‘Sto. Niño also looks out for street children’
Ten-year-old Paul isn’t sure there’s food when he goes home to barangay Lorega, Cebu City, so he wanders the streets.
Instead of going to school, he roams about and begs for money by singing carols.
“Mangayo ko nga makakaon ming tanan (I’m asking the Lord that my family will all be able to eat),” he told Cebu Daily News, when asked what he prays for.
Rionel, whose parents are jobless, was one of about 70 children who were treated to lunch and a festive program at the Colegio del Sto. Niño yesterday as part of the Sinulog activities.
Boys and girls in clean T-shirts, some emblazoned with “Libod Suroy alang Kang Sto. Niño” laughed, sang and had parlor games, including a pop quiz about the Sto. Niño.
In the morning, Mass at the Pilgrim Center of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño was offered for street children in Cebu City, the first time it’s been done for the festival, said Fr. Tito Soquiño, OAD.
He said they plan to make it a regular feature of the Feista Señor, whose theme this year is the role of families.
“For me, they are a symbol of what is wrong in our society with rampant poverty and broken families,” said Soquiño.
“Every year we want to mainstream the welfare of street children. The theme of the Sto. Niño celebration is the importance of the family.”
The children gathered in an activity room of the Colegio where they enjoyed games and ate packed lunches of rice, chicken and stewed pork. Some kids rendered songs.
The activity was organized by Dilaab Foundation, an anti-corruption advocacy group and the Augustinian congregation’s Sto. Nino de Cebu Social Development Foundation with the Cebu City Police Office.
Fr. Carmelo Diola, Dilaab’s overall coordinating steward, officiated the Mass. “Though it’s a hard life, they (children) stay on the streets. We need to reach out to one another,” Diola said.
He said one should never forget the street children in celebrating the Fiesta Señor.
“The Sinulog celebration reminds us that while we adore the child Jesus, along the major streets of Cebu City, there are street children who come from broken homes, running away from abusive parental figures. If the Sto. Niño is the refuge of the Filipino family, he must indeed be very concerned about such children,” he said.
The theme for this year’s Fiesta Señor is “Sto. Niño: Refuge of the Filipino Christian family.”
Diola advised families to “pray together” and “do things together” to strengthen bonds of the family, which is considered the “domestic church.”
