Indigenous PH, a non-profit organization shared another inspiring story on Facebook. The organization aims to promote and preserve the culture of different tribes in the country. They have posted an inspiring story on their official FB page about a 13-year-old Manyan boy who likes making toy vehicles out of discarded rubber slippers.
Jupel Batobato, a young boy from an indigenous tribe called “Mangyan” and lives in the mountains of Mindoro, a small community with no electricity. Mangyan is an ethnic group from Mindoro Island and some of the tribes can be found in Romblon, Albay, Negros, and Palawan. The term Mangyan refers to a person without any reference to any nationality.
Going to school was never easy for Jupel since he has to walk 20 minutes from their home to Casilon Elementary School. Children in the mountains wear slippers going to school and Jupel’s slippers would only last for a month because of the long and tiring walk every day to school.
Sometimes this boy would walk barefoot because his family can’t afford to buy him new slippers right away. Many parents in rural areas can’t afford to buy school shoes or even slippers for their children because of poverty. They would always prioritize food instead of buying material things for their children.
Although walking barefoot is kind of fun for some children, Jupel dreams of riding a jeepney or tricycle going to school. This dream became a hobby for Jupel. While on his way to school he found old rubber slippers, took it home, and made it into toy vehicles. His creativity led him to create toy jeepney, cars, and vans out of the old slippers left on the road. He even added some embellishments like LED lamps and flashlights to make his toy vehicle look appealing. His creations were featured in many social media networks and many people admired Jupel’s creativity and positivity.
Watch the video below: