‘Damayan’ adopts sick, poor kids

In the spirit of Yuletide, The Philippine STAR’s Operation Damayan again brought cheer to less privileged children by hosting a kiddie Christmas party at the STAR office in Port Area, Manila last Dec. 20.

For the 60 children who attended the "Adopt An Angel" party, it was a day to remember. A festive atmosphere with Damayan volunteers dressed in Santa Claus suits, a yummy lunch courtesy of McDonald’s, and giveaways consisting of clothes, toys and grocery items were theirs for the taking.

Participants included children from the Handicapped Center Lourdes (HCL), special education students from the Soldiers Hill Elementary School in Putatan, Muntinlupa City and poor kids from the community near the STAR offices.

"I am so happy. I can’t see what‘s going on in the party but I can feel the love and affection being showered upon us," said 20-year old Jennifer Sales, who was born blind and living at HCL since 1985.

For Jennifer, who is now on her third year at the Ramon Magsaysay High School, the center is not an institution but a big home.

According to HCL coordinator Veronica de Lima, there are 14 multi-handicapped children now residing at the center.

"Each of them has more than one disability. Most of them have been abandoned by their families and were brought to us, ironically, by government social workers," she said.

Aside from Sales, four HCL kids in wheelchairs also attended the party. Three of them were the twins Peter and Paul Llegue, 14, and their brother Philip, 12. They were all suffering from cerebral palsy and "global delay development" or delayed development of their mental and physical capacities. The siblings look like seven years old and could hardly fend for themselves.

De Lima said that the illness runs in the family, with the mother as the carrier of the disease. "I really hope that no more children would have to suffer like them. I wish the government would focus more on programs for special children," she adds.

Operation Damayan was conceptualized by the late STAR founding chairman Betty Go-Belmonte and now being continued by her son STAR president and chief executive officer Miguel Belmonte.

The project was made possible by donations given by employees of The Philippine STAR, Pilipino STAR Ngayon and The Philippine STAR Printing Corp.