At St. Francis House Drop-In Center:
‘Rugby boys’ turn into good boys
By Bong Bue
Many have been chosen and rounded up. But only few preferred to stay and be reformed.
But such scenario doesn’t discourage and affect the performance of the St. Francis House Drop-In Center as it continues for almost six years now to carry out its gigantic mission of helping Zamboanga City resolve its problem on street children, street urchins or the commonly called “Rugby boys.”
The St. Francis House Drop-In Center was established by the Our Blessed Mother of Victory Mission Foundation with Canadian priest Fr. Arthur Winikoff as its founder and director.
The St. Francis House Drop-In Center was established on November 20, 2004 at Camanchile Road, right at the heart of Zamboanga City purposely to provide street children a decent place where they could drop by and spend their nights rather than sleep along the city’s sidewalks and be susceptible to dangerous elements.
St. Francis House Drop-In Center is an extension of the St. Francis House---the regular orphanage of the foundation in Pasonanca which was established on October 4, 1987. A similar drop-in center was put up along Magay Road in the early 1990s by the foundation until a permanent, decent and house-looking drop-in center was established in 2004.
The St. Francis House is a registered and duly accredited entity with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and is recognized by different educational institutions like the Ateneo de Zamboanga University who sends their students as practicumers, business and other non-government organizations who support and share donations for the center’s operations throughout these years.
Neso Sumalinog, St. Francis House Drop-In Center house father, disclosed that their targets are the streetchildren particularly those hooked to Rugby (the trade name of a rubber glue), which they sniff as a form of “drugs” and they could get “high” from it, thereby ignoring their hunger.
Sumalinog said they have to do scheduled rounds in the city’s streets and invite the streetchildren to the St. Francis House where they are given decent shelter, food, care and attention. But because of bad habits many would escape and go back to the streets.
Gloria Fe Yap, the center’s social worker, said the police would also round up these streetchildren and would turn them over to the St. Francis House Drop-In Center, which in turn gives counseling sessions and make them understand the difference between living in the streets and at the center.
Together with Sumalinog, Yap are another social worker Stephanie Carpio, house mother Virginia Ladion and the center’s administrator Marissa Basilio who see not only the welfare of the center but also the welfare of each and every street child.
“We have to take care of all these street children and take them to doctors if they are sick. Our work is 24 hours,” Ladion said of her role as a house mother.
At present, the St. Francis House Drop-In Center is taking cared of 13 former street children. Nine of them are being sent to the Zamboanga West Central School and one to the Zamboanga National High School West.
These former “Rugby boys” have their common stories to tell about their lives when they were in the streets. Hence, they are sending a common message to all those “Rugby boys” who are still spending their nights in the city’s sidewalks:
“Punta na lang kayo dito sa drop-in center dahil wala kayong kinabukasan diyan sa lansangan,” said one of the reformist streetchild Ibrahim. [You should join us here at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center because you have no future in the streets.]
Alex, who was heavily hooked to Rugby, is now an honor student and an active member of his school’s drum and lyre team. He said his stay at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center has changed so much his life.
Neso, the house father at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center, said there are certain rules to follow all aimed at changing the street boys into house and good boys.
As early as 4:30 in the morning everyone is up and starts doing their assigned tasks. Some would clean the house, help prepare the breakfast, fix their personal belongings, take their bath and dress up. By 6:00 a.m. they will have their breakfast, afterhich sign up for attendance and leave for school.
They come back home for lunch as Zamboanga West Central School is just a walking distance. Those who come home after school in the afternoon could still have the time for recreation like playing basketball and watching television.
Virginia, the house mother, would then call the center’s wards for the daily 6p.m. prayer of the Holy Rosary at their designated prayer room. While the house mother is preparing for the dinner the others can continue with their household chores, including watching television.
By 7:00 pm dinner is ready. But everyone should be at the dining table otherwise they will not eat as they have to wait for those who are not around. A weekly schedule of household chores is provided so everyone is given the task to carry out.
Study time is between 7 to 9 p.m. No more television by this time. The kids get special tutorship from students of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University every Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 as part of their NSTP practicum.
Saturday is designated as a general cleaning and recreation day. The kids together with their house parents go to the nearby Zamboanga Metropolitan Cathedral to hear Mass and thereafter have few hours of malling before returning to the St. Francis House Drop-In Center.
St. Francis House Drop-In Center continues to commit in carrying out its mission --- to take care of streetchildren and help them grow up and become responsible citizens of the society.
