Bababa ba?

Approximately a week ago, Mom asked me if I wanted to participate in an outreach on Saturday, November 18. I accepted her invitation since I wasn’t doing anything that day. Although I never knew what kind of outreach we would be doing until Saturday actually came.

Saturday morning, we went to the parish near Pag-Asa (behind SM North Edsa) to pick up Father Rico. He wasn’t there when we arrived. Nainip na raw. Haha. :p So we went straight to RSCC (don’t ask me what it means, I really don’t know. Don’t ask me if the name I mentioned is correct, I don’t know either. Basta yun yung nasa likod ng SM North Edsa :p)

Maligayang Pasko

Tita Marissa, her family, Father Rico and the RSCC kids were already in the Chapel area. Tito Cesar was already giving some Catechism lessons to the older kids while the younger kids were playing around.

All smiles

After Tito Cesar’s Catechism lecture, the mass immediately started. I was assigned to sing with the choir and to read the responsorial Psalm.

Father Rico saying mass

After the mass were some early snacks. Bingot and I helped distribute the food.

Distributing the food.

The RSCC babies arrived while we were distributing the food. Mom and I instantly fell in love with the babies. Aina became Mom and I’s favorite baby (ang taba taba taba at ang puti puti puti at ang singkit niya!!!) I became Adrian’s favorite kuya.

Bingot and I with the babies.

Mom, Aina, and me.

Aina!

Adrian with Kuya BA.

I forgot this kid’s name. :p

Mom, Bingot and I visited the nursery section afterwards. Turns out they had 29 kids. 17 of them toddlers, and 12 were infants. They were well-fed (c/o DSWD), but deprived, still (wala pa rin silang magulang.)

The party ended at around 12, and we went home, with a promise that we will come back someday.

Reflections

Although everything was fun, fun, fun, somehow, it was a bit depressing.

These kids have no real family. They have no mommies, and daddies. They only have aunties and uncles.

Fr. Rico: Ang mabait na bata ay masunurin. Ang mga masunurin ay sumusunod sa nakatatanda. Sinong nakatatanda ang dapat nating sundan?
BA: (sa aking loob-looban) Sina Mommy at Daddy!
Kids: (out loud) Si auntie!

At that point I was heartbroken. There were 30++ kids in the area, most of which have no parents.

When Mom and I went to the toddlers and babies section, we discovered that most of these babies were abandoned. Some do have parents, but are not financially capable to take care of a baby, so they left their babies here.

While I was carrying Adrian, he kept on saying, “mama? Mama? Mama?”

In my mind, I was saying, “may mommy pa kaya si Adrian? Nasa’n na kaya siya? Kawawa naman siya.”

The social worker walked to me and Adrian and said, “wow naman, may bago nang kuya si Adrian.”

Makes me realize how lucky am I to have my parents.