DOMinating Life: Papa Doms’ Tricycle Ride
Little perseverance, little hardship, little income, a little person on a little road conquering the big world.
One tricycle driver stands out because of his rare case. Papa Doms is not your ordinary tricycle driver; unlike most tricycle drivers, his somewhat peculiar size is just impossible to miss.
Papa Doms, a 55-year old tricycle driver, is a strangely short person. This is a condition he developed after falling from a flight of stairs when he was only five.
Despite his condition, he chose to work on the road for over 30 years with only an average of P200.00 of income each day. Deducting the P100.00 boundary for the tricycle he borrows, Papa Doms is left with P100.00 which he successfully manages to balance for a day.
Living off with only P100.00 for his expenses, he survives the day with little food to eat. Even though he only makes P100.00 or P200.00 at most, it is almost enough because he has no family to take care of, leaving him the only person he needs to support. When asked, most people can’t live off with only P200.00, let alone P100.00, Papa Doms is small but he’s living big and doing big to live.
“Pantawid ko lang siya sa gastusin araw-araw dahil mag-isa lang naman ako nabubuhay,” he explained. Unfortunately, in his 55 years of existence, love has failed to reach him and until now, he is living alone and living for himself since the day he became an orphan.
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You can see him riding the streets of Iyam Landing and Lucena City Bayan. Every night, he works hard like everybody else; the only difference is he is faced with the burden of putting up with his condition and discriminations.
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He received judging stares and murmurs ever since he started his service as a tricycle driver. At first, he said it hurts but later on their words and stares just pass right through him.
Adding to his burden is the competition. To think of competing with the hundreds maybe even thousands of tricycles here in Lucena, Papa Doms will really have a hard time making money. He said that with the number of tricycles, all drivers fight over passengers.
“Sa dami ng tricycle ngayon, ‘di katulad nung ako’y namamasada noon, mas mahirap ngayon makakuha ng pasahero,” Papa Doms said.
Despite all the hardships, Papa Doms manages to live a little simple life, with a little perseverance, a little sweat, a little income. In a little house, he continues his little journey in this big world. (Nyssa De Guzman)