We were lucky to have so much land, more than we could ever use. But Martial Law took it all away, leaving but the residential lands that had people living in it. That was in 1972. It really hurt my parents to have become landless at the stroke of the pen of PD 27 by Ferdinand Marcos.
Forty eight years later, I find myself selling these lots to the persons who now live in it.
I went to the site where they lived. I told them that, should they pay in full before the end of December, they would have their lots at the lowest cost they can imagine.
Here they came, in droves. I had to sit down with each of them to ask their names, and get the amount that they would pay me. They borrowed from one of their neighbors, who worked at a major bank, and she gave them a reasonable interest where they could lock their ownership to the land they lived in, at the price unimaginable.
I took my camera for this photo op. I had to get mileage from this almost charitable act of giving away the land. I knew it was important for them to have their own home.
I came back another day when some other persons wanted to pay. You can tell that I was wearing another dress, the pink blouse, and I looked and felt very tired and sleepy. There were several of those who paid, but this couple in the photo with me insisted that their photos also be taken, to mark this really important day of their lives: the day when they would stop being squatters and become honorable owners of their own piece of this earth.
I really understood the magnitude of this day. I am lucky to be able to hellp someone have their own home.
Elsietampong's Blog 