Page 36 - NOVEMBER 2017 'A' ISSUE

36 www.hello-philippines.com NEWS November 2017 – No. 21 • UK & Europe Edition

BEYOND‘SECTORINCRISIS’ THE EJKS, CARING
FOR ORPHANED FAMILIES
MANILA – It has been a year since families, anything would really help,” they were left with their grandfathers

“Raquel,” 55, lost her son and daughter- he added. “As of now, we are giving and grandmothers, and they have no

in-law when gunmen barged into their basic financial help to start up a little pocket money), so we tied up with

home in Caloocan City. The couple left something, so selling vegetables, selling some institutions and also private

behind two children, a nine-year-old fish … But another kind of livelihood (individuals) to give a scholarship

boy now in Grade 4, and an eight-year- would be very helpful, if someone assistance,” he added.

old girl in Grade 3. has, for example, I dunno, mga bagay Another essential component is

With some help from a relative na puwedeng ibagsak at sila ay i-box debriefing. Felloni said this is provided

and the parish she belongs to, Raquel or ibalot o pack (items that can be through a tie-up with graduate students

manages to keep her grandchildren in dropped off here for them to box or of psychology from St. Scholastica’s

school. wrap or pack), something like that. College. “They crafted the modules.

But the killings continue to haunt Companies need to outsource part of They do it in the church, they are the

the children. The boy still dreams of their production line, that would be ones (who administer it) because they

his parents, saying: “Tinatawag ko very, very helpful.” are the professionals. So we host. They Visitors bid goodbye to Carl Angelo
Arnaiz, 19, who went missing in Cainta,
si Mama, ayaw ako pansinin (I call Those who wish to donate can drop did one for families, they did one for and turned up in a morgue in Caloocan
City. InterAksyon file by Bernard Testa
Mama, she just ignores me).” by the parish in Barangay 175 Camarin, kids,” the priest said. “And then now
requirements, and services,” she said.
Since Rodrigo Duterte won Caloocan City, or make a deposit to the we’re trying to go into livelihood.” Mendoza then returns to the for help?” Mendoza lamented. “And we
know that we don’t want this society to
the presidency in May 2016, the following BPI account. There is also a “very strong” six- communities and tells them what kind bring the law into their own hands in
of assistance they can — and should — the way that the President does. I don’t
communities served by the Our Lady BPI account name: RCBN Our Lady month rehabilitation program in get from the government. want the good and young policemen to
be on the receiving end of revenge due
of Lourdes parish have lost 82 persons of Lourdes Parish place for drug users, undertaken “It is most unfortunate that there to the actions of their comrades, those
is seemingly no proactive government scalawags in uniform. We want to keep
as of October 7, the youngest a nine- BPI account number: 9903-0157-45 with barangay officials and the city stance to get these orphans to access and preserve the good ones.”
government social services,” she said.
year old killed last December, said Fr. From ‘pakikiramay’ to reintegration government, which has graduated 21 She holds the widely shared
And it gets worse. “We have heard suspicion that most of the victims of
Luciano Felloni, an Argentine who has Fortunately, the Our Lady of Lourdes with 41 soon to follow. Patients are of stories of beneficiaries of 4Ps being the government’s war on drugs were
excluded once they have been related not armed, contrary to what authorities
been serving in the Philippines for 23 Parish’s programs for the families of seen by psychologists and psychiatrists to EJK cases. They have not recognized insist.
that you have here a situation of
years now. victims, and for drug dependents, and provided counseling and livelihood orphaned elders and children that “Even wars have rules. Unarmed,
have lost their breadwinners,” she hapless people are not supposed to
Under Felloni’s leadership, the spurred by the killings in the community, training from Monday to Saturday, stressed. be executed … We have many cases
of people on their knees pleading for
parish tied up with private institutions have gotten attention. among others. Explaining the possible extent of the their lives and still they get shot in
crisis, Mendoza said: “We are possibly cold blood. People have become sitting
to provide scholarships to orphans, “‘Yung unang naisip namin The ultimate goal for Felloni is talking about at least 18,000 orphaned ducks,” Mendoza said.
children. If it were true that you have
debriefing to families, and rehabilitation is makiramay. ‘Yung una is right reintegration. “Mawala ‘yung stigma at least 13,000 dead people and, just And it doesn’t end there as she points
taking half of that, say 6,000 people to the growing culture of violence
to drug dependents. after, ‘yung tulong na minsan pagkuha and maging aktibo sa komunidad (for with three children each, (then) you inculcated in the minds of the young,
have at least 18,000 orphans. What do especially those who have seen how
But they particularly need help with ng bangkay, pag-process ng papeles sa the stigma to be erased and for them to you do with that?” their parents were killed.

