Fr. Peter Yong, MHM, a Mill Hill Missionary from Cameroon serving in the Diocese of San Jose, Antique, Philippines, shares the moving story of a family living in quiet hardship in Barangay Butuan, Anini-y. Hidden in a small village of this rural community, their daily life reveals the deep struggles faced by many who live in poverty and silence.
SILENT STRUGGLES: A Family’s Journey through Poverty and Disability
Tucked away in the green landscape of trees and plants of Barangay Butuan in Anini-y, Antique, Philippines, lives a family whose daily life shows the quiet struggles many people face in silence. Among seven adult siblings, four are deaf and mute—unable to hear or speak in a world that already offers them very little. The other three, though without disabilities, are equally burdened by extreme poverty. The other three, while not disabled, face significant challenges due to deep poverty. Their story reflects resilience—not out of choice, but as a necessity for their survival.
Their parents, who once gave them support and guidance, have passed away. Now, the siblings live on their own in a small hut made of bamboo and nipa barely fit for shelter. With no stable source of income and limited access to education, none of them hold jobs. On the day we visited them, two members of the family were not home, not for work or school, but out to beg for food in neighboring communities— sadly, this has become part of their daily routine.
The photos tell part of the story. Their homes, made of leaves and salvaged materials, barely withstand the elements. A single bag of rice can mean the difference between hunger and survival. And yet, despite their hardships, they show a quiet dignity. Their resilience speaks louder than any words could.
This family represents more than just a single case of hardship. They are a mirror to the often-overlooked realities of rural life in parts of the Philippines—where disability, poverty, and loss intersect, and where silence isn’t just a condition but a way of life forced by circumstance. The livelihood of the people of Anini-y depends on farming and mainly fishing. It’s common in the mountainous barangays and even along the sea coast to meet families, though without disability, but living from “hand to mouth”.
As missionaries, neighbors, and fellow human beings, we are called not only to see them but to stand with them. Whether through food support, vocational aid, or helping to find access to social services, there are many ways we can respond. And perhaps the most powerful thing we can do first is simply to listen—to their silent plea for dignity, inclusion, and hope.
Let us remember that the most forgotten are often the most in need of our compassion. May this family move from the margins of our awareness into the centre of our shared responsibility.
