Each has a story to tell, but there is one thing they share in common - the soiled clothes and missing pair of sandals revealed that they belong to the streets and they are deficient of the much needed protection from their families.
About 1.5 million street children are loitering in the streets all over the Philippines . The high visibility is smudged with the elevating poverty in the country and the government’s indifference towards a long-term program to stamp it out.
Most of these children work in the streets by vending “sampaguita” flowers, cigarettes and candies. Many have been instructed by their parents to seek alms and forage the rubbish bins for any morsels of food. Some work on such long hours after a brief stint in school. The horrendous truth they all face is that they are likely targets for sexual molestations among pedophiles along with the high risk of drug intake and poor health conditions which imperils their future.
Street children oftentimes fail to take three square meals a day due to their destitution. Thus, a magnanimous effort was planned by Batch 1986 of Holy Family Academy (HFA) to feed the street children of Angeles City.
Last September 19, 2008, the children strutted around the Holy Rosary Parish Hall for a free supper. Despite their weary look, they were so bubbly singing and dancing Christian songs.
The alumni of HFA were equally overjoyed in providing food to over one hundred children and some adults.
HFA Batch 1986 aims to undertake more generous programs for the street children in the future. This will be an ongoing support to the disadvantaged kids.
Solons in the Philippines should make effective legislations penalizing parents for vagrant children. Furthermore, education must be free and compulsory to everyone until secondary school is completed –- thus, admonishing parents for truancy.
The responsibility lies with every member of society, everyone playing a part in resolving these socio-economic problems plaguing the Philippines today.
