Pagkabanas- banas naman talaga ang pakiramdam ng lahat- tinding init talaga! Wala man lang hangin na pwedeng singhut- singhutin, ipasok sa baga, saka muling ibuga.
Sa totoo lang ho, napapatula na nga lang ako dahil wala naman akong magawa- tunay na tunay, summer na sa archipelago ng Pilipinas.
But, unlike in the summers of my youth, mayron na ngayong mga warnings on how to cope with heat strokes- kasi naman, di na talaga nakakayanan ng ordinary person lalo na ang mga bumibiyaheng paseniors tulad ko…I could not do my column the last time, so sorry po, because of a very serious asthmatic attack- napasobra sa kasipagan amidst the summer weather- taob sa pagod ang kawawang lola . Heto ako now, I can’t stray so far away from my nebulizer for fear of another attack. No joke, andami na rin nagiging casualties ang sobrang init ng panahon- everyone is advised to take very good care of themselves when exposed to the sun- hala, ilabas ang suntan lotion, magbaon ng drinking water, use sombreros, pamaypay- ku, kabigat ng props na kailangan dalhin ng nag- iingat na kababayan.
Iba na ang ambiance ng summers ngayon- epekto ng pagkasalbahe natin kay Mother Nature.
I know that the young may have a different experience of these times’ summers. Masaya and very excited sila…isa pa, handang bumayad ng malaki- laking halaga to enjoy! Medyo may kataasan pa ngayon ang fee to enjoy the fun that adventure camps offer, e. Abaw gid, I see the camps near my Tanay property always full of young people shrieking delightedly as they hang on ziplines to traverse the distance high up in the air. Para bang nalulula ako e onlooker pa lang yan, ha-I will not attempt to take the ride, oh no, not at my age, abaw! Pero talaga namang looking very delighted ang mga kabataan- they are truly enjoying summer- that is, the summer they now know, summers that are a lot different from my summers of long ago when fun meant going out of town to take a dip in the sea or a pool, vacationing in one’s hometown and gathering/ eating fruits from trees planted pa by lolo and lola, or simply pagkukuyakoy sa balkonahe habang nagpapaypay ng sarili at nakikipagkwentuhan simple with family and friends,-may kababawan at di- makapitlag- puso (in other words, no fear of heart attacks) nga kami noong araw..
Sige na nga, enjoy your summer na lang, mga kids. I may not fully appreciate what you do for fun but I wish you the galak and anticipation that I felt as summer was setting in noong araw. Oh, to be young and not have cares in your mind…
CARES we adults have, personal and otherwise. In my personal experience, I look for thing to care about…worthy things to occupy your heart, effort and time with. Like, kids…no, not the kids without cares…but the streetkids who need our caring.
APRIL 12 last month was International Day for the Street Child- a first time celebration that organizers hope will become an annual worldwide tradition to bring to everyone’s attention the plight of this marginalized group.
Maraming batang- lansangan ang naglipana magpahanggang sa ngayon dito sa MetroManila despite efforts by the Social Welfare department and somewell- meaning NGOs to gather them all up and somehow provide better things for them- for the sosyalera, they are in the list as embarrassments- kahiyang makita ng foreigner, 3rd world na 3rd world daw; for a number of commuters, lalo na yung mga nakaporma going to offices/ schools- kadiri kasi minsan nasasaling sila at nadudumhan ang kanilang suot at kung minsang nadadaiti sa kanilang braso- ‘hmp, kalansa ng amoy, pwe!’
Being a Divisoria commuter at least twice a month, streetchildren are a regular sight for me, part and parcel of what that part of Claro M. Recto is, to my mind. Yes, I also interact with them and have even invited some of them to vacation in my own home- always to return back to their comfort zone that is the bangketas after a few days.
UNICEF’s definition of a streetchild is ‘ a boy/ girl under age 18 years for whom the street ( vacant shelters/ wasteland) has become home and/ or source of income and who is inadequately protected or supervised.’
