Imagine driving along a busy road in Makati, or walking toward the nearest jeepney stop, lost in thought about what to have for dinner when suddenly, a woman climbs out of a drainage ditch and starts running.
Shock? Fear? Or as millennials would say, “WTF?”
That surreal scene happened just last week along Rufino and Adelantado Streets in Makati. A woman covered in grime, with disheveled hair emerged from a drainage canal, startling passersby and instantly sparking a viral sensation online.
Speculations flooded the internet. Some assumed she was mentally ill. Others labeled her a vagrant or fugitive. A few even turned her into a meme, comparing her to Sadako from The Ring.
But beyond the jokes and judgment, the viral video caught the attention of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), prompting a search for the mystery woman later identified as Rose.
Even DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reached out to her personally.
What they uncovered was not a tale of insanity or crime but a heartbreaking reflection of just how deep poverty runs in our society today.
According to ABS-CBN, Rose is not mentally ill. She doesn’t live in the sewers by choice. She had entered the drainage system to retrieve a small utility blade that had fallen an act both dangerous and desperate. With rising inflation, lack of work, and no stable income, even something as basic as a cutter blade becomes too precious to lose.
Rose and her partner Jerome once rented a small place in Pasong Tamo, Makati. But like many Filipinos battling poverty, they were slowly pushed to the margins. The high cost of living left them with almost nothing. At one point, Rose and Jerome found themselves navigating Manila’s underworld literally.
Their story is not unique. It’s a painful symptom of a bigger problem: the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the Philippines, made worse by inflation, job insecurity, and a frayed social safety net.
When Rose shared her dream of opening a sari-sari store and starting anew, the DSWD responded. She will receive ₱80,000 in financial assistance to help her build her small business a chance to live above ground, with dignity and purpose.
Her partner, Jerome, who is skilled in welding, may also receive support for training and equipment.
“Si Jerome, ang kaniyang partner, ay dadalhin din niya sa atin baka matulungan sa training dahil marunong mag–welding. So, baka matulungan sa pagbili ng welding machine para yung kita nilang dalawa mas maging stable,” Gatchalian said.
Rose’s story, once mocked, is now a call for compassion and a mirror reflecting the reality that many Filipinos face today.
Because in a country where even a lost cutter blade can drive someone underground, it’s not madness. It’s survival.
No wonder netizens are now saying: “Sana all.”
