Intoy The Wonder Manug Balot of Lambunao

It's been awhile since I last posted here. Things have been very busy for me. Ended my contract with the Rnheals program, research proposal, MAN requirements and the fact that I am not employed right now make me so stressed. Well playing majong with 5 peso bet drives away my attention from stress and also my requirements. hahah But tonight I remembered the video I got during a show on the "bisperas" of our fiesta. It featured Intoy the famous "manugbalot" of Lambunao delivering a self made declamation piece and a dance number. To many Intoy is just a balot vendor often bullied by other people especially of some guys because of his sexuality but for us his "suki", he is a picture of a person who sees the wonders in life despite poverty. Selling 150 pcs of balut a day for 15 php makes him earn at least 300 pesos, well that's better off than other guys who just sit in the street and drinking ESQ right? I remembered one time we had a conversation during one of our majong sessions, I told him "Intoy sang una ko bala kita kanimo nakulbaan ako kanimo, blonde imo buhok waay pa gasararama, naka palda kag naka backless ka pa bitbit mo pa balut mo, kurulbaan gd timo pay daw ka off kanimu turukon," he answered, "teh tulad nahadlok ka pa kanakun?" I jokingly answered,"waay duma gawa ah, teh ikaw way kaw nahadlok sa self  mo?" I laughed after that but to my surprise he answered, "TEH INSA MAHADLUKAN TAKUN BISAN AMO LANG JA AKON ITSURA CONFIDENT TAKUN SA SARILI KO." I smiled when I heard that, we seldom see people who can see perfection in their imperfections. I told my mother that I really admire Intoy despite his condition in life still he strives to walk kilometers by foot to sell Balot just to earn cents and still manage to live and give money to his mother. Intoy also told me that one time he was a victim of hold up those guys took all his money left him naked walking in the streets, shame on those people. Why can't they look for their own living why do they have to take other people's hard earnings. I hope they rot in hell.
 Yesterday Intoy saw me dressed, he asked where I am going, I told him i'll be a judge on the mr and miss foundation of the Caninguan National High School and if he wants to come he can come. He rode at the back of our dmax, as we were driving I was laughing at him coz he felt like it was a parade, he was standing and waving at every person he sees and people would call at him saying "Intoy  may balut kaw?" I realized,  to some people riding on a pick up is nothing but for Intoy it is something...It made him smile and feel like a beauty queen. I made some reflections, I feel so bad that I almost got everything yet I still keep on competing with myself asking for more...wanting for more. If we set simple things in life...our source of happiness is simple too. We tend to be so ambitious that we neglect to see the simplicity of being happy. It's just right there but we refuse to recognize.

I am writing this blog for him not because I wanna make fun of him or whatever, I am writing this to be a reminder   for everyone that life is a choice and we should choose the better one and that is simply to be happy not with material things but being grateful of what we have,like our family, friends, special someone and the gift of life God gave us.This video will just be a bonus just to make you smile and whenever you see Intoy selling, hope you'll buy from him even if you don't eat Balut. Everytime I watch this video I really laugh...I don't see the Intoy other people call "retarded" but I see Intoy as a happy person, grateful of the things he have. Enjoy watching hope Intoy will put a smile on your face.

PS: I'm a terrible writer so please bear with me lang hahaah =)

----hamham---