The House of Hope

Just recently, I finally had the chance to visit Bacolod. What was most memorable for me was my visit to Bahay Pag-asa Youth Center, a corrective and transformational facility built by the La Salle Brothers. It is committed to address the growing needs for the rehabilitation of the Children-In-Conflict with the Law (CICL). It allows youth offenders to undergo a rehabilitation program under qualified and trained counselors and personnel who will process their problems, educate them, and prepare them for their eventual reintegration to their families and communities. While at the facility,

I’ve had to hold back my tears several times after realizing how blessed the boys were, being taken care of by the center. Had they stayed behind bars, they would have been exposed to adult or hardened criminals because our jail system does not separate youth offenders from the adults. 

It was at the center that one boy, age 10, first celebrated his birthday. He needed to be told to blow his birthday candle because he knew of no such thing as a birthday celebration. One boy shared that when he entered Bahay Pag-asa at 13, he didn’t know the alphabet or even how to write his name.

Today, he speaks English fluently, is an expert at weather forecasting and dreams of becoming a marine engineer one day and sharing with his family what he has learned. Another boy, who had just had ear surgery, happened to be an oido and gamely played Beethoven’s Feur Elise to us. The boys rendered for us Bahay Pag-asa’s theme song, which was musically arranged by one of them.

How could they have discovered their uniqueness and talents if they were locked behind bars? Who could’ve thought that one of them could cook up a great lunch for us or grow a vegetable garden, supplying everybody with vitamins and minerals?

I grieved for the others who stayed behind and had no choice but to literally rot in jail. There is rarely any hope there.

Admission at the center is by invitation and only those who are willing to learn and be led are accepted. There are responsibilities to fulfill and rules to follow.

No easy way out but definitely an invitation to "the abundant" life. Anthony assured the boys that God meant for all of us to have the abundant and eternal life. He asked if they knew where that was and one blurted out, "Sa Center?" We all laughed because we expected them to answer "heaven." Of course, it was an eye-opener because for the boys, Bahay Pag-asa was, indeed, heaven on earth.

Love thrives at Bahay Pag-asa. I felt it, saw the results and am so moved to want more of it for others to grow from. Let’s have that in Manila!

Kudos to Bro. Gus Boquer, (who envisioned Bahay Pag-asa) and the Bahay Pag-asa team for a wonderful ministry! Now, there truly is hope for our nation.

If you are moved to help improve more lives, visit www.bahaypagasa.org

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Tiny phone operator

The phone rang this morning. I was in the bathroom and Miguel was the only one upstairs. I was so surprised when he took the initiative, for the first time ever, to answer the phone. I could hear him from the bathroom. "He-woh ... Good aftewnoon," he said, in his usual bulol speech. "How cuuute!" I thought to myself. Galing naman (even if it was morning). I was a bit sentimental. He continued, "My dad is not here . . . and . . . my mom is making poopoo!"

Waaaaaaa! He put the phone down before I could get over the shock. Now, I may never know who that person on the phone was. – Mommy V.

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