In the sreet of the Philippines, numorous urchins are begging with serious hunger. About 250,000 street children in the Philippines cannot go to school due to scarcity of money. Especially, Manila's urchins are living tremendous lives.

     The children's home is only the street, and theydo not have any freedom to eat, rest and sleep comfortably. Some of them sniff glues to take mind off growing hunger. Moreover, urchins are exposed to the street, so they are easily raped by RAC or The Maniula Reception and Action Center. A nine-year-old girl was said to have been pimped by a police officer after she was handed over to him by her stepfather who had raped her. The RAC is supposed to be a halfway house where children, who taken from the streetsfor vagrancy, drug abuse or petty theft, can be processed and transferred to privately run shelters for rehabilitation or sent back to their parents. However, in fact, The Manila Reception and Action Center is struggling to fee and care for the children with inadequate funds provided be the local government. Many urchins are suffering from RAC. In the street, when the traffic thins out at the intersection, they start begging. With hazard, they jump off the jeepneys to beg for money. Therefore, their skins are filled with scabies and bruises, and they suffer from breakdown because of pain coming from unfair like, which is unlike as usual children in rich families.

     Children need food and money for living. One of the street children said that they are always hungry. There is never enough food, no matter how they beg.

June 3th / by 송주연