EDITORIAL

Iloilo City Honors ‘Huwaran Nga Anak’

Iloilo City, culminated the celebration of the Children’s Month by hearing stories of hope from 14 finalists who vied for the "Huwaran nga Anak" title held at the SM Iloilo City, Thursday afternoon last week.

It was an afternoon full of emotion as judges tried to uncover the pains and struggles experienced by finalists who, despite their impoverished situations, strived hard to excel in their academics, extra-curricular activities and community work amid the presence of their parents who could not hide their tears listening to the testimonies of their children.

At the end of the exhausting session, three children emerged as winners with Jethro Importado from Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo declared as first; Chinen Gay Villanueva from Barangay Gloria, Iloilo City Proper, second place, and Lowie John Reballos from Barangay Mansaya, Lapuz, Lapaz, third place.

Their situation might not be different though, compared with the stories often heard from other indigent families. But what made them unique and worthy to be called as model children are their determination to succeed and how they converted their problems into challenges and inspiration.

Importado’s family lives in a one-room house. This is where they eat and sleep, likewise where he studies being illuminated by a candle or a light bulb.

"I wanted to break the cycle of poverty in our home," declared Importado, who is presently the president of their school’s Supreme Student Government and running valedictorian in his class at the Melchor L. Nava National High School.

His father, Rodrigo, is a carpenter while his mother Gemma is a devoted housewife. When there are no classes, Importado sells native "kakanin" in a nearby day care center or helps his father in cooking "pinasugbo."

"Jethro is not afraid to see his nails being tinted by dirt just to help his parents," his mother Gemma said.

On the other hand, second place Chinen Gay lives in a house just a bit smaller compared to a multi-cab. Her father left them for another woman when her mother Alma went abroad to find a job to finance the medical expenses of her sister who has a congenital heart disease.

Luckily, she has availed of a scholarship at the Iloilo American Memorial School. But even then, she has to skip classes sometimes due to lack of money.

Chinen Gay asks for a P10 only daily allowance, not enough even to shoulder her fare to and from school. However, she supplements the allowance by accepting laundry jobs without her mother knowing it.

Third placer Lowie John Reballos lives in a house above a creek in Mansaya. He is also a consistent honor student and running valedictorian at the Jalandoni National High School.

Lowie John’s father is a pedicab driver while his mother sells charcoal.

To spare his parents from too much burden he decided to accept typing jobs and other paper works from his classmates. In exchange, he asked that he will be allowed to print and encode his own paper works using his client’s computers for free.

Their stories together with 11 other finalists are not left unheard. Some generous donors who heard it shared something for the children.

Minda Brigoli, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development , committed to provide the mothers of the 14 finalists a livelihood support through the agency’s Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran program.

The Office of Cong. Jerry P. Treñas awarded college scholarship to the top three winners, while the Gawad Kalinga will award the top two winners with houses at the GK Village in Barangay Sooc, Arevalo.

A philanthropist, Oscar Chua, donated P10,000 cash prize. This complemented with the Negros Navigation’s two round trip tickets and two SM Cinema movie passes to the top three winners.

Milyn Tuvilla, a listener from New York who heard the children’s interview over Bombo Radyo-Iloilo, sent P2,000 as additional prize for the champion.

Bayantel gave out three units of cellular phones for the second to fourth placers.

Other prizes were gift certificates from Hotel Del Rio, Grand Hotel, Carlos Restaurant, Emillion, Esca’s, Uncle Toms, Mang Inasal, Decos, Hong Kong Kitchen and Tibiao Fish Spa and gift packs from Yakult.

The Iloilo Bankers Association also donated cash prize while the Cocoy and Dondon Hair Saloon did the makeover of the contestants complemented by Noelle West which took charge of the children’s attire.

The J & R Studio documented the entire event with one portrait each for the 14 children.

The search was spearheaded by the Iloilo City Task Force on Street Children under the City Social Welfare Office which aimed to encourage children to become role models in nation building, strengthen parent-child relationship, recognize their vital contribution to family, community, and nation building and increase the public’s awareness on the importance of environmental care and protection.

It was a sequel of the task force’s "Search for Bulawanon nga Nanay" held every Mother’s Day celebration.

The task force is being chaired by Mrs. Rosalie Treñas, Iloilo City’s former first lady and now member of the Congressional Spouses Foundation, after it was reconvened recently by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

The first of its kind search was opened only to children whose monthly family income is less than P10,000. (PNA) /MP