Barangay bishop Palma visits Inayawan landfill, scavengers

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma surprised scavengers of the Inayawan landfill when he visited them yesterday, shook their hands and spoke to them.

“Visits like these make me aware of these kind of realities and its implications in our life. Life is not just about flowers and decorations. There is also other dimensions like the garbage and the dumpsite, which reminds us of the complexities of life,” Palma told reporters in an interview.

Palma toured the landfill for about 10 minutes, visited the Material Recovery Facility and conversed with the personnel there.

It was Palma’s first time in the place since he assumed as archbishop of Cebu last year following the retirement of Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

Palma, who considers himself a “barangay bishop,” said he wanted to reach out to the impoverished areas of the archdiocese to directly hear out the concerns of the people.

From the landfill, he proceeded to the nearby Bethlehem Day Care Foundation, founded and managed by Fr. John Iacono of the archdiocese of Cebu with the Daughters of St. Therese de Avila and the Sisters of Evangelization in Cebu.

The prelate was warmly welcomed by the pre-schoolers, parents and teachers. He also danced with the children in a special number that they prepared.

“Education is a duty, not a privilege. The foundation is a great help to the indigent children in the area that they will be educated and be taught with Christian values,” Fr. Iacono said.

There are 197 children studying in the center, 123 of them go to school in the morning and 75 in the afternoon.

Iacono was proud to say that most of the center’s graduates excel in their academic subjects when they enroll in elementary.

The center offers nursery and kinder 2 education.

“Let’s be thankful because we are given the chance to go to school. I am praying for all of you. The day care center is a place of promise. Salamat sa akong nakita nga paglaum kaninyo,” Palma said.

According to Rosita Arong, one of the teachers of the center, the foundation also grants scholarships to several students with the help of their benefactors here and abroad.

Arong revealed they have increasing number of drop-outs as parents lack interest to send their children to school.

She lamented that parents spend for junk food and gambling but are not willing to shell out for their children’s education.

The center collects P8 from each student daily and the amount includes meal.

Meanwhile, Palma also assured his Cebuano flock that most of his time would still be dedicated to Cebu even as he would assume as the the highest official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Dec. 1.

“I’m in Cebu, I was assigned here. Cebu is my priority. It doesn’t mean that I should leave Cebu for Manila,” he told reporters yesterday. He added that he will only fly to Manila for meetings.

Palma, 61, was elected as CBCP’s new president last July and he is set to leave for Manila on Nov. 30 to assume his post.

“The present CBCP officers will hand over the privilege of serving to us,” Palma said.

Palma said the CBCP would continue to be guided by the doctrines and the recommendations of the church.