Lampa and Payat: Lampayatot
Lampa and Payat: Lampayatot
By: Jericho Fernandez
Lampa and Payat—that’s what they used to call me.
Since I was a child, I was told to be careful of my health as I have a weak immune system. I am product of a diabetic, lung failure, and anemic blood line ruining my time for leisure as I was forbidden to play outside—basketball, hide and seek, and even card games. My medicines were just my only friends.
When I entered elementary, I was subjected to the irritating teasing because of absenteeism—“patpat”, “tamad”, “loner”, name it! Not only my emotional health was affected but also my grades.
I never confirmed. I never complained. I never explained. Because nobody even dared to ask. No one’s interested in me nor my school performance.
When I stepped on my sixth grade, I’ve found someone who believed in me—she has always rooted for me since day one—the only friend who told me, “magaling ka naman, iwasan mo lang pag-absent mo.” From that very moment, “absent” became an unfamiliar word to me.
When I was sick, I still went to school having a wet good morning towel that I wiped on my face in a concealed manner. I was sick but I was determined—I have my goals and I’m going to achieve it in any way as possible.
And now behold—the person you used to call “Lampayatot”—I stood for myself, so I stood on the podium to deliver my valedictory address. Pushing myself to the boundaries and breaking the barriers have been my realizations from that phase—the gift of absenteeism to the present.
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