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| Demolition at Agham Road |
Agham Road traverses a part of Diliman , Quezon City. First of all, Diliman is home to many government offices, Departments and agencies. It was part of having a National Capital that will have all the government offices and even the Parliament. Quezon City was envisioned to be the showcase of the best in the Filipino. A planned city just like Washington DC and even Brasilia in Brazil. To serve the needs of the nation and house those who work for the government. That is why there is a Project 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8. Settlements expected to house the thousands of civil servants that will man the huge government bureaucracy that will be the human resource of the government.
Aside from the usual civil administration, it also was aimed to come up with the software in human capital. There is the Department of Science and Technology as well as the head office of the source of the funds that will be the lifeblood of government basic services, the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Along Agham Road these agencies are located. But again, there is more to it. Agham Road is where the Philippine Science High School has its home. PSHS is the premier Science High School in the Asia – Pacific. Its scholars are the most “gifted” in all the Philippines. The hope of the motherland as Jose Rizal would have termed it.
Agham Road is aptly named because of the DOST and PSHS, one for applied theory and the latter for the basic building blocks for national development and progress. The school will provide an endless stream of talent, creativity and the germ of genius needed to catapult the country to greatness. Such was the plan. A grandiose plan and with a noble ideal. So aptly named, Agham means Science in Filipino. Real development will be complemented by the Advance Sciences, Mathematics, Humanities, Politics, Literature and the Arts of the University of the Philippines while the raw talent will be supplied by PSHS.
But we do not live in a vacuum. In the 1990s, a PSHS honor student was mugged and killed. Across PSHS was a huge squatter colony. The culprits came from there. One of the best and the brightest the country has to offer was killed by the dregs of society whom he was supposed to serve and uplift when his time came.
The outcry for blood was tremendous. How dare the sub-humans kill the cream of the cream of the Filipino race.
After observing and learning how the PSHS nurtures the future seed corn of the race, I availed myself of the chance to see the other side. The killers. It was the first time I rode a pedicab or a “traysikad”. From PSHS to East Avenue. I had no intention of riding one to be honest but upon my exit from the gate of the school, a guy stood in front of me and offered to take me to my destination. I just said yes. The fare was 30 pesos. Not even the flag down rate of a taxi.
The driver seemed gaunt and undernourished. Although there were no inclines along Agham Road, he was huffing and puffing even after 10 meters. Each pedal came with an effort. The fact that he was driving against the wind even made it harder for him. He was also tubercular because I can tell from experience. I asked him to stop and rest. That he did. We pulled over and I offered him a cigarette which he accepted with great appreciation. I asked him to sidle up to a sidewalk stand and I bought him a bottle of Coca-Cola. Upon conversing with him, I learned that he only lived a few meters away. I told him that he should take a break and he invited me to his hovel which was only a few meters away. There I found he has 4 children. None of them were going to school. His wife was lying down and he apologized for her since she also has tuberculosis. She could not sit up for long. He told me that he earns around 200 pesos a day since he was too weak to keep pedaling the whole day. With that he can buy a kilo of Galunggong, some tomatoes, onions and garlic. He already bought rice from his morning’s earnings. He told his 10 year old daughter to prepare the fish with the ingredients and put lots of water since their mother would need to have lots of soup. So this was the other side of the tracks or road.
I told him I was leaving and there was no need for him to finish the trip. I paid him the fare plus extra. His hovel has no piped in water much less electricity. One of his sons have lumps on his head. It was an infection and he could only afford antibiotics if he had extra. So, one lump goes away and another one takes its place. I cannot escape comparing them from the gifted children in PSHS.
As I was walking along Agham Road, I saw the institutions that were supposed to solve these problems. EDSA may be the center of gravity for the body politick of the country but Agham Road signifies the deep divide in the heart of the nation.
