BATANG MINDANAW: When Fare is Not Fair

SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 April) – For many Filipino college students today, going to school has become an extraordinary challenge, especially for those who are not privileged when it comes to financial stability.

A few days ago, some of my students excused themselves from class because they did not have fare to get to school. Situations like this are no longer surprising, especially with the ongoing fuel crisis that continues to affect daily life. As prices rise here and there, one cannot help but dramatically ask, “Who is cutting onions?” — as if the weight of everything is too heavy to name out loud.

Filipinos are now being pushed into an economic struggle they did not create in the first place. It is the ordinary citizens who have to bear the brunt of rising costs, from transportation to basic goods. Every tricycle or jeepney ride, every meal, every small expense becomes something to think twice about. Some students are even forced to skip meals just to make it through the day, showing how insanely this crisis cuts into everyday life.

Meanwhile, politics seems to be making scenes just like in teleseryes, full of drama, noise, and promises that do not always reach the people who need them most. At times, it even feels like a crisis of competence, where decisions fail to address the urgency of people’s needs. These issues create a domino effect, where one problem leads to another, making it harder for ordinary people to keep up. Solutions are presented, but they are not always the panacea everyone hopes for. This is why it is important not only to listen but also to hold leaders accountable for the realities imbued and faced by the people.

Inside the classroom, these realities silently surface. Education is encompassing; it reflects not only what is written in books but also what students experience outside of them. A student who comes to class hungry or worried about fare is carrying more than just academic responsibility. Their struggles become part of their learning, shaping how they see the world and their place in it.

Still, despite everything, many students remain gracious in spirit. They carry with them a belief system built on perseverance, family, and the hope that things can still get better. Sometimes, all it takes is a spoonful of hope to keep going—a small reason to show up, to listen, to try again even when the odds feel overwhelming.

But it is not okay to always think that we Filipinos are simply adaptive, as if adaptation should always be our only go-to idea. There is a voice at the back of the mind asking for more than survival—for change, for fairness, for a future where students no longer have to choose between survival and education. Until then, they continue, step by step, holding on and hoping that someday, things will really improve.

Jhon Steven C. Espenido, 25, writes from Surigao City.