The Problem of the Poor

Virtues: Making Proper Decisions

Moral : We should learn to make right decisions

that will benefit the majority.

What’s Up?
Thrift and economy are special values that should be
practiced by everyone, especially during these times when the whole world, particularly our country,
is suffering from an economic recession.

Many churches and schools are organizing groups to go out asking for cast-off clothes, towels,
blankets, and other household needs, including magazines and books, all of which will be given to
poor families, prisoners, and other people in need.

If your family is offered help in the way of cast-offs, what will be your attitude about the gifts?

Read the play let below and ask yourself: Am I being truthful about my feelings upon receiving
charity this way?

Here Goes!

Characters: Mayang. 52, a housekeeper working in Makati City

Ruby, 25, a yaya working in a neighbor's house

Nony, 44, the driver in another neighboring house

Edife, 21, Nony's cousin and housemaid in the same house

Time: Late afternoon on Sunday

Place: the Street in front of the houses of the characters

Narrator: On Sunday afternoons the househelpers in three homes in Makati City gather together in
the street for a Sunday visit. Although Mayang works in Makati, she has a house in Barangay

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 Bagong Silang, a relocation barangay for squatters; Ruby, her neighbor there, got her job as yaya
through Mayang.

Ruby: Something funny happened yesterday. I was carrying the baby in the street and then a young
lady touched my shoulder and said, "Aba, you know how to carry a baby very well." And then when
I turned, she said, "Ay, excuse me. I thought you were my cousin Lita" And you know why?
Because I was wearing an old dress of Lita which she just gave me, and that girl thought I was
Lita.

Mayang: It's good Lita's boyfriend was not the one who saw you. Maybe he would have hugged you
for a surprise! That is the reason I do not wear the cast-offs that my mistress gives me, because
her husband might think I am his wife! We wear the same size of clothes pa naman!

Nony: What is worse is that my master gave me his old watch when his son sent him a gold watch
from Japan. My friends thought I had stolen the watch of my master!

Mayang: Yes, that's also dangerous. That's why I invite my mistress to visit my house so she can see
if I stole any of her things.

Ruby: Talaga? When I wore the almost new shoes given to me by the daughter of my mistress
because it did not fit her, my friends asked me, joking lang, "Aba, you are becoming an aristocrat!
Maybe all your salary goes to your clothing." When I explained who gave them, they said, "Your
amo must be very rich." And they did not believe me at all.

Edife: That's true. You know my employers are very social and generous. Ma'am gives bundles of
cast-offs to the church people who come begging for things to give away, including towels and
blankets, and she always tells her husband that she hopes the things all go to the poor.

Nony: Yes, she says that often in the car. And he always says, "That's not our problem. That's the
problem of the poor who do not get the things."

Mayang: No, Nony, the problem of the poor is how to explain to the gossiping neighbors how we got
the many beautiful giveaways from our employers.

Narrator: The friends laughed and began to talk about the plans of their employers for the next week.

-Avelina J. Gil

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 What’s Next?

1.How did the four friends get to know each other?

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2. What were the friends talking about? Relate the funny incident of Ruby.

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3. Why does Mayang not wear the cast-off clothes given to her by the mistress of the house?

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4. Do you think the mistress would be displeased if Mayang gave the clothes to someone else?
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___________________________________________________________________________
5. What problem did Nony find about cast-offs given to him? What could he do to solve his problem?

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6. What does Mayang consider to be the problem of the poor people who are given cast-offs? Do you
agree with her?

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7. Are you ashamed to wear cast-offs? Explain.

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 Buwan ng Wika
Virtues : Truth and Decision making

Moral : Lost time can never be found again.

What’s Up?
"Time is gold," the older generation would say. Today,
when salaries are computed per hour and per day, we say "Time is money." So do not waste time, for
time is the stuff life is made of. Time and tide wait for no man. To use time well, be punctual.

In school we time our activities by the ringing of the bell. In the school year, the passing of the
months is measured by the holidays we celebrate. School programs are held, guests invited, and
class hours are shortened.

In the selection you will read, find out how the correct use of time governs the selection of
guest speakers and participants in a program.

Here Goes!
Characters: Mrs Santos, president

Mr. Badut, vice-president

Mrs. Cabanero, treasurer

Mr. Ablaza, assistant treasurer

Miss Enrile, secretary

Miss Ruiz, member

Mrs. Villamor, member

Time: 4:00 PM, Sunday

Place: Living room in the house of Mrs. Santos

Narrator: A month before the annual celebration of Buwan ng Wika, the civic organization Samahang
Balagtas ng Cagayan met to plan the activities for the week. Mrs. Santos presided over the meeting.

Mrs. Santos: Good afternoon, friends. You know why we're here to talk about the program ending the
week's activities for the Buwan ng Wika.

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Mrs. Villamor: What is the theme of the celebration?

Mrs. Santos: The Filipino language as the identity of the Filipino nation.

Miss Ruiz: What about presenting a simple program of an invocation, followed by the National
Anthem, opening remarks, and a closing musical number?

