Setting the Heroes Free

Few days before the Philippine Indepence Day, I was thinking of how to celebrate it. Usually, the nation observes the holiday by using flags or doing various presentations which display patriotism. I want to have a different way of commemorating it. Guess what? The school canteen gave me the idea.

It was Monday this week, recess time, I found the answer. The teachers of the school where I am working at are tasked to sell food and drinks to the students. I had a hard time to give change to the learners as they pay big bills like one hundred peso- bill. I saw the fact that the parents give weekly allowance to their children. Seeking coins became our problem aside from solving. **Math is my waterloo**

I realized that coins are important in canteen operation. If these are available and many, there will be smooth selling. That is only in a school canteen. How about the big picture of the effect of scarcity of coins?

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or the Central Bank reminded everyone not to hoard coins as this will affect our economy. These are needed in trading, transportation, purchasing, etc. There are now legal bases about keeping huge amount of coins.

I told our canteen teacher that I am willing to turn my coins into bills. That night, I destroyed my red, plastic pig coin bank that I started to use March this year. I set a goal that I will just open it on December to augment my travel trip or to buy a new staff during the yuletide season. However, I disregard the goal as I see the scarcity is urgent to be addressed.  


I was like a surgeon while using a kitchen knife to open my pig. The heroes of the coins were in bondage for two to three months. They were prisoners no more of a plastic. I was happy that my saving went good as I pour the coins on a buri fan. The last time I had this moment was last year when I opened the bamboo bank that I bought from Nayong Pilipino at Clark Expo. I saved Php 1077.25 and we used in buying ingredients of lumpia. I love to save as I splurge a lot on food and shoes that these two eat up my monthly budget.


My mother helped me in classifying the coins according to value. Then, I taped a set for easy counting. I was like a banker checking out the coins to be released. I saved Php 1,140.50. I delighted over this small achievement as I surpassed the figure last time. This time, my family will use the money to buy bags of cement. We are expanding our kitchen and laundry place as of this writing, and budget is needed to finish the project. Indeed, saving can help you solve financial problems in the future.


This morning, I came to the canteen with a smile as we have something to use in selling. Our canteen operation became smooth.  

Setting the heroes with their faces minted in the coins is my unique way of celebrating the history of our country. Rizal, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, and Mabini are our gallant heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Filipino. We should not hold the money where their faces appear in longer time. We need to sacrifice for everyone just like what our heroes did.

Liberty is the best gift they bestowed to us. Therefore, we should also do our part to free our coins from being hoarded. We should use coins proudly and economically. I am not telling that saving coins is vile. We should observe the guidelines in saving. If it is now excess, go to the banks to exchange the coins with paper bills. Another thing is do not throw 25- centavo coin. It is still usable.

Doing small things just like this is heroic. We do have our share to help our country to progress. I will just continue my service in the canteen to feed the next nation builders.

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