Villar: Ad jingle from the heart

To all those who think that the message behind the immensely popular "Naging Mahirap" TV advertisement is a little exaggerated, Sen. Manny Villar has this to say: "It is all heartfelt for me."

The ad, which has been earning recognition in marketing circles, features poor children singing a jingle on how difficult it is to be underprivileged in this country.

The jingle starts with a question that goes like this, "Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?" (Have you ever taken a swim in a sea of garbage?)

Villar said growing up as a poor kid in the slums of Tondo, Manila, he and his friends would run outside to welcome the downpour whenever it rained hard.

"Doon lang kami nakakatikim maligo, ng swimming, sa pusali, sa maraming basura dahil malapit kami sa Smokey Mountain," Villar said before a crowd of thousands in Barangay Julugan in Tanza, Cavite Friday morning.

"Yun lang ang pagkakataon naming mag-swimming."

The second line in the jingle asks, "Nag-Pasko ka na ba sa gitna ng kalsada?" (Have you ever spent Christmas in the streets?)

He said he helped his mother sell shrimps in the market and in order to sell more during the Yuletide season, they open shop until Christmas Eve.

"Ang sabi ko pag Pasko, nagtitinda rin kami sa Divisoria maski Linggo, dahil malakas ang benta ng hipon ... Kaya madalas, mga alas dose o Noche Buena, naabutan kami sa Divisoria," Villar said.

However, Villar is surprised that some people find it hard to believe that the situations described by the lines in the jingle really happen in real life.

"Subalit ako'y nagtataka, napakaraming nagtatanong, sinasabi sa akin 'hindi ba sobra naman yan, hindi ba exaggerated yan?' Hindi ba dinadagdagan mo iyan? Ang sabi ko sa kanila, alam ninyo hindi niyo talaga nauunawaan ang mga mahihirap," he said.

"Ang totoo niyan, yung mahihirap, mas grabe pa diyan. Talagang nararamdaman ng mga mahihirap yang mga bagay na yan. Nararamdaman yung walang pangmatrikula, yung kailangan tumigil sa pag-aaral ang ilan sa mga anak, yung walang makain."

He said the line in the jingle, which says, "Tunay ka bang isa sa amin? (Are you really one of us)" really drives the message home.

"Sapagkat lahat po ng kandidato, sila daw po ay dating mahirap. Meron pang humihingi ng piso-piso. Subalit ang aking tanong ay talaga bang mahirap ka o haciendero ka? Paano ka naman naging mahirap eh may hacienda kayo?" Villar continued, drawing cheers from the crowd.

But the poor, he added, are always cash-strapped when it comes to buying food and medicine as well as paying for the education of their children.

"Pagkatapos sasabihin 'hindi ba sobra naman yan? Sinasabi ko sa kanila hindi niyo po nalalaman milyun-milyong Pilipino pa rin ang ganyan ang pamumuhay," Villar said.

"Kaya't iyan po ang kadahilanan kung bakit mayroon po yang awitin na yan. Iyan po ang dahilan kung bakit ako'y kumakandidato bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas. Panahon na po para tapusin itong kahirapan na ito ng isang tao na talagang dumaan diyan."

He said it was important for the Filipino people to know if one claiming he or she can alleviate the plight of the poor has really the competence, experience and the track record to do the job.

"Sinasabi mo mga plataporma, madaling sabihin yan. Madaling ipagawa yan sa mga speechwriters. Pero ang tanong: Kaya mo ba gawin yan? Sapagkat kung hindi, kawawa na naman yung mga mahihirap. Pagkatapos ng eleksiyon, maghihirap na naman," Villar said.