Mr. Badut: By the way, the invocation comes after the National Anthem. (Miss Ruiz smiles at him and
nods to acknowledge the correction)

Mrs. Cabanero: We have to have a guest speaker before the closing remarks.

Mr. Ablaza: And I think we should have a native dance too.

Mrs. Santos: Let's see. What do you have in your records, Miss Enrile?

Miss Enrile: (reading from her notes) National Anthem, invocation, opening remarks, musical number,
guest speaker, native dance.

Mrs. Santos: Any remarks? Suggestions?

Mrs. Cabanero: I move that the program will contain the suggested activities

Mr. Ablaza: I second the motion

Mrs. Santos: All those in favor of the motion say aye.

All: Aye.

Mrs. Santos: Good. Yes, Mr. Badut?

Mr. Badut: Let's give the barangay captain and the school principal a number. One for the invocation
and the other for the opening remarks.

Miss Ruiz: The opening remarks will be given by our president.

Mrs. Santos: I'm afraid Miss Ruiz is right. The barangay captain will give the invocation and …

Mrs. Cabanero: The principal will give the closing remarks. Will that be OK?

All: Fine!

Mr. Badut: Better have the principal give the invocation. She is very punctual and the program will be
sure to start promptly. She will be there before the program begins. As she says, "Lost time can never
be found."

Miss Ruiz: Yes, that's our principal. We teachers are marked absent if we are late half an hour to our
monthly meetings, and she notes in our efficiency report our record of tardiness to class. Of course,
she has to be very punctual herself.

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Mrs. Santos: Speaking of being prompt, who will be our guest speaker? Let's get someone who is
prompt too. Nothing is as irritating as having to wait for a guest speaker who is late. It makes me think
he or she does not respect the audience enough --you know, as if the speaker does not care what the
audience thinks of him or her.

Mr. Ablaza: To be fair, the barangay captain is not punctual in attending social programs, but in
attending meetings for barangay projects, he is very punctual. And in finishing barangay projects, he
is super punctual! I suggest that we get him for our guest speaker.

Mrs. Cabanero: OK I move that we get the barangay captain for our guest speaker.

Mrs. Villamor: Wait, wait. Our barangay captain is very anti-Tagalog. He says that Filipino, the
language is really Tagalog, and Tagalog does not represent the Filipino nation. To think that is the
theme of the program!

Mr. Badut: Hey, that's perfect! Then we'll have an interesting speech and the program will not be so
boring! The barangay captain is really very pro- Ilokano. He says Otley Beyer, the pre-war
anthropologist, expected Ilokano to be the basis of the national language.

Mrs. Santos: Did anyone second the motion of Mrs. Cabanero?

Miss Ruiz: I second the motion.

Mrs. Santos: It has been moved and seconded that we get the barangay captain to be the guest
speaker in the program. All in favor say aye. All against …

All: (loudly) Nay!

Mrs. Santos: So who will be our guest speaker if we don't like the barangay captain?

Narrator: But no one was listening to her because just then the maid came in to announce that the
refreshments were ready. So without waiting for adjournment, the guests all got up and served
themselves promptly and efficiently.

What’s Next?
1. Who were holding a meeting? Why was it held?

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2. Why was the school principal chosen to give the invocation?

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3. What is an invocation?

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4. Describe the barangay captain regarding punctuality. Why was he not chosen to be the guest of
honor?

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5. Why would be the speech of the barangay captain will be interesting?

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6. What attitude did the members at the meeting have toward punctuality? Do you agree with them?

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 The Guest of Honor
Virtues : Honesty and Truthfulness

Moral : If you cannot say anything good about

someone, be silent.

What’s Up?
Everyone talks of honesty and truthfulness, but it seems
only a few practices it. Very rarely are we really honest because everything we do or say is based on
honesty or the lack of it. Moreover, if we are truly honest in everything we do or say, people would call
us not only rude but troublemakers as well. For if we act as our true feelings dictate, we would
condemn the girl who uses lipstick and the boy who dyes his hair for dishonesty about their looks.
Then the popular society matron and the handsome movie idol, the up-and-coming politician and the
influential anchor-man on radio talks—all these are dishonest and insincere. They do not tell the truth
because people, at heart, cannot bear to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

In the selection you will read, find out how the ladies at the meeting of the Samahang
Balagtas ng Cagayan decided who the guest speaker of the program would be.

Here Goes!
Characters: Mrs. Bella Santos Mrs. Amelia Villamor

Mrs. Lisa Cabanero Mr. Santos, husband of Mrs. Santos

Miss Choleng Ruiz Mr. Luis Ablaza

Miss Linda Enrile Mr. Jorge Badut

Time: 5:30 P.M., Sunday

Place: Living room in the house of Mrs. Santos

Narrator: After the meeting of the Samahang Balagtas ng Cagayan, the members served themselves
at a buffet merienda. They returned to the living room and as they ate, they continued talking about
who the guest speaker should be.