livelihood assistance, said the priest. pulis. Minsan funeral assistance, become active in the community),” he Social injustice, trauma, and poverty “What if that vengeance is ingrained
are a deadly combination, Mendoza in their hearts at a young age? Then
“Livelihood is very essential,” he told ganu’n. said. warned. now you will see people beginning to
‘A sector in crisis’. Reaching out sell guns. It is going to be a ‘wild, wild
InterAksyon during a recent gathering Tapos, of course, ‘yung spiritual, “Every day, they have to think about west’,” Mendoza said.
where to get the food. But more critical
where the orphaned families received immediate na i-bless ‘yung patay (The to affected communities and “sharing than appeasing the hunger pangs (are) Nevertheless, she pointed out
safety and security. ‘Will the rest of us that faith-based institutions like the
groceries and cash assistance from a first thing we thought of is to condole time, talent, or treasure” is a concrete be killed?’ Just the mere sound of a Diocese of Novaliches, which covers
motorcycle brings shivers to people in 25 barangays in Quezon City and
group of donors who had learned of with them. The first step is right after, way of protesting against extrajudicial the communities. Children hide under Caloocan City, continue to engage with
the table or (in) their closet,” she said. the Philippine National Police.
their plight and raised funds online. providing help with getting the body, killings, said Milet Mendoza, a veteran
Nevertheless, outreach activities “We believe that there is a need to
“So kung anong (whatever) processing the paperwork with the humanitarian and social development by private individuals give these facilitate, to bridge with a few sincere
communities hope, even if it may seem allies within government institutions,
livelihood, talagang very open ito (this police. Sometimes funeral assistance worker with the Diocese of Novaliches, like a drop in the bucket. even as some of these groups are deemed
as EJK perpetrators. If someone among
is really very open). Puwedeng (it can is included, too. And of course, to which Our Lady of Lourdes Parish But if Good Samaritans can pool them wants to sincerely apologize and
their resources so that those left behind start the process of healing and genuine
be) any kind of thing,” Felloni said. the spiritual aspect, the dead must belongs. can go on with their lives, she wonders, reforms, we are here to facilitate that,”
why can’t mandated government Mendoze said.
“For the drug recovery, we have two immediately be blessed),” Felloni said. She is particularly involved in the agencies and elected officials who have
millions of pesos do something for these She also reminded government
livelihoods, one is printing of T-shirts, “Then we assess the need, kasi ‘yung AKAP Program, which tries to “weave families? officials that their institutions will stay
on after Duterte’s term.
another is they produce liquid hand- iba ay scholarship dahil naiwan sa lolo positive interventions and get all key ‘Sitting ducks’. “What pains us even
more is when we have been made aware “There will be a day of reckoning for
soap, dishwashing (soap), and sanitizer. at lola, walang pambaon (because sectors of government involved.” that our own duty-bound protectors are public accountability,” she said. n Tricia
the ones killing us. Where do we run to
So this is for the recoverees. For the EJK others need scholarships because Mendoza was present at the Our Aquino, InterAksyon | October 26, 2017, 9:23 AM

Pinay stabbed by fellow Pinoy outside home in Guam Lady of Lourdes gathering, where she
told the families of plans, hopefully with
A Filipina was stabbed by another was renting in the victims’ compound. donor support, to build a play area that
Filipino expatriate outside her home along The argument led to Parongan will also serve as a recreation center for
Texas Road in Chalan Kanoa, Guam on orphaned children and the “orphaned
Sunday, the Saipan Tribune reported. stabbing Pineda to death before causing elderly” of the parish. Here, catechism,
grievous injuries to Barit. He fled the feeding, and educational activities will
Josefina Pineda, 52, a former Xtreme scene after witnesses stopped his attack be held for those left behind.
Marine Sports operations manager, on Barit.
was pronounced dead on arrival at the She lamented that the local and
Commonwealth Health Center after she A witness managed to take a video on national governments have not
was stabbed multiple times by Alfonso his cellphone of the incident. n Rie Takumi, realized that the families left behind by
Parongan. extrajudicial killings “is already a sector
MDM, GMA News | Published November 1, 2017 in crisis.”
Her husband Tony Barit remains at the
intensive care unit of the hospital due to 3:25 PM Because of this, she has taken it
head and arm injuries. upon herself to put together a “menu
of services” for poor families which can
Parongan attempted to evade arrest be sourced from the local and national
by hiding in the jungle area near Pineda’s governments. “Let us give the right
home but was eventually taken in by police. to the people to access and avail of
what is due them. After gathering the
Initial probing by police showed that the basic menu of social services, I come
two had an argument about the suspect’s up with a summary of qualifications,
power bill in front of the room Parongan