A college student from El Nido is seeking help for her brother who is confined to the hospital.
Mary Rose Magbukid, 20, said the help that will be extended to her brother James will also save her studies from being stopped because of the growing debt of her family in the hospital where he remains admitted since over a month ago.
Mary Rose said she is currently in her second year taking up education at Western Philippines University-Main Campus in the town of Aborlan.
She is the third child out of six siblings, following next to James who met a motorcycle accident on September 28 in El Nido and was confined at the Adventist Hospital Palawan.
Mary Rose narrated that her brother James was unconscious for 10 days and underwent an operation due to frontal bone fracture and damage to his jawbone.
“’Yong head niya, ‘yon talaga ang pinaka na-damage, frontal bone at saka sa cheek bone. ‘Yong buong face niya ay halos na-operahan. Since September 29 siya naka-admit, more than a month na,” she said.
Mary Rose was convinced to post on social media to seek any possible help that would support the hospitalization and medication of her brother. Her brother is a tourist guide in El Nido and now has a family.
“Na-admit ‘yong kuya ko sa Adventist Hospital pero okay na rin ‘yong kalagayan niya ngayon. Kaso ang nangyari, hindi namin ma-afford na makabayad ng ganoong halaga. Nagse-seek lang ako ng tulong sa kung sino man ang puwedeng makatulong. Nakalapit na rin kami sa government agencies kaso hindi talaga sapat para mapunan,” she said.
She said the initial bill given to them by the end of October was almost P900,000 but they were only able to make a downpayment about P400,000. She said their family still has to pay half a million.
The bill also increases per night of stay.
To collect help for the remaining balance, Mary Rose said her father has been going around households in El Nido. However, due to the struggle of living nowadays, it has been hard for her father.
Based on Mary Rose’s post, her father is a farmer who earns less than P5,000 a month while her mother is a plain housewife.
She said they had reached out to government offices but due to the number of indigent residents who also need help, they were unable to receive substantial support.
“Mahirap kasi hindi ko rin masabi na… siguro kasi nasa sitwasyon na kinakaya na lang din pero hirap. Sobrang hirap i-survive bale habang nandoon ‘yong kuya ko, need pa rin niya ng gamot every day. Problem din po namin ‘yon at saka ‘yong father ko ay kung kani-kanino na siya lumalapit,” she said.
Due to the struggle of her family on supporting the hospitalization and daily medication of her brother, Mary Rose is considering to stop from her studies to work and help their family.
If she stops, she said she is worried that she will lose her scholarship
“Ang problema ko ay hindi na puwede mag-add ng subjects kasi nag-add na nakaraan. Kapag mag-stop ako mag-aral, mawawala yong scholarship. May maintaining grade din ‘yong scholarship, isa sa mga pinangangambahan ko kaya ayaw ko rin mag-stop. Problema kasi, kailangan ko mag-work para makatulong sa mga kailangan pa sa kuya ko,” she said.
“Sobrang [bigat], first time ‘yong ganito na ma-encounter ko. Sobrang hirap dahil wala rin kami, hinihingian din kami ng collateral ng hospital, ang problema ay wala naman kaming lupa na puwedeng isangla sa kanila para makalabas kami. Hindi talaga namin alam kung saan kami kukuha ng ganoon kalaking pera,” she added.
Mary Rose felt happy that she could also feel the support of their relatives and other friends, even her teachers from high school.
She expressed gratitude that the condition of her brother is now getting better despite the hardship their family is experiencing.
Mary Rose said they continue to be thankful no matter what because James can already stand and walk a little.
“May mga naging utang din kami sa labas, isa rin sa rason kung bakit nagkadami-dami kami ng utang. Sa ngayon ay nakakatayo-tayo na rin si kuya. Noong ipinasok siya ay more than 10 days siyang tulog hanggang na-operahan na lang siya,” she said.
She said that four of them are still studying and she is the only one who is in the right age to work to support the financial needs of their family. She said that her father gets the advance payment on doing fishnets for immediate support to her brother. However, she is still uncertain about how they would manage to survive the next days.
“’Yong financial help sana kasi sa hospital kailangan namin mag-down ng cash, 50% ng bill namin para kami ay makalabas, ‘yon sana ang gusto ko ipaabot kaya nag-post ako ng ganoon at para makalikom ng ganoong halaga,” she said.
Mary Rose said that those individuals who will be willing to extend help could reach her mother, Nerry Magbukid who is now assisting her brother at the hospital and may contact on 09104225380.
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