One 11-year-old boy from Ilocos Norte had his unique wish fulfilled on his graduation day: a goat under his care.
Alwytz Gaoiran finished sixth grade at Buyon Elementary School in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte last April 3. After his graduation ceremony, he was thrilled to find a black-and-white goat in their home, his 23-year-old brother Alvin Robiniol told INQUIRER.net.
Alwytz, the sixth of eight children, had been wishing for a goat since Christmas, as per the Philippine News Agency on April 5. However, the family could not afford it at that time. Alvin and Alwytz’ father works as a farmer in Bacarra while their mother is a domestic worker in Kuwait.
Alvin, a radio promotions assistant based in Manila, pulled off the surprise by coordinating with his aunt and brother. The only college graduate in their family, he provided the money for the goat while they took care of the logistics.
He posted on Facebook last April 3 a picture of Alwytz smiling from ear to ear as he held on to a rope tied around his pet goat.
“Tinanong kita kung anong gusto mong regalo. Akala ko cellphone, tablet, o kahit ano mang klase ng luho ang isasagot mo,” Alvin recalled. “Natuwa ako nang sinabi mong gusto mo ng kambing para may alagaan ka.”
(I asked you what you wanted as a gift. I thought you would say cellphone, tablet or whatever kind of luxury. I was happy when you said you wanted a goat so you could have something to take care of.)
Alvin also said in the post that the goat was pregnant, which means his brother will have more responsibilities soon. He added that he wanted to give him a cow, but he did not have the budget yet.
“Who knows, after ilang taon, may sarili na tayong farm, [‘di ba]? Basta magsipag ka lang, kakayanin natin ‘to.” (Who knows, after some years, we’ll have our own farm, right? As long as you work hard, we can do this.)
Alvin shared with INQUIRER.net that Alwytz enjoys caring for animals and making toys from recyclable materials. “Since it’s summer in our place and the grasslands are dry, he personally looks for the food of the goat,” he said.
Alwytz hopes to be an engineer one day, and it seems his Kuya Alvin wants to support his brother’s dreams even from afar. His message for his little brother: “Just study hard so that you can also achieve something someday. We love you.” JB
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