10-year-old boy in Sultan Kudarat plows land with horse to help his family

A 10-year-old boy in Sultan Kudarat was found tirelessly plowing land at a two-hectare farm with a horse to help his family.

According to a “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” episode on Sunday, Reymark was raised by his grandparents, Rudy and Nerissa, and had dedicated his time to farming with a horse named Rabanos.

While he and Rabanos tended to the land, his Lolo Rudy would harvest the crops.

“Naaawa rin. Kasi batang-bata pa eh. ‘Yung mga ibang bata, laro lang ang kanilang iniisip,” his grandparents shared.

[“I pity him because he’s so young. The other kids could enjoy their childhood while he has to work.]

Reymark said he often get wounds from farming.

With the money he makes from planting, Reymark buys sardines and medicine. If he couldn’t afford those, they would just eat rice with salt.

"Wala na kaming chance yumaman sa mundo, Ma'am, dahil ang amin lang po 'yung makakain kami sa isang araw,” Reymark said.

[“We don’t have a chance at becoming rich. We only want to have enough so we can eat in a day.”]

As if life can’t get any harder, his horse Rabanos is already 24 years old and is slowly getting weaker.

Although Lolo Rudy at Lola Nerissa wanted to help out as much as they could, they could only do so much at their age.

Lolo Rudy shared that his eyesight has also gotten blurry.

Reymark was only four when his mom left him and remarried, so his father raised him.

A few years ago, however, his father got a warrant of arrest for illegal possession of firearms. Since then, Reymark had not seen his father nor heard news from him.

“Nagawa ko pong mag-araro dahil sa kanya. Hindi rin niya gusto pero anong gawin namin? “

[“I had to plow and farm land to provide for my family. My father didn’t want me to work, but what can we do?”]

“Miss ko na, dahil napapagod na po akong mag-araro dahil lang sa kanya. Kung nandito lang po siya, hindi na po ako mag-aararo. Pero sige lang, kakayanin ko para sa pamilya ko.”

[“I miss him. I’m so tired of working in the field. If he was here, I wouldn’t have to work. But it’s okay, I’ll bear it for my family.”]

He said that other children were lucky for having both parents with them.

Despite these hardships, Reymark dreams of becoming a soldier so he can fight for the defenseless.

Learning about his situation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the local government unit of Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat, sent Reymark and his family school supplies and groceries.

The Department of Agriculture also gave them organic fertilizer, assorted fruit trees, and vegetable seeds, plus native chickens, goats, and pigs so they no longer had to till land every day.

The KMJS team, meanwhile, took Reymark’s grandparents to a doctor who treated them and gave them medicine. Their horse Rabanos was also taken to see a veterinarian.

The team also gave financial assistance and farming equipment to Reymark’s family.

For those who want to help “Reymark,” please deposit to:

BANK: LANDBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
ACCOUNT NAME: NERIE MARIANO
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 2456 2340 06
CONTACT NUMBER: 0955 490 2743 / 09659929046

– Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News