Alma was a teller at a bank on Plaza Cervantes. One morning, she saw Rowena outside the bank entrance, a barefoot beggar sleeping while holding her two-month-old baby girl. The baby was about to fall from her grip, but Alma reached down in time to catch her. This jolted the mother who smiled at Alma. Both Rowena and her baby were malnourished. The baby's bloated belly showed her advanced stage of malnutrition. Alma, in tears, gave Rowena ten pesos.

Alma could not sleep at night. Every morning, she would see Rowena at the entrance to the bank and give her ten pesos. This went on for about a month.

It was the Christmas season. Alma received her 13th-month pay, and she wanted to give Rowena a hundred pesos instead of the usual ten as a Christmas present. She computed that the hundred pesos was a measly 0.3 percent of her 13th-month pay, not even 1 percent. So, she gave her one thousand pesos or 3 percent. Rowena's eyes almost popped out.

ROWENA (in tears): You are a very kind lady.

Jennifer, a nutritionist who had her own modest pharmacy two blocks away, went to the bank every morning to deposit the previous day's income. When she saw Alma give Rowena a thousand pesos, her eyes also almost popped out.

ALMA: You have to feed your baby some milk every day.

JENNIFER: Yes, that's right. And if you don't, your baby can die.

ROWENA: Really, that bad? Why am I surrounded by kind people?

ALMA: Because the Lord loves you. Pray to him to get you out of your problem.

ROWENA (holding up her rosary): I pray every night for help, but it seems the Lord is too busy to help a beggar. I am beginning to lose my faith. Yesterday, I did not pray the rosary.

ALMA: No, that's wrong. Keep on praying. Don't lose your faith.

JENNIFER: Yes, that's the only thing you've got.