The families get by with help from the produce of the vast expanse of land. But planting alone cannot support even the basic needs of the community.
Most of the Manobo families survive the daily grind by eating boiled root crops like sweet potato and cassava. For Arnel, 12 years old, providing for his family is a priority. His parents can only cultivate corn and other root crops since they don’t have jobs. Arnel considers himself as the one responsible for his younger siblings because the older ones are married off.
So he has to look for other means for his family to survive.
Everyday, he wakes up early in the morning to work by cutting trees in the forest. The logs are then carried down the mountain on foot for at least an hour. But carrying them is not that easy. Each log weighs at least 40 kilos. They have to collect as many logs as they can to earn a few pesos.
Together with the other kids in the remote neighborhood, they literally carry life’s heavy burden.
Filipino version
Sa gitna ng kabundukan ng Davao del Norte matatagpuan ang lupain ng tribong Manobo.
Ngunit kahit gaano pa ito kalaki at kalawak, tanging pagtatanim lamang ng “root crops” ang kanilang piangkukuhanan ng pangkabuhayan. Wala kasing matinong trabaho ang mga Manobo kundi ang pagsasaka. Karamihan sa kanila ay hindi nakapag-aral.
Kaya naman ang dose anyos na si Arnel, pinipilit na makatulong sa kanyang pamilya sa pamamagitan ng pagputol ng mga puno sa gubat. Matapos tanggalin ang mga sanga, ibinababa nila ang mga troso sa isang mamimili. Karga-karga nila ang kahoy na may bigat na 40 kilo pababa ng bundok ng hindi bababa sa isang oras.
Sa liit ng kanilang mga katawan, hindi biro ang bigat na dala-dala ng mga batang ito. Mga batang dapat sana ay nasa paaralan ngunit sa halip ay nagtatrabaho.
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