Do you know of children complaining because they are pressured to study more? Well, they should meet Ryan.
Ryan Jay Soriano, 17 years old, is the eldest among his six siblings. He is currently enrolled at Iloilo City National High School as (ICNHS) as a grade 10 student.
At a very early age, he felt the pang of poverty. There was a time when both his parents were jobless.
Poverty has made it also difficult for his parents to provide for their needs especially in school. Oftentimes he cannot comply with his projects and other school requirements.
But he did not let this scarcity stand on his way. He tried to look for a way to earn money that would help him finance his studies and his daily expenses.
Ryan engaged himself into ‘extra’ jobs to help lessen the burden of his parents.
Everyday, Ryan wakes up early morning to fetch water for their neighbour so he could have his school baon. He is paid P20 for five containers of water.
After class, he goes home to change his uniform and proceeds to another neighbour’s house to do the wrapping of candies. Sometimes, he also does repacking of charcoal. He gets P30 for two hours of repacking.
Ryan is still using his weekend by accepting tutorial services from their neighbours every Saturday. He earns P50 from two hours of tutorials.
Despite of hectic schedules, he still manages his school time and even joins some extra-curricular activities.

In fact, his passion in Literature gave him multiple honors as he joined the regional and national level competitions where he garnered several awards for his write-ups and literary pieces.
He was first honor in school years 2008 and 2010; second honor in 2007 and 2011.
These include first placer in the Regional Division School Press Conference Feature Writing (Filipino); second placer in the Regional Cluster Journalism Writeshop and Golden Pen Awards 2013; first place winner in the On the Spot Poster Making Contest Regional Artebesian Art Club; first placer in the Enviro-Henyo Regional Literary Writing Contest; and second placer in the National Cluster Journalism Writeshop and Golden Pen Awards 2014.

HELPING EACH OTHER
His mother Jane is now maintaining a small sari-sari store in their house while his father Ronumel is a tanod member in their village in North Baluarte, Iloilo City.
Ryan’s family has been included in Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the government’s conditional Cash Transfer program that helps send children to school and keep them healthy. Ryan and two of his siblings who are in elementary and high school are covered by the program.
But the family does not depend solely on the cash grant that they are receiving from the government for more than six years now. Instead, they are helping each other to earn.
“We are helping each other,” Ryan said.
Ryan is optimistic that the time will come when they won’t be enslaved by poverty anymore.
“Hindi naman po forever ang kahirapan,” he quipped.//dswd6//Montesa G. Caoyonan