Rescued children find safe, caring haven
PART 3
Rescued victims of cyberpornography are placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for psychosocial intervention.
Children are housed either in a government facility or entrusted to a nongovernment organization.
“Before they are reintegrated back to society, rescued children and their families are being prepared,” said Shalaine Marie Lucero, head of the DSWD 7 Protective Services Unit.
At a private-run child care center in Metro Cebu, Martha* and her five siblings are being accompanied by a 45-year-old female guardian.
Teresita*, who is single, lives with them in their assigned cottage. Over time, she and the children have learned to treat each other as family members after the June 1, 2011 raid of the kids’ home in Ibabao, Cordova.
“I feel very happy. Whenever they receive awards in school, I am there.
I enjoy the moment. Even if I am not their biological mother, for me I’m the mother for now,” Teresita said in Cebuano.
“As their nanay, it would be my pure joy to see them finish their studies so that they can have a bright future. When they each have families of their own someday, it would be nice to see them standing on their own feet.”
As a guardian, Teresita receives a P300 daily salary from the administrator of the private-run center.
The child psychologist on the case advised that it was not yet time for the exploited children to meet their detained parents, so no jail visits were arranged.
But blood is thicker than water.
Two sons aged 16 and 18, and their sister 14-year-old Martha slipped away after class last year, to visit their father and mother in the Lapu-Lapu city jail.
Realizing that the children’s desire to see their parents was stronger than any prohibition, their nanay Teresita eased up on this rule as long as they ask permission beforehand to visit.
Timothy*, 15 years old, said he wants to ease the burden of his parents.
“Mokuha kog welding course aron makalarga ko sa gawas sa nasud. Inig-balik nako diri, makatabang ko sa akong mga ginikanan. Gusto unta nako mahatagan sila og pagkaon sulod sa prisohan kay wala man sila tarong kaon ba. (I want to take a welding course so I can work abroad. When I return, I’ll be able to help my parents. I want to bring them food in jail because they haven’t been eating enough there),” he said.
Martha,14, said she wants to be a social worker someday so she can help abandoned children and those who, like them, are exposed to cyberpornography.
The teenager sometimes volunteers for activities in the Task Force for Street Children.
”Usahay maglagot ko sa akong kaugalingon ngano wala nako masultihan ang akong mga ginikanan nga sayop ang ilang gibuhat.(Sometimes, I’m mad at myself because I failed to tell my parents that what they did was wrong.),” she said.
“Niadtong naa pa ko sa amoa, wala pa ko naghuna-huna kon sayop ba to or dili. Dinhi na ko sa center nakahibaw nga sayop diay ang among gibuhat sa una. (At home I never thought about whether what I was doing was right or not. It was only here in the center that I knew that what we did was wrong,” she said.
“Daghan pa mag pamaagi nga sila maka-trabaho. Maguhna-huna lang silag sakto kay naa sab baya mi mga rights mga kabatan-onan. Dapat ila huna-hunaon ang kaugmaon sa lang mga anak. Para niadtong padayon nga nagbuhat og dautan sa ilang mga anak sama sa among naagi-an, mag-change na unta sila samtang sayo pa ang tanan kay naa ra sa awahi ang pagmahay.”
(There are many ways to earn a living. They just have to think well without compromising our rights as children. Parents should think about the future of their children. Those who expose their children to harmful activities like what we went through should change while it’s still early because regrets always come last),” Martha said.
At the core, Martha is still her parents’ daughter and talks about how she and her siblings miss their parents.
“Hinaut mag-amping sila didto. I hope mag-change na gyud sila. Ila na unta tong kalimtan unya mag-start silag bag-o nga kinabuhi. (I hope they take care of themselves in jail. I hope they change for the better and forget what happened in the past so they can start a new life),” Martha said. (To be continued) /Ador Vincent Mayol, Reporter
