Rommel Quemenales, an 11-year-old boy, has been living on the streets ever since his parents divorced. To cope with the loneliness, he adopted a stray dog as a companion while he works to save enough money to return to school.
Maria Kubs, deeply moved by the sight, came across Rommel in Quezon, Philippines. She saw the boy tenderly singing a lullaby to the stray dog. Rommel’s father abandoned him when he was young, and his mother has shown little care for him and his siblings, leaving him to fend for himself.
Instead of resting in a warm bed, young Rommel is forced to sleep on the dirty streets of the capital, side by side with the city’s abandoned dogs.
Rommel shared with Maria that his “dream” wasn’t to return home, but to go back to school and search for his missing younger brother. After Maria posted a video of Rommel online, it quickly garnered attention, reaching 614,000 viewers who sent their kind words and encouragement to the boy.
Speaking to The Mirror, Maria said, “I felt deep sympathy and could see how much he cared for the dog. I broke down in tears when I saw them. As a dog lover, it touched me deeply.”
In a Facebook post, Maria explained, “I felt it was important to talk to the boy behind the heartwarming picture I shared. Rommel’s parents separated when he was very young. He has an older sister who lives in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, and he visits her whenever he can afford to.”
Rommel also expressed his desire to return to school, as he only reached the second grade before his education was interrupted. He introduced his dog, Badgi, whom he found a month ago on the streets and adopted for companionship.
Rommel explained to Maria, “I’m begging because I want to save money. I still want to study, and I also want to help my brother.” He shared how he named his dog Badgi after his missing brother, adding, “Badgi is very smart. He was just sound asleep. I’m teaching him some tricks now.”
After Rommel’s touching song was shared, viewers were moved to help in any way they could, offering donations of food, clothing, and money to support the boy and his dog.
