I just drove this afternoon to the dorm of my scholar to give him some groceries, medicines, an electric kettle, and a hand-me-down cellphone that no one uses at home.

I’m financially supporting a UP student by paying for his meals via a food program for indigent students and pocket money for fare/cellphone load/school requirements every month until he graduates.

His parents are street vendors and they really can’t spare him anything, maybe jusy PhP 400 a month on average. When they get swiped by the police or whatever when the LGU conducts street clearing operations, his parents don’t have anything to bring home.

He already developed ulcer because he couldn’t eat well (that’s why I bought him 14 days worth of proton pump inhibitors).

Yes, UP equalizes opportunities for rich and poor Filipinos but the odds are still stacked against the poor students, especially if they can’t eat. It’s hard to get scholarships because these require high grades. How can you get high grades when you don’t get to eat in a day?! These kids are reliant on private food programs and there aren’t many.

I told my scholar that I won’t ask for anything. As long as he graduates, even if it’s not on time, it’s good enough for me.

Twin A asked me, Mommy, why are you doing this? (Just genuine curiosity). I told her, “Anak, we are so blessed. We have more than enough for our needs so that we can be a blessing to others.” Keeping more than what we need and accumulating it is called hoarding. There’s so much inequality and hunger around us that it’s almost a crime to hoard resources to one’s self.

I’m teaching my children how to love other people as they love themselves.