‘Rugby boys’ turn into good boys
By Bong Bue
Many have been chosen and rounded up. But only few preferred to stay and be reformed.
But such scenario doesn’t discourage and affect the performance of the St. Francis House Drop-In Center as it continues for almost six years now to carry out its gigantic mission of helping Zamboanga City resolve its problem on street children, street urchins or the commonly called “Rugby boys.”
The St. Francis House Drop-In Center was established by the Our Blessed Mother of Victory Mission Foundation with Canadian priest Fr. Arthur Winikoff as its founder and director.
The St. Francis House Drop-In Center was established on November 20, 2004 at Camanchile Road, right at the heart of Zamboanga City purposely to provide street children a decent place where they could drop by and spend their nights rather than sleep along the city’s sidewalks and be susceptible to dangerous elements.
St. Francis House Drop-In Center is an extension of the St. Francis House---the regular orphanage of the foundation in Pasonanca which was established on October 4, 1987. A similar drop-in center was put up along Magay Road in the early 1990s by the foundation until a permanent, decent and house-looking drop-in center was established in 2004.
The St. Francis House is a registered and duly accredited entity with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and is recognized by different educational institutions like the Ateneo de Zamboanga University who sends their students as practicumers, business and other non-government organizations who support and share donations for the center’s operations throughout these years.
Neso Sumalinog, St. Francis House Drop-In Center house father, disclosed that their targets are the streetchildren particularly those hooked to Rugby (the trade name of a rubber glue), which they sniff as a form of “drugs” and they could get “high” from it, thereby ignoring their hunger.
Sumalinog said they have to do scheduled rounds in the city’s streets and invite the streetchildren to the St. Francis House where they are given decent shelter, food, care and attention. But because of bad habits many would escape and go back to the streets.
Gloria Fe Yap, the center’s social worker, said the police would also round up these streetchildren and would turn them over to the St. Francis House Drop-In Center, which in turn gives counseling sessions and make them understand the difference between living in the streets and at the center.
Together with Sumalinog, Yap are another social worker Stephanie Carpio, house mother Virginia Ladion and the center’s administrator Marissa Basilio who see not only the welfare of the center but also the welfare of each and every street child.
“We have to take care of all these street children and take them to doctors if they are sick. Our work is 24 hours,” Ladion said of her role as a house mother.
At present, the St. Francis House Drop-In Center is taking cared of 13 former street children. Nine of them are being sent to the Zamboanga West Central School and one to the Zamboanga National High School West.
These former “Rugby boys” have their common stories to tell about their lives when they were in the streets. Hence, they are sending a common message to all those “Rugby boys” who are still spending their nights in the city’s sidewalks:
“Punta na lang kayo dito sa drop-in center dahil wala kayong kinabukasan diyan sa lansangan,” said one of the reformist streetchild Ibrahim. [You should join us here at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center because you have no future in the streets.]
Alex, who was heavily hooked to Rugby, is now an honor student and an active member of his school’s drum and lyre team. He said his stay at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center has changed so much his life.
Neso, the house father at the St. Francis House Drop-In Center, said there are certain rules to follow all aimed at changing the street boys into house and good boys.
As early as 4:30 in the morning everyone is up and starts doing their assigned tasks. Some would clean the house, help prepare the breakfast, fix their personal belongings, take their bath and dress up. By 6:00 a.m. they will have their breakfast, afterhich sign up for attendance and leave for school.
They come back home for lunch as Zamboanga West Central School is just a walking distance. Those who come home after school in the afternoon could still have the time for recreation like playing basketball and watching television.
Virginia, the house mother, would then call the center’s wards for the daily 6p.m. prayer of the Holy Rosary at their designated prayer room. While the house mother is preparing for the dinner the others can continue with their household chores, including watching television.
By 7:00 pm dinner is ready. But everyone should be at the dining table otherwise they will not eat as they have to wait for those who are not around. A weekly schedule of household chores is provided so everyone is given the task to carry out.
Study time is between 7 to 9 p.m. No more television by this time. The kids get special tutorship from students of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University every Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 as part of their NSTP practicum.
Saturday is designated as a general cleaning and recreation day. The kids together with their house parents go to the nearby Zamboanga Metropolitan Cathedral to hear Mass and thereafter have few hours of malling before returning to the St. Francis House Drop-In Center.
St. Francis House Drop-In Center continues to commit in carrying out its mission --- to take care of streetchildren and help them grow up and become responsible citizens of the society.
