A first year college student in one of Metro Manila’s state universities, Ka Sayrin started as a student activist only in 2006. The eldest daughter of a company utility person and a vendor, Ka Sayrin started as a student organizer but later became a community organizer in one of the urban poor communities in Manila.

She said she started to live independently at a young age. As an activist, she survived by collecting empty plastic bottles and sold them at the nearest junk shop. “Literally, namumulot ako ng basura,” (I was picking up garbage.) she said.

She took up Business Management during her first year, a complete irony from what she has actually chosen to do now. “Sa maniwala ka at sa hindi” she told this reporter, “nag-enroll ako dun kasi dun maikli ang pila,” (Believe it or not but I enrolled in that course because the queue was short.) she laughed.

On her second year in college, Ka Sayrin was given a small amount by her mother to pay for her tuition. On the day of enrollment, Ka Sayrin left for Aurora.

Today, she says the trip to Aurora was a long trip to her new school – the school of life in the countryside.

Aurora

The province of Aurora is one of six provinces in Central Luzon. In 2004, hundreds of homes along the shores of Dingalan were swept away by flash floods. Reports said the flash floods were caused by intense logging operations in the province.

There are four logging concessioners in Aurora that operates in thousands of hectares with no reforestation at hand.

Villagers here either live as workers in logging companies or are themselves small loggers. They also till ancestral lands and plant rice for their consumption and corn or citrus fruit for market retail.

Ka Sayrin said villagers here, mostly of the Dumagat tribe, are campaigning for higher wages for the logging company workers and, in the long term, for ancestral land control.

Healing

“Monthsary namin ng sugat ko ngayon,” (It is the one month’s anniversary of my wound.) Ka Sayrin said as she remembered having been hit exactly a month ago on the day of this interview.

One of the comrades from the medical team said Ka Sayrin has developed a strong sense of survival albeit her being young and very new in the war zone. Less than a month since the firefight, she has learned how to clean her own wound without any sign of regret or anguish.

“Dito na ako,” (I am here.) was all she could tell her mother when she called her up to tell her she has joined the ranks of the NPA and has sworn to serve the masses here. “Mag-iingat ka anak,” (Be careful my daughter.) was all her mother could say not knowing that her precious daughter has incurred two deep wounds from her first firefight as an NPA guerilla.

With her pack now gone, Ka Sayrin arrived at the camp all wet and wounded with nothing but her clothes on. But other comrades have been willing to share their things, Ka Sayrin said. She has been handed down some clothes and important jungle survival supplies. Her only regret so far is that she lost the plastic cup that one of the villagers gave her. “Yun ang unang gamit na bigay sa akin ng masa. Sayang, tuwang-tuwa pa naman ako nung binigay sa akin yun,” she remembers. “Sabi ko pa naman sa sarili ko, mawala na ang lahat wag lang yun.” (That was the first implement given to me by the masses. I was very happy that it was given to me. I even told myself that I could accept losing all of my things except that.)

“How long shall it take for the wounds to finally heal?” this reporter asked. And Ka Sayrin smilingly said, “Malapit na.” (It is about to heal.)

As she strided up a hill leading to her tent, comrades greet Ka Sayrin with all smiles on their faces. “Wow, kaya nang lumakad pataas. Parang walang sugat,” (Wow, she could already walk uphill as if she has no wound.) one of the senior comrades said.

Ka Sayrin answered, “Pwede na uli bumalik sa baryo,”(I can already go back to the barrio.) referring to her organizing work in the surrounding villages.

With the numbness of her legs gone and wounds healing faster than she thought, Ka Sayrin is optimistic that the only thing left infectious in her is her smile. (Bulatlat.com)

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