Eustaquio, Patricia Erika A.

L-1800087 1-H Seminar 2

The first time I saw Joey Velasco’s painting, the Hapag ng Pag-asa, I felt a different feeling. I’ve
seen numerous paintinings of the Last Supper but none have come close to making me feel the same way
that the Hapag ng Pag-asa did. When I saw the Hapag ng Pag-asa, it felt more real, authentic, and innocent.
While I’m not saying that the version of Leonardo Da Vinci does not seem authentic, Joey Velasco’s just
had a more human touch to it. The painting looked so real that I wondered if it really happened. It seemed
almost picturesque in a way. Joey Velasco’s painting of the children was done so well that even with just
blank stares really, the children in the painting really captured my eye. The detail he put into their facial
expressions, their tired eyes, and their body language was what really made this painting into a masterpiece.
The children in the painting looked so familiar to me, I even wondered if I’ve ever seen them around, but
of course I know I haven’t. I believe they seemed familiar to me because they were a representation of the
children who live in poverty here in the Philippines. Joey Velasco was able to perfectly capture that and
upon hearing the story behind those children in his documentary just made me feel more for the painting
than I originally have. I could relate to the sentiments of Joey Velasco when he was sharing the stories of
these children. The questions he asked himself, I couldn’t help but ask myself the same things as well. It
served as wake-up call to me in a way because in the daily hustle and bustle of life, I’ve forgotten to always
be grateful for the little things that I’ve been privileged enough to have over the course of my life. These
things include still having a complete family, a roof over my head, food 3 times a day and sometimes even
more, security in my own home and future, being able to enjoy my childhood because I didn’t have to work
or worry about anything, and so on. Hearing the story of these children woke up me and reminded me of
how privileged I am. But what really got me in the entire documentary were the questions of Joey Velasco
which he asked himself, “May nagawa na ba ako para sa iba?” It got me thinking about how I’ve utilized
my privilege over the years. It made me reevaluate the life I was living. Have I done anything to give back
and use my privilege for the good of others? I used to feel bad whenever I would be reminded of my
privilege because it made me feel like God was unfair for giving me so much and leaving so little for others
but as I grew and understood God more, I believe that this privilege is a way for me to make the lives of
others better. I know I haven’t done much but I do what I can whenever the opportunity arises, although I
I know I can do more. Whenever I pray to God, I pray for more opportunities for me to be of service to
others. I pray for more opportunities to hone my skills, in order to be better for others. I pray for the wisdom
and strength to always remember that this journey I am on is not for me but for the fulfillment of the will
of God. I pray for His guidance, so that I may reach my dream of becoming a lawyer, and be able to do
more for those that have witnessed a miscarriage of justice. I know that it seems far-fetched but I always
wanted to become a lawyer to be able to help others especially those who can’t afford it and I hope that one
day I’ll be able to do just that, as my way of using my privilege for the good of others and be their hope in
this world.