The priceless ticket of sharing

Editor’s Note: The author, a De la Salle-College of St. Benilde student, is the grand prize winner in the EU Feature Writing Contest, a project of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines in partnership with the Inquirer. Her winning entry, edited for brevity, follows.

Let me tell you how the European Union (EU) is important to the Filipino children who have only seen the streets of Manila, who sleep in houses with thin plywood walls and roofs without light bulbs, who watch women gyrating to catchy tunes on noontime television shows, who are only familiar with their makeshift houses, their streets, and the grey horizon that stretches to the limits of what their minds know and hold.

Where is Europe?

I will focus on my favorite EU event, “Lakbayin Natin ang EU,” which was held at Museo Pambata in 2010 and 2011. “Lakbayin” is an exploration of cultures among the EU’s different member-countries for the benefit of children in Metro Manila, from the privileged to those who are close to owning nothing.

“May bus po bang papuntang Europa (Is there a bus going to Europe)?” This question from a little boy who had not seen much of the world fascinated me.

It is true that less fortunate children are not really aware of what is outside our country. But they know there is something more out there—beyond their small homes, their community, our country.

Yet they cannot envision it. What has given them ideas about different places around the world are the news on local channels, teleseryes and Koreanovelas, and a bit of history in textbooks.

But these were and are not enough for them to understand that Europe does exist and that it is possible for us to experience Europe locally.

Similar after all

“Ate, magkakamukha lang pala tayo ’no? Puti lang buhok nila (We look like each other after all; they just have blond hair),” said a little girl after attending the “Lakbayin Natin ang EU” event at Museo Pambata.

She had just finished singing with the French children from Euro Campus. I could see in her eyes how delighted she was to meet new friends from a different country that she thought was a myth.

I watched the little girl and the other children as they sang a popular song. The French had sung it in their language first. When the Filipino children heard the tune, you could see their eyes brighten and their smiles widen. If you could hear their thoughts it would probably say, “We know that song, too, but in a different language.”

A whole new world

And so, in the end, the children sang the song together, first the French then the Filipino version.

I cannot describe how happy the kids were. It was like telling a child that Santa was real and the tooth fairy did exist. It was like being in a video game where you entered another world and could not wait to explore every part of it.

The EU had opened that portal and the kids were experiencing it all for free. It did not stop with songs and France. They also heard children’s stories from Austria, learned how to count in German, discovered that the Spanish language was close to ours and saw the different national clothes of the other countries in the European Union.

After listening to children’s stories from the United Kingdom, a girl said, “Hindi rin hadlang ang kaibahan ng lahi upang maging magkaibigan (racial differences are no barriers to friendship).”

The European Union has helped the Philippines in different ways that have opened opportunities for our country.

But what I cherish the most about its partnership with us is that the EU has brought the different colors and tastes of their continent, their festivals, their arts, their rich culture to the Philippines

I am glad that Filipino children who do not have access to quality education can benefit from EU’s sharing.

Sharing is a beautiful thing and cultures and ways of life can always be shared without having to book a ticket to any country.

Mabuhay ang EU!