Girl, Put Your Boots On and Ride the Broom

(ANGLE. Lourdes posing for the camera to show her perfect outfit-of-the-day)

Unlike any other street sweepers in the world, Legazpi has someone who is not only confidently beautiful with a heart but with a broom and a pair of boots. If placed in a crowd of sweepers along the city, she will definitely stand out with her fashion sense and her jolly and consistently positive personality.

Lourdes Punit is a 31-year-old fashionista, who is a full time mother in the morning and a working diva in the afternoon. She starts her work at 1 o'clock after lunch. Despite the extreme heat of the sun, she comes to her workplace to sweep circling along the different establishments namely Metro Gaisano, Ayala, Bichara and other malls located at the busiest streets of Legazpi.

Her job requires a good amount of walking, so a flat pair of shoes would be a perfect partner to use, instead this girl prefers to work with her high heels on and her set of eye catching, head turner clothes. She could pull off a cowboy girl getup on an ordinary day or a sophisticated lady look with a red stiletto on while playing with her broomstick. Who else is fashionably strong enough aside from her?

Behind every smile is a story

Being strong fashion wise is not her only trait. Deep within the smile she puts up everyday, she is bearing a heavy load inside her not everyone can see. As every person has a problem, she also has her own.

Lourdes is living under the same roof, in a small house situated under a big coconut tree, with her common law husband who is 18 years older than her. They often fight before because he wouldn't act as the head of family and instead follow her tail wherever she goes. She describes her as arrogant and a drunkard.

Due to lack of work of her husband and his different perspective in life, Lourdes takes full responsibility of her family. She is a mother to four children; The eldest son is a fourteen-year-old, a pain in the head says Lourdes. He doesn't seem to understand their current situation. She used to send her to Cabangan Elementary School but unfortunately due to financial problems she can't afford to send him back to school.

(FOCUS. Sweeping the street along malls to earn living)

(BEST OF LIFE. Having her kids beside her despite their small house is what brings the smile on her lips)

A mother's pain

What could be more painful for a mother aside from not being able to give her children what they need most? Though she works hard everyday, her salary is only enough to suffice her family's ultimate needs. Lourdes mentioned that her four year old child is still unbaptized and her other child, a special gift, needs the aid of a specialist to check on him. For nine years, he hasn't experienced to be checked by a doctor and since then he wasn't able to learn any skills he is supposed to know to this point so in the future he could be on his own and could stand on his own foot.

Her children, especially her special child is her motivation in doing her best in her work. They are what push her to move forward instead of looking back.

Point of no return

Bad days always come and go. But there was one devastating day that happened in Lourdes' life. Seeing how things are, where every negative things are piling up in front of her, she almost took her life. It was years ago when they have faced a mid life crisis where the issue was about her husband who that time welcomed joblessness. She said that her drunkard partner always got into fights. She drunk 70 medicine tablets which include antibiotics, vitamins and other meds prescribed by the doctor. She thought her life is slowly being taken away from her. But then God gave her a second chance in life. For her, it was a miracle sent from above.

"Dae ko aram, basta malain sa tikab tapos nag-inom ako na C2 so pula tapos kinaunan ko na tapayas. Pagkaaga wara na ako namatian, be. Maray na ako, wara na ako hilang"

(I don't know. It's just that I felt pain in my stomach then I drank a red C2 and ate papaya. The next morning I felt fine)

That miraculous moment made her change her perspective of life. She proudly said that her wrong decision before, almost taking her own life, transformed her. She was reborn into a new person; Someone who is more willing to sacrifice anything for her children. A stronger person and more determined to fight amidst every challenges she would face.

Good shoes and clothes may take you to good places

How do you come back to life? You come back with a bang. That is what Lourdes did. She took her second life to the next level. The old boring street sweeper is now Albay's fashionista street sweeper. She makes everyone smile with her positive outlook, her cheerfulness and her fashion sense. She bought more shoes, boots, stilettos, other kinds of shoes and more stylish clothes even at the hand-me-downs or ukay-ukay to show other people that she is capable of making herself look beautiful despite what has happened in her life. Even with a small amount of money, she can be able to buy herself a cheap makeup which is enough for her. It makes her happy. She would joke that she looks rich even if what she's using are just cheap chemical (makeup) products.

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of life, she turns her attention to making her appearance more beautiful to attract positive vibes and energy in her life and give inspiration to other people feeling the same way with her.

She also doubled her efforts in her job to give her family what they deserve.

Furthermore, she added, "Wala namang problemang 'di nalalagpasan."

(There is no problem we cannot overcome)

Lourdes reminds everyone that her life is already set to her goals. If a person is determined and focused on achieving his or her goal then he or she will succeed in life and in the end be able to rise beyond her current status or position in this world. Being lazy will take you to no good. Do everything you can to survive every painful day. As she said, every problem she is facing is just a makeup away.

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