Anything goes...

Her name is Nica. She's 13 and even with her age which is supposedly a Grade 7 age, she's still in fifth grade because her teachers retain her there for she cannot read well. They are 9 in the family, 10 to include her father. Her mother died of childbirth after her youngest sister was born. She's a child laborer, like many others her age and even younger. Nica enjoys the life that her friends are experiencing now, they make it feel like they are on a game, a race or contest to be exact, like how many bundles of cut sugar canes they could carry to the truck, and how much money they can get after the deal is done.   I went up the mountains to document on the child laborers of a certain municipality in Sarangani Province, and there I met Nica. When I interviewed her to ask of her profile, she was almost in tears not because I was asking deep questions, but because I was asking her what she wanted for Christmas. My first question was: What would y...

In the eyes of a child there is joy, there is laughter There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future For the lessons of life, there is no better teacher Than the look in the eyes of a child Husband took this shot last week when he visited an upland area named Datal Salvan, found only here in General Santos City, and when he uploaded it in Facebook, he entitled the album, "In the Eyes of a Child". He told me they brought a pack of 10 Skyflakes biscuits which one teacher opened each pack and shared one biscuit for each child in order to feed everyone. And just when I rode the bus today, I heard this song by Air Supply and I was touched by the lyrics of the song. This Christmas, I hope that your families are doing good, if not better or best. And I pray that even with the challenges that you are facing, you will remember to pray for children who are hungry, who do not have parents to care for them, who do not have love felt in their hearts. I hope you will find an ...