NICDAO, Allana Joyce L.

BSA – 1A
From the documentary of Kara David of I-Witness entitled, “Mga Anak ng Pugad Lawin” is
something that our mind even our heart wouldn’t let go, with all the happenings in their barangay, it is
so hard to see that the main victims there are children, dying without given a proper nutrition. Poverty
as the main problem of our country has also became the reason of other concerns and one example of
this is, a health issue which is Malnutrition. In her documentary centered a barangay in Camarines Norte
that became one of the places with the highest rate of Malnutrition to children. This documentary was a
sequel or like an extension to Kara’s previous documentary entitled “Buto’t balat” where her subject is a
boy named Jeremy that was also her intended subject in this documentary, “Mga Anak ng Pugad Lawin”.

When Kara went to see and to check what happened to the family of Jeremy, she was surprised
for what she found out, the kid already died because of Malnutrition. Jeremy is not the only kid with the
same case, many children in what they called community, “Pugad Lawin” have already died at young age
because of Malnutrition. In another situation with another family with regards to malnutrition, there is a
mother with her baby and other children and what’s left of them is just P40.00. How will they utilize it or
what kind of food will that money can buy? Her baby was seen very thin with big tummy, and that
indicates of a Malnutrition wherein in the documentary, it was seen that their morning meal will also be
their morning meal for the next day, meaning their meal for lunch and dinner for that will also be that.
Her baby even though, she is still hungry that time when they are eating, her mother already set aside
what’s left of their food for them to still have the food to eat for the next meal time.

Their Barangay’s Health Office made some checking on all the children’s weight and most of
them are really malnourished or their age doesn’t fit their weight. Upon watching the documentary, it
really saddened me for what happened and still happening in them and to other parts of our country
experiencing the same case. It so hard to digest the things happening on those children noting that they
are still children and it is true that children are the first one being attacked by the country’s problem like
this one and it is really heart aching to see these kids dying because their family has nothing more to do
with it and just letting it happen because they don’t have money to buy their food, to maintain their
health like taking vitamins and minerals which are vital for these kids for them to properly be developed.

I have learned and realized several things after watching the documentary, first is, I am lucky to
have this life I have right now that not all people are entitled to this kind of life, just an average life.
Second, pertaining to the foods we are consuming everyday that we should not waste them and just
take the amount you can finish because there are certain parts of our country that needs food and in us,
we are just wasting it? That is such a shame on our part especially we are educated people that’s why
we should know what is right and wrong.

Lastly, I’ve learned and realized that we are not just here to stand or to do what ever we want to
do in this world, we are here because of a purpose, and someone needs our help bigtime like these
children in Camarines Norte, that in our own little way we can help these people and children, we can
be a voice for them, to stand up on behalf of them. As all other virtue in life that we should preserve
lives of people, these children need to be alive, we might not know, they are the key to end up all of
these problems we are encountering.