This is the youngsters' home

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Part of The Carolinian

Title: This is the youngsters' home
extracted text: Antonio Y. de Pio... (Continued from page 35) ministration. The year 1957 had already its ban which prohibited the release of public works, includ ing those financed by provincial funds, within 45 days prior to the elections. Furthermore, he had to face tremendous odds for his op ponent had already entrenched himself during the last two terms that he was the 7th's representa tive. But he won! By 2,674 votes! In all towns but two! When asked about the secret of his victory, the humble Carolinian professor smiled and said: Simply win the affection of the masses. He remembered having pentrated the remotest barrios and sitios and islets of the district; he remembered having preached the gospel of Magsaysay with all sincerity and honesty; he remembered having served the needs of his people des pite his defeat in 1953: free legal counsels, jobs, aid to indigents. These made up his triumphs. But he cannot overlook his lov ing and understanding wife, Alice. "She was my biggest asset; she was my campaign manager. She delivered speeches, campaigned house to house, and she won the hearts of the women, young and old alike," Tonying commented. Incidentally, Mrs. de Pio is a Home Economics instructress in this Univ ersity. "What are your plans. Congress- | man?" I asked him. j "I will concentrate on legislative , work. My primary concern is the j amelioration of the masses because in my campaign, I gave emphasis to the solution of unemployment problems and the improvement of the living conditions of the people." "Do you intend to resume your teaching job in San Carlos?" I queried further. "Well, I hate to be away from the old University. But even then, I do not cease to be a Carolinian," he replied. It was 5:30 p.m. I had to leave for class. Time was when I used to bid him a "Good-bye, sir." This time, I would say, "Good-bye, Congressman." And I recalled that he had once been just the steno grapher of a Congressman; now he is a Congressman himself. Longfellow's lines came into my mind: ¥ The semi-concrete "HOME" of 46 oc cupants of the Boys Town located in Punta Princesa, a few kilometers from Cebu City. This building and the fivehectare lot were do nated by Don Ramon Aboltiz, the biggest Boys Town benefac tor. It is run by five priests and a brother of the Salesian Order. Happy faces are those of the "spheriod artists" of the Cebu Boys Town posing for the lensman. '• They found It fun to stay In the Center with good living accommodations, free movies and plenty of hours of leisure. But before all these, they attend reli gious services at the Boys Town chapel to dedicate themselves to their Creator. Lives oi great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. Page 32 THE CAROLINIAN * * by ben cabanatan OUNG people of the Cebu Boys Town had a field day of cheer this year when the generous people of Cebu opened their hearts as they chipped in their contributions for the Center during the Boys Town Day. To the youngsters. Boys Town Day was Christmas celebrated ahead of the season. Indeed, it was just like any Christmas day be cause hundreds of generous indiv iduals sent "gifts" to the boys during the fund raising campaign by civic organizations in connection with the Boys Town Day observance. The "Christmas gift" turned in was too big a roll of greenbacks for a young boy to own. It was Pl 1,000. All this will go into the purchase of modern technical fa cilities and the construction of a trade school where the Boys Town occupants will be trained in the practical arts. When this vocational shop will be established at last, the Salesian Fathers can boast that they have gone up one rung to perfect the aim of the Boys Town move ment: to make model boys out of orphans, underprivileged, and de linquents. But even without this. Boys Town, has the credit for the decline of juvenile delinquency in Cebu. For if there were no Boys Town to take care of the material and spiritual needs of the 46 child ren, the people could easily expect a high rate of juvenile crimes and a lot of headaches for parents. Home of underprivileged and homeless lads, Boys Town offers the same care and assistance that a family does. Although it cannot substitute for a mother's love, the boys can find the priests' concern for them as warm as a real father's. Established in March, 1954, the Boys Town compound is at present situated at Punta Princesa, 10 mi nutes' ride from Cebu City. It oc cupies a small portion of a hectare lot with orchards and poultry houses surrounding the semi-concrete build ing. The big poultry farms are pe so-earners for the ‘'Home." Like other institutions of charity, the "Home" is maintained by con tributions from individuals, business and civic groups. Every year the Boys Town receives an average of Pl5,000 from these generous per sons and charitable organizations like the Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Welfare Organization and the Philippine Sweepstakes, Inc. Last year over two thousand pesos was turned in by the Philippine Sweepstakes. This money will go into medicines, books, clothing and food for the poor youngsters. The Boys Town's greatest be nefactor, however, is not a civic organization but a man with a big heart. Don Ramon Aboitiz, is al ways identified with the Cebu Boys Town movement. For Don Ramon is the keyman in the Cebu Boys Town because of his generous fi nancial assistance that maintains the "Home." Don Ramon himself bought the five-hectare Punta Princesa field and financed the construction and furnishing of the semi-concrete main building. Only recently Don Ra mon gave P30,000 for the construc tion of a school building. (At pre sent the wards attend classes in a public grade school outside.) The priests are going to open a com plete elementary and first-year high school. Don Ramon also gives a smaller sum every month for the support of several boys under his adoption but who live in the "Home." Also, a farm tractor was donated by one of Don Ramon's sons. The Boys Town, founded by Fr. Boscariol four years ago, had for its building the Chinese Catholic center adjacent to the Cathedral church. Taking in 14 boys first, the "Home" was moved to the Punta Princesa site later. There are now 46 boys. The L-shaped main build ing at present is partitioned into a boys' sleeping quarter, priests' quarters, messroom and a small carpentry shop and chapel. A few paces away is a basketball court. In the morning the boys go to the chapel to attend mass and re ceive Holy Communion. Here be gins their program of training to become better citizens. At 7 they repair to classes at a public school, returning at noon for lunch. Those who do not go to school are taught either carpentry or tailoring by a religious brother inside the com pound. When not attending classes they are left free to play games. Recreation is given emphasis because as Father J. P. Clifford, the present director, said, "boys want to play and play. If they work, they'll work only one day and the next they're bored." Besides nightly movies, they also go swimming on Sundays. Fr. Clifford, the Dutch-born direc tor of the "Home", distingushed their Boys Town movements, by saying that Boys Town run by the Salesian Order is different from those founded by Fr. Edward Fla nagan, although they have the same aims. He said that the Salesian's Boys Town idea started much ear lier than Fr. Flanagan's experimen tal conception. He also disclosed that there are centers in almost all countries, even in the communist countries. But it is difficult for the Order to manage a center in those countries, he said. Assisting Fr. Clifford in managing the "Home" are: Frs. Lino Repetto, P. Bianchini, J. Guarino, Patrick Ryan, and Bro. L. Nardin. Besides managing the Center they also look into the spirit ual needs of the Punta Princesa parish. Discussing the causes of juvenile delinquency, the Father Director pointed an accusing finger at the parents because, he said, they are responsible for the upbringing of their offspring. He found family life in the Phil ippines different from that in China where the parents impose discip line on their young and when they attend religious services they go in one group. Here, children are just left alone, perhaps because of mis understood "democracy." Fr. Clifford was assigned pre viously in Hongkong where he worked in an institution of learn ing. He has stayed in this country for less than 3 years, coming here one year after the Boys Town was founded. Admittance of boys is strictly on the basis of need. The home less, orphans and products of bro ken homes are usually preferred to sons of the well-to-do even if they are real problem children. Fr. Clif ford disclosed that the "Home" re ceives boys without looking into their religion. As to age require ments, they must be from 11 to 13 at the time they enter. With the sufficient training in the Center upon reaching 18, boys may go out and shift for themselves but in most cases the priests have to find work for them. # Page 33
Date: 1957
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