carry the cross
In the mountains of Agusan del Sur, entire communities make a living
off illegal logging. The adults cut down trees while some of their
children carry the logs down the mountainside.Some as young as six years old do this back-breaking work, trekking
up to four hours a day to bring logs down to the valley, where eager
buyers await.Jay Taruc documents these children who work as beasts of burden,
carrying logs even in the rain. Jay takes a fall along with them down
the mountainside during one rainy day of work.
Richard, Carlo and Randy make up the group of young boys he follows
as they transport logs on their backs, attempting to balance their
heavy responsibilities with their need for play. There is one child
among them, however, who is all business, working faster than all the
rest.Cherilyn, at 14, acts as both father and mother to her five younger
siblings. She is the family’s sole breadwinner as her father was
imprisoned for murder and her mother suffers from a mental illness. She
carries her burden without complaint, no matter how heavy the logs get.Cherilyn’s determination to make a better life for her brothers and
sisters is at the heart of Jay Taruc’s “Batang Kalabaw (Child Beasts of
Burden)”
These children carry the logs down to the city from the
mountain just for P1.50 per piece. Imagine that! One peso and 50 cense. There are
times that they don’t pay them if the log is defective. They don’t study, don’t
eat healthy food, they don’t even eat the regular meal… all of a sudden I
stopped and think. I was very sad and problematic these past few days about a particular
problem. But these children have a bigger problem and they try to carry the
cross of straggles. We had a station of the cross this afternoon. We had a
bisita iglesa for 14 different churches. Jesus Christ carries the cross for every
one of us. I was wondering, why we have this problems and straggles in life. They’re
just kids, very innocent… Lord knows what’s best for us, however, as adults we
should guide these kids and give them the life that they disserve. If only I can
do something about it. If only I have the money to help them, but right now,
all I have are prayers. I hope, every one will pray for these kids. I pray that their parents will be enlighten
and take care of them. May the government look at them and help them as well.
Not wasting their time arguing about the ZTE scandal, without arguing who should
sit as the president and who should be punished. May God help us and may God
guide these children.
