The
society has a lot on hand today. So many issues we have been facing and still
on to looking for the appropriate resolutions. There are realities that flash
before our eyes before we could ever wonder why it occurs and make a move to
settle it.
“The
youth are the hope of the nation”, a famous proverb once said. Yes, indeed,
they are meant to be the ones who will rise up for the whole society and bring
them to a world of improvement. But how can this be manifested when there are a
lot of the youth today that are found in the streets whom we so-called “street
children”.
UNICEF define
street children as minors whose home ties are so weakened that they essentially
live on the streets relying on their efforts to meet virtually all their basic
needs by which, the streets has become their habitual source of livelihood.
They are inadequately protected supervised and directed by a responsible adult.
Street
children are classified under two categories: purely street-based and working
children. Those children who considered the streets to be their home are the
purely street-based while those who are either in-school or out of school, has
contact with their family yet spend time on the streets to earn a living or to
help their families are considered to be working children.
According to the
data from the CSSDO, there are a total of 733 street children in Davao City,
486 of them are purely street-based and 247 are working children. Their usual
convergence area are Barangay 2-A, Bankerohan, Magallanes, Legaspi, Anda corner
Rizal, Ilustre, Bonifacio, People’s Park, Camus, Quirino, Ponciano, Osmeña
Park, Rizal Park, Quezon Park, San Pedro, Claveria, G-Mall Parking Lot,
Guerrero Street, intersection between San Pedro College and Holy Cross College,
Torres Street, back of Victoria Plaza and McDonalds area in Bajada.
Most
commonly, these children are in the streets because they run away from home,
unable to cope with the abuses and incidence of violence. They also have poor
standards of living which eventually forced them to work in the streets in
which they are considerably more prone to danger and certain kind of abuses.
Riding
in a cab or simply passing by the streets, no one can ignore that fact that
street children are everywhere, walking by, asking for alms, wiping the
windshields of the vehicles when the red light is on, asking for food and
others. At the same time, looking at them makes people wonder what help is
offered to them by the authorized persons.
Once
you start to ask why they are in the streets, you will get a very common and
predictable answer—“kung dili ko mag
trabaho diri, wala mi makaon.”
It
was easy to approach one of them in the intersection of Quirino. I had food and
juice in my bag and started to ask a boy, “Gusto ka mukaon?” And the boy nodded
his head with no hesitation. Seeing the way he responded to my offer of food
makes me realize that they easily trust people that can provide them with what
they need. But the hope in me remains that those who offer them their needs
would be good to them too.
He
was a 13-year old boy, out of school and is living with his mother somewhere in
the city. According to him, he starts walking around the streets and wiping the
windshields of the vehicles that pass by at 4:00 pm until 2:00 am. I asked why
late in the afternoon and he simply answered, “Dakpon man gud mi, te.”Surprisingly, he told me they will be taken
to DSWD after being caught and eventually will be fed. Nevertheless, it was
ironic of him not wanting to be fed since he added that they will not be held
long by the said agency. The reason? He does not want to leave his mother
behind.
Children
scattered in the streets of the city is usually rescued by the Mobile Patrol
Group. The term “rescue” is usually misinterpreted as “getting caught”. Most of
the time, those rescued children are referred to the Quick Response Team for
Children’s Concern (QRTCC) which is under the City Social Services and
Development Office (CSSDO). Rescue was the term to be used appropriately since
these children are not removed from the streets to place them in jail but
rather to provide them guidance. This was clearly explained by the officer in
charge and center head, Ms. Minda Silvano.
The
QRTCC’s main function is to rescue and provide appropriate interventions to
referred children by police groups, barangay officials, other CSSDO districts
and concerned citizens as well.
Those
referred street children are sheltered in a temporary home namely Paginhawaan
Drop-in Center for boys and Sidlakan Women Center for girls. From the moment
the children are turned over to their office, they are immediately oriented
that the homes are temporary and that those of them who has a family will be
brought back. To date, there are 484 children served and provided temporary
shelter.
These
children are provided not only with shelter but also with activities such as
homelife and group living services, alternative education, counseling, arts and
crafts, tutorial, drug abuse information education, spiritual activities, and
reunification with families and relatives.
But
these services that are offered to the children are considered temporary. They
still will be taken back to their rightful families and to be taken care of
their parents. By which eventually lead them back to the streets once more.
The
presence of the street children in our society is a cycle that continuously
flows. The children are rescued, given temporary services and guidance, brought
back to their homes, and then back to the streets.
They
have been comfortable in the streets they walk on and so, they will eventually
go back there.
Lastly,
in my short moment with that boy, I asked if he ever wished not to work
anymore. He gave me a surprising answer and said, “Dili. Gusto gyud ko magtrabaho kay maluoy man sad ko sa akuang mama.” The
words of a young boy touched my heart and made me realize how he has openly
accepted the responsibility to earn for a living.
At
certain times, we get the wrong impression when it comes to street children. At
times, we avoid and drive them away. People have the perception about them as
homeless, hungry, petty thieves, eyesore, troublesome, batang libudsuroy sa kadalanan, palaboy and some other ugly names
like salot, and tun-og. Yet, we never came to realize how they hoped not to ask
for alms just to survive the day.
Responsibility
towards them is not only depending on the government. At the same time, we, as
citizens, should take place to give them support. Almsgiving is legally not allowed.
However, it is not only in giving them money that we can be able to help.
In
cooperation with the government, we can help them understand how their form of
livelihood in the streets is not safe for them. They are not yet of legal age
and their time to work for a living will come. They may not immediately
understand what we mean but we must also try to be patient in dealing with
them.
Having
temporary homes means temporary services. We cannot always depend on what is
temporarily available on hand but sometimes, we must learn to accept that it is
all that is available as of today but we are still expecting more to come
someday.
City
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio stressed out that the problem with these children is
most commonly rooted in the family and so, the problem in the family shall be
addressed first. Since the parents have the full responsibility for these
street children, they are the ones directly approached by social workers. The
street children are forced to be in the streets due to poverty and in line with
this is the unemployment of their parents. So, the government is conducting
livelihood skills training for the parents which are focused mainly on the
mothers. Through this, the parents will therefore be given enough income for
their family to survive and the children to no longer be in the streets.
Furthermore, they are planning to expand the scope of the public schools that
offers Sunday school. Through this, even though they work during the week, they
can still have the chance to get proper education and eventually have a better
job.
The
government has done its part, maybe not perfectly, maybe not extravagantly but
they have done what they can.
Knowing
this reality in the streets allows me, as a student, to spiritually grow and
learn. The world is not the happiest place and nor are we the luckiest person in
it but having the resources to live a comfortable life makes us lucky enough
and gives us the challenge to share a part of our blessings to the ones
considered to be the hope of our nation.
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