There’s hope for street children in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - Forty former street children in Mandaue City who are now housed at the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) found time to relax and socialize as guests to a birthday party Friday afternoon.

They were invited to the birthday celebration of Jessie Perez, Rep. Gabriel Luis Quisumbing’s district manager, who, instead of celebrating his birthday with friends opted to treat the former street children to a day of fun and food.

Perez used to work with the Children’s Legal Bureau and his heart bleeds for children who are abandoned by their parents and are in conflict with the law.

They used to roam the city streets of Mandaue, some of whom got involved in petty crimes, some abused solvents, while some were abandoned by their parents because they could not feed them.

Whenever they got in trouble with the police, they were turned over to the CSWS, but after some time, they were back to the streets again and committing crimes.

However, these former street children have now changed for the better after having been placed under the care of foster parent P C/Insp. Michael Bastes, the chief of the Investigative and Detective Management Bureau.

Bastes, who was once the chief of the Fuente police station in Cebu City, took care of Cebu City’s street children who were mostly in conflict with the law.

He allowed them to sleep at the police station, fed and dressed them up.

And he learned that street children in Mandaue City were hooked on vulcaseal and became a major headache to the Centro police station, he gathered them and took them to jog with him three times a week.

But before they would jog, he would let them hear mass at the St. Joseph National Shrine.

And then, there was food for them after the jogging.

Bastes said his advocacy to help these children who are in conflict with the law would not have been successful without the help of some friends who extended financial help for the children’s food.

“Maluoy lang dyud ko magtan-aw sa kahimtang aning mga bata,” Bastes said.

Joel Balobo,10, of sitio Superior in barangay Looc said he used to roam streets because his parents took him for granted but now that he is one of the children under the care of Bastes and the CSWS, he is glad that he now has lots of friends and has “yummy foods” to eat, which he never taste at home.

Rustom Ompad,18, said he used to work and carry heavy loads for vendors at the old market but after it was transferred to the back of the City Sports Complex last year, he lost his job and he then started to wander and befriended other street children who were engaged in petty crimes.

Some of them had escaped from the CSWS facility and had gone back to the streets again, and spend some nights sniffing shabu and smoking marijuana.

But after joining Bastes and the street children, he said he wanted to reform.

He said he is pleased about the news that the CSWS would send him and the other street children back to school next year.

Ompad said that since he finished only grade 5, he will attend the Alternative Learning School (ALS) and hopes he could be in high school after a while.

At the party, the children said all of them will be enrolled in school next year through effort of the City Social Welfare Services.  (FREEMAN)