Hammid Pasion

I have a twin brother, Abdula. My mother is Muslim and my father is Christian. Our parents made an agreement that all of us would be baptized in a Christian Church, but we would carry the Muslim name. My mother thought that with a Muslim name we could easily go outside of the country and work. I think she was wrong. I feel discriminated against because of things happening outside the country. In our community the neighbors would say, “Here are the Muslims, they might bomb us here.” Sometimes it hurts, but I do not care. It is up to others how they feel and what they say. Our last name, Pasion, is a book that narrates the suffering of Christ; it is sung by all Catholics during holy week.

When my brother was in Polytechnic University, I had an opportunity to work as a referee and coach in the Laguna Football Association. Any proceeds I earn I give to my mother.

I rarely see my father. Because of his job as a construction worker in Manila, he comes home once a week. He sometimes earns Php300 a day. He keeps Php300 a week for his budget and gives what is left to the family.