Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno appealed to the parents of the solvent boys to make their children feel that they have family and not let them leave in the streets.
During his weekly capital report, Moreno said that they already rescued 365 street children, some of them are already using solvent.
According to Moreno, the rescue operations conducted by the Manila City Government made their boys and girls town crowded.
He also asked the parents to retrieve their rescued children and not to give up on taking care of them because it would only make the situation worse.
“Alam ko mahirap ang buhay, pero hindi ito dapat maging sapat na dahilan para itapon ang ating anak sa kalye… malalagay po sila sa panganib, sa mga bagay na dapat hindi nila mararanasan,” Moreno said.
“Sana wag niyo na silang ibalik sa kalye, bakit? Dahil kayo ang magulang niyan eh. Gagawa gawa kayo ng bata tapos pababayaan niyo lang sa kalye?” he added.
The Manila Mayor said that they would not stop in rescuing children in streets. However, he believes that parents should be more concern about their child.
He also narrated how his parents took care of him and never left him to roam in the streets at night despite being in extreme poverty.
“Hindi ba kayo nagtataka bakit nawawala ang inyong mga anak? Wala na ba kayong pakialam o sadyang nawalan na kayo ng pag asa? Aba wag ho, kung yung nanay ko nawalan ng pag asa sa akin eh baka ako sa kinalalagyan ko ngayon,” said Moreno.
“Mas mahirap pa ang dinanas namin sa inyo, ang kinakain ko ay tira ng tao sa basurahan pero ni minsan hindi ko naramdaman sa nanay ko na iiwan ako sa kalye, in fact alas sais palang ay hinahanap na kami ng magulang namin,” he added.
Moreno believes that despite difficulties in life, parents should not give up on taking care of their children.
The Mayor pointed out that it’s easier now for the parents to let their children escape poverty because there’s already a free education for them, free food under nutribun program and free allowances.
“Kaya tinawag na bata yan dahil hindi niya alam ang kanyang ginagawa… kaya naman tayo tinawag na magulang ay dahil tayo naman ang nagtitiyak, nag gagabay, nangangaral at nag pupursigi para iraos ang kanilang magandang kinabukasan,” he said.
“Tama ng tayo nalang mga magulang ang mahirap, kung ang yaman ay naipapamana ganoon din ang kahirapan naipapamana rin yan kung hindi tayo mag sisikap na itaguyod ang ating mga anak,” he added.
In another live video, Moreno already warned the parents of the street children not to neglect their child or else they would face charges under the law.