I will be able to exemplify how God is here and wants us all to be better.

No one should be treated like a literal slave no matter how rich, powerful one is. Firstly, it’s not morally and ethically correct. By abusing one’s power you only benefit one person and that’s yourself. You don’t care about the economy, don’t care about making other people’s lives better, and thus through these mischievous acts like what I’ve selfishly done, you continue to make poverty present. You not only make the financially and economically poverty present, rather by being selfish and self centered just because you are blessed by God to have these riches, you even create psychological poverty and even spiritual poverty. Thus, as one nation, one community, and one family link by our faith to God as brothers and sisters, we met stop these corruption, selfish acts, self centered ideas, and tyranny in everyday life to help those in need. We must start to be equity, prioritizing those who need it first, and also treat others equally no favourites like the boss in the vineyard. He accepted each worker and give everyone a fair share of amount regardless of the effort because it shows his compassion and love to our world. and that’s what we should do, what I should do. Make others first, care for them, help them, and try to stop treating others meanly, selfishly, and with a corrupt agenda. Thus why I can say this picture essay truly opened my eyes and actually gave me a literal shocking experience.