in response to Civic Journalism Project of MSU-GSC team during the 1st Mindanao Online Journalism Seminar by Smart Communications.
While some of you are eating in an airconditioned fast food after a hard day, he peeps there on the glass that separates your world from his world. He had also thought of munching your burger while in his reality, a diet of spoiled buns with cheese or mixed leftovers of rice and bits of meat attached to bones. He would have wished to sip an ice cold coke but he had rust-savored tap water from faucet instead.
Some children from a well-provided had enjoyed their new clothes for every occasion … for every other day. These kids proudly wear theirs in diurnal and on different weather; where it wore an indifferent color of a piece of metal or from the juices of garbage that had soaked there to ages.
You may have several body sprays to sprit on your fragile body. Yet hers was an aroma from different scents of nature, sweat, and encounters on street. And while you are secured from any harm in your home; theirs was an endless exposure to any demons that would gnaw every fiber of dignity till their death.
To them, streets had been a huge kingdom where freedom can be found and served as a haven for broken souls.
A student may do get excited for a semester’s end or a summer vacation. But these, little kids enjoy theirs in double. They got did their work and vacation in one at the entrances of malls or establishments, in markets and in churches. Their never-ending trip to the facets of life was considered as the best journey to the real world being untouched by some people around them. On the other hand, ours was only a glimpse of world from our car windows or from the distance where only our eyes can reach.
It is undeniable nowadays to see these kids in thoroughfares of Metro Dadiangas begging for food or dimes in the middle of the road and carrying heavy loads at local markets. Some of them were involved in prostitution and crimes (DSWD report.)
Why do these kids find the streets so attractive instead of the “comfort” of their home? Why do children leave the classroom for the streets or roam the shopping malls or markets instead?
To answer these queries, the Bagwis writers had a close encounter with some of these kids, who in by no means became a part of an urban landscape. And they too have their own stories to tell.
“The Mac-Mac Aban Story”
In the middle of a sunny afternoon, we found a band of children in one of the busy streets downtown. Mac-Mac, together with his younger brothers earns their daily income in scavenging plastics and metals. They also wander the streets and churches to beg for food or dimes. Unemployment in Davao had made his parents decide to transfer here in GenSan, where his father finally worked in one of the canning factories. Unfortunately, while at his preschool, their mother left them and never returned. This made him quit his early education. Moreover, their father had often left their home and returned drunk after work.
Like any other child, Mac-Mac had a dream of becoming a police. He had narrated the reason for this dream. It is when he was once punished by the authority for being mistakenly identified as a thief.
Highlights:
Bagwis: Kung makaistorya mo si Gloria, unsa imong iingon?
Mac-Mac: “Ingnon nako siya te, na gusto ko magskwela.”
….“imbis na magtan-aw mi Tv, punit nalang mi ug plastic.”
Jomari Milan’s story
He is a timid boy of 11 years, who fills his pocket with coins from scavenging and begging. During a talk with him, we found out that his parents were separated since he was five. In seven children, he was the only one left under his grandmother; the rest were in his father’s custody.
On being reunited with his father after six years:
bagwis: kanus-a mo ulihi nagkita sa imung papa?
J: katung biyernes lang.
bagwis: unsa man iyang gisulti sa inyuha?
J: nangutana sya kung naa pa ba mi bugas.
“The Fatima Yusop Story”
Fatima, a young girl of eight had a sunny soul despite of the sours of life. Without having the capability to read or write, she had suffered ignorance from older boys (preferably rugby boys) who used to steal her income from begging. In a childish conversation with her, we found out that Fatima had never experienced how it is to have a mother, or how tasty a lechon manok is. We also found out that she once sniffed a rugby wherein she felt special powers in her veins and called herself as “Babaeng Lawin!”, talked about being a superhero to escape hunger. She had admitted to have lost her interest in school brought by a cruel teacher which traumatized her. The following are actual conversations by the team with Fatima:
Bagwis:kung tagaan taka ug daghan kaau nga kwarta, unsaon man nimo?
F:palit nako bugas.
bagwis:dili ka mageskwela?
F:dili
bagwis:ngano man?
F:(silent)
She also narrated to have caught by an NGO (Bantay Bata) and was able to escape with the help of personnel there.
When asked why she loved to stay on the street rather that to stay in Bantay Bata, Fatima answered:
F:ginapahugas mi plato. ganapalimpyu mi CR, bunalan mi kung dili mi maglimpyu.
Based on GenSan’s City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) the population of street children in 2009 had reached 6,775 compare to 2005 street children which is 230,443 which ranges from 0-17 years old. It is therefore presumed that the figure had doubled or still increasing for this year.
Who are these kids? According to Rebecca V. Magante, Department head of CSWDO GenSan, the factors which triggers a child to walk into streets are brought by poverty, broken families,or lost of interest to studies. She classified two types of children on street; these are children at risk and Children in Conflict with the law. Children at risk are those who are sexually abused, child trafficking, physically abused and neglected. On the other hand, children in conflict with the law are those who committed theft, rugby sniffing, murder, rape, damaged to property, and violation of RA 9165 of against illegal drugs.
In addition, the government had allotted 1.5 million for these kids under the welfare of CSWD for their programs of educating children and another 17 million (not sure) for their parents in livelihood program.
But why do these kids are still on street?
The CSWDO explain that street children who are picked up during their operations are being turned over into their respective barangay council if any. The possibility that made the kids go back to streets again are due to hunger and irresponsible parents. Based on the interviews earlier, the common reason why they go out to streets is because of negligence that their parents had brought them leaving them ignorant and hungry from love that they should feel aside from empty stomach.
The government as well as their parents had lacked of responsibility to their children. Though it is good to have knowledge, but the knowledge fails to ‘serve’ humankind if it is not put into action. Parents must indulged into our minds that in order for a child to grow into good way, a home could be likened to a greenhouse where children grow to their fullest potential under the care of wise and patient gardener. Parents should be like the gardener who nurturers each plant in the greenhouse to come to flower as the Creator has endowed it.
How will the voices of Mac-Mac, Jomari and Fatima as few of the innocent souls in streets be heard? Will these kids become successful like “Paa” Kofi Annan who was once “roaming the streets of Ghana” as a child had become the “President of the World” (the Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2002).
WOULD YOU BE OF GREAT HELP
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