THE PLIGHT of a former private school teacher who was reportedly forced into selling food in the streets has become viral on social media after a concerned netizen posted on Facebook his experience with the lady educator.

Karlo Ternora related his encounter with the teacher on his FB page as he was refueling in a gas station while on his way home.

While waiting for his change, Ternora said a woman approached him and asked, “Anak, baka gusto mo bumili ng paninda ko.”

The lady was carrying an assortment of snacks, together with the banner with the words ‘PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHER CLOSED. PLS. BUY. THANKS PO’ written in bold letters.

Ternora has admitted having been moved especially when he heard the word, ‘anak’. After a short talk, he did learn that the lady was a former teacher at a private school that recently closed down during the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic.

“Ang sakit sa puso makita ang mga ganitong guro na nawalan ng trabaho at nagbebenta sa labas para makaraos,” lamented Ternora in his Facebook post.

Unfortunately, Ternora has failed to get the name of the teacher nor the school where she was formerly teaching. But he did disclose the location of the gas station where he encountered her.

At the same time, he encouraged people who have the means to help buy the goods the teacher is selling if ever they would see her again.

Unlike government employed teachers, those in the private schools are on a no-work, no-pay basis. Based on the latest survey of the Social Weather Station, around 45.5 percent or a total of 27.3 million adults in the country had lost their jobs in the midst of the community quarantine imposed by the government due to the coronavirus pandemic.