It is estimated that today, there are some 100 million streetchildren around the world. Council of Europe statistics reveal that there are 4000 homeless children in Belgium; 10000 in France; 500 to 1000 in Ireland, 7000 in the Netherlands; the situation in Great Britain show vast numbers of young people running away from home with about 156000 being homeless every year ( data from Shelter). Action International say there are 12 million homeless children in Brazil. Casa Alianza Org estimates at least 40 million streetchildren in Latin America many of who become victims of crime and abuse. Data also reveal India as having the highest number of streetchildren worldwide. Data from DSWD show 1, 200, 000 streetchildren Philippine- wide with some 50,000 to 70, 000 concentrated in Metro Manila (the latter data according to Action International Ministries).
Marami sa atin ang nakakalimot na ang ating mga batang lansangan ay part and parcel ng tinawag na grupo ng kabataan na kung saan mismong United Nations pa ang kumilala at nagpalabas ng opisyal na dokumentong detailing the Rights of the Child- ‘…to grow up healthy, happy and safe; to be educated and develop their full potential; be respected in dignity and worth; and to feel supported in discovering the unknown and with the knowledge that they are fully acknowledged and protected.’
Blame it on the sad circumstances of the streetchild. Di sya kapansin- pansin,e. Di tulad ng nakikita natin sa mga print and broadcast ads na nagpapakita ng mga nagkakasayahang mga very healthy kids endorsing milk brands, children’s apparel and accessories, toys and games, etc. etc. Dito sa ating bayan, minsan naman, he becomes the subject for an indie film, usung uso ngayon, na possible pang manalo ng mga trophies and awards sa international film festivals sa pagbibigay mukha sa matinding kadahupan sa isang 3rd world nation tulad ng Pilipinas.
LOUDER TOGETHER ay isang bagong pakikiisa na dapat lang salihan nating lahat. Bigyan natin ang ating mga batang lansangan ng TINIG na maririnig ng buong mundo- decision and policy makers, mga bisor ng mga ahensiyang nangangalaga sa kapakanan ng marginalized groups at ibang mga personalidad upang matiyak na ang kapakanan nila bilang mga bata ay mapoprotektahan.
Sa isang kalatas para sa mahalagang araw na ito, sinabi ni Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence Against Children na base sa kanilang pag- aaral, nabatid ngg UN Committee on the Rights of the Child na ang mga batang lansangan are ‘ one of the most vulnerable victims of the most extreme forms of violence, including at the hands, or with the tolerance of law enforcement officials…’
Hindi na siguro kailangan ng datos para dyan because alam natin na wala talagang kalaban- laban ang batang lansangan sa mga mas malalakas at mas nakatatandang ‘ forces of evil’ sa kalye- mga criminal na gagamit sa kanila sa prostitusyon, pagtutulak ng droga, pagnanakaw at iba pa. Kalimitang sila ang nagiging pain at kapag nasakote, sila din ang unang nagugulpe sa presinto ng mga tagapagtanggol ng batas, yung bang mga pulis natin.
Maraming kailangan pasimulan because, despite efforts of government and well- meaning NGOs, parang very weak and sporadic pa rin ang pagtulong sa ating mga batang lansangan. Perhaps we can begin with legislations that insure the well being of the streetchild- yun bang eventually, siya will be assimilated into society- matanggap at tamasahin din naman niya ang tunay na ligaya ng isang bata.
Sa inyong muling pagdalaw dito sa MetroManila in future, I hope magbago ang inyong pananaw sa mga batang kalyeng inyong madaraanan – nagtitinda ng sampaguita, me hawak ng basyong lata, or pumapasan ng mabigat na pinamili nyo sa Divisoria.
I hope you will include this concern in your list of things to care about. You can check the internet on simple actions each one of us can do to strengthen the movement to find a voice for them.
Here’s praying that our streetchildren may get to fully enjoy summers in the very near future.
THANK YOU, Toronto!