Mr. Santos, the president's husband, arrived in time to join Mr. Badut and Mr. Ablaza. They
decided to eat in the dining room, leaving the ladies to talk in the sala.

Mrs. Santos: I tell you, we have to get a prominent person for the guest speaker.

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Mrs. Cabanero: The superintendent of schools, Mr. Salgado.

Miss Enrile: Ma'am, may I interrupt? Mr. Salgado will be the speaker in another program in
Bayombong.

Mrs. Villamor: What about the vice-governor? Let's get him before he accepts to speak in another
program too.

Miss Enrile: Ma'am, he is leaving for Japan next week. He will be out of the country for a month.

Mrs. Cabanero: Okay. Let's get somebody not from our province. What about Mrs. Fermin from Ilocos
Norte? She is the president of civic groups and church organizations and is a prominent political
leader too.

Mrs. Villamor: (laughing) Bella, I hope she doesn't talk like Camilo Olazo when he was running for
senator before the war. My grandmother said he would say to the people: "God is on my side. During
the full moon, the moon is like the letter "O" for Olazo. During the first quarter, it is like the letter "C"
for Camilo. (Everyone laughs.)

Mrs. Cabanero: No, Mrs. Fermin tells the truth about the candidates she supports and tells why she
supports them.

Miss Enrile: Ma'am, how does she talk about the opponent of her candidates?

Mrs. Cabanero: Ah, that's the good thing about Mrs. Fermin. She does not say anything bad about
them, but she says, "My candidate is not like other candidates who say they will give an irrigation
system to the province when we all know that that candidate cannot really do that. My candidate does
not mention the name of the opponent who said that."

Miss Ruiz: Why have we not heard about Mrs. Fermin if she is so well-known?

Mrs. Santos: Choleng, I can tell you why. You read only the society pages and Mrs. Fermin does not
appear in those pages. I know she supports half a dozen seminarians and donated the pews of two or
three churches. She became president of the Ilocos Norte Red Cross after she worked as a volunteer
and donated rice and farm products during the flood there. All these are not reported on the society
pages.

Miss Ruiz: Ah, I think I know about her. Wasn't she a Centennial Woman of Ilocos Norte or Mother of
the Year? The one whose husband and two sons were killed in action during the fighting in Sulu
years ago? Am I right?

Mrs. Santos: Yes, yes. Well, shall we invite her to be our guest speaker? I shall send her a telegram
of invitation tonight and tomorrow I shall send her a formal letter of invitation via priority mail.

All: Yes, yes! It's good this matter is settled.

Miss Ruiz: We really can decide things faster when the men are not around!

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Narrator: Just then Mr. Santos and the two men visitors entered the sala.

Mr. Santos: Well, ladies, we know you were continuing the meeting of the Samahang Balagtas, but
my companions said that you did not need them, so they stayed with me. (Turns to his wife.) Bella, I
told them that I'm leaving for Laoag tonight on business.

Mrs. Cabanero: What a coincidence! Bella, Mr. Santos can give the letter to Mrs. Fermin tomorrow!

Mr. Santos: Are you talking of Mrs. Fermin in Laoag City? Sure, I can see her tomorrow afternoon
and you save the P15 postage.

Mrs. Santos: Oh, good! What do you say, ladies? Shall I send a telegram yet?

All the ladies: Not anymore! God bless you on your trip, Mr. Santos!

Miss Ruiz: Thank you very much, Mr. Santos. What a high-ranking postal messenger we have!

-- Avelina J. Gil

What’s Next?
1. On what occasion was the merienda being held? Who were in the group?

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2. What problem did the women discuss?

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3. Who were the guest speakers considered? What objection was made about each?

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4. Describe Mrs. Fermin. Why was she a good choice for guest speaker?

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5. Why did Miss Ruiz not know about Mrs. Fermin?

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6. Is it possible for "good people “not to be published in the papers? Why or why not?

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7. Explain the moral of the story. Is this practice followed by political leaders in their campaign
speeches? Why and why not?

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Online Activity
Choose one and give your opinion on the following anecdotes and quotations.

1 One of the laws of the ancient Queen Urduja of Pangasinan was: “It has been our custom not to
disturb things even those dropped on the road, leaving them for the return of the owner, so that he to
whom those things belong may recover them, however long the delay."

Compare this brand of honesty with the modern slogan: "Finders, keepers, losers sweepers."

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2. L.R. Aguinaldo, a successful businessman, says: "My motto is always honesty. Begin to labor
early, exercise economy, be sincere and honest, and be prompt in paying obligations. These are the
soul of every big and successful enterprise."

In what enterprises would the quotation be also true?

3. President John F. Kennedy of the United States said: "History teaches us that no (political) party
has a monopoly on honesty. Both parties attract crooks and weaklings (and) those who believe that
honesty with the public's money is both old and out of fashion."

Give examples of crooks in any government; of weaklings; of honesty with the public's money.

Criteria

Video and Audio Quality 15 points

Over-all Presentation 15 points

Duration and Date of Submission 10 points

(Maximum of 3 minutes)
TOTAL 40 points

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