BENCHWARMER

Ramon S. Dacawi
Never too young to care

“Fostering a culture of caring”, Baguio’s centennial theme, may well be Brent School’s.

Kids of the international school Bishop Charles Brent founded in 1909 - on a ministry anchored on Christian unity - have given a humanitarian dimension to their own centennial celebration.

The children just pooled P17,500, handing P7,500 of it to a boy battling Hodkin’s lymphoma and P5,000 each to an ailing solo parent and a family of 10 who had been evicted over 10 times for inability to pay rent.

“Our kids feel good to be of help,” deputy headmaster Ursula Daoey said over coffee with the beneficiaries after last Monday’s flag ceremony, when her wards gave out what they had raised.
Businessmen friends of Brent alumnus and international car racing champion Carlos Anton matched the amounts, keeping a double-your-donation scheme he told the kids late last year, when they got him back in campus to speak on safety in driving. “Every child should have a home,” toddler David Alexander muttered when he and kindergarten classmate Celine Gomez had their turn by the school flagpole beside Ogilby Hall.

He was referring to the kids of recipient Anabel Lampaz, a 38-year old mother of eight facing eviction for the nth time. She came with her two youngest – Ryan, a year and eight months, and Reynald, 5.. She couldn’t leave them alone in their rented, candle-lit shanty below the city public cemetery. Volunteer JR Mateo fetched them as she didn’t know where Brent School is. She would have hiked if she did.

Her husband Raymundo, 45, was off to work as porter in a hardware store. Two of their other boys, aged 22 and 14, were bound for the market – also as porters. Two more boys, a 10-year old fourth-grader and a 20-year old graduating information technology student, also rose early to walk to school. The IT senior, his family‘s hope for deliverance, is on scholarship from Rep. Mauricio Domogan.

Anabel’s 21-year old daughter washes laundry. Her other girl,17, has a baby of her own. She married at 16, same age her own mother did. The Brent kids’ P5,000 support will clear the P1,000 overdue monthly rent, raising Anabel’s hope they could stay put until they find a new dwelling. The rest will be for food, other basics, jeepney fare - and evening candlelight for the abode.

The matching counterpart will start a seed fund towards building a shanty, on a lot offered by Anabel’s neighbor – so her family won’t be ejected again. “The kids wanted to course their support through us but it’s proper that they meet their beneficiaries,” Carlos said.

Car dealer Dinky Casem came with his daughter Marie Joy, a nurse, to document the turn-over. Dinky’s group will help build the patchwork home as soon nails and other old construction materials come in.

Lower grade schoolers Luis Naguiat and Christina Kim, seventh to 12th graders Johnny Woo, Francis Fuller, Rina Sebastian, Aeron Alzaga, Peter Kim, Shotaro Osuga and Sinsil Ha, all of the boarding department, and Lynlyn Balanza and Etrei Caluya of the National Honor Society handed the other envelopes to two other recipients. Twelfth-grader Natasha Chopra made an individual contribution.

Josephine Almeron, a 41-year old security guard and solo parent being treated for breast cancer, had eight-year old Frances, her youngest of three kids, in tow. Her eyes filled while recalling she was told she could no longer work because of her medical condition.

The young Samaritans were inspired by Mark Anthony Viray, an 11-year old who had six chemotherapy sessions for Hodkin’s lymphoma. He received P7,500, plus the matching amount, to help keep alive his dream of being a pilot one day.

Two Mondays back, 10th graders led by Noelle Sanidad gave an initial P5,000 – and the counterpart - to Mark Anthony, son of an off-and-on taxi and family driver. To raise the initial fund, Noellle’s class came up with a “trash-ion show”. They suited up their parents and teachers with gowns and pants they had fashioned out of recyclable trash.

The other grades easily took on the spirit. They set aside amounts from field trips and savings. Daoey thought some kids even opted to be fined for non-wearing of the school uniform just to spur the drive.

Older Samaritans also responded, recalling their own struggles for a home or childhood experiences as bootblacks, porters or newsboys. A 27-year old librarian sorted out clothes and newspaper piles when she couldn’t find a nail in her rented home. A lady in New York called in the middle of the night to say her daughter here has some form lumber to be hauled. A folk house owner offered to hire Anabel’s elder daughter, an office head her brother.

Former world karate champion Julian Chees, who bankrolled Mark Anthony’s initial treatment sessions, said some amount will be sent for Anabel’s home project. Others who want to contribute - even a candle will do - may contact the city social welfare office at 442-7893 or text us at 09193559873. (e-mail:rdacawi@yahoo.com for comments).