Responsible Parenting Will Stop the Street Gangs
September 20, 2009 by lisa
Filed under better baguio initiative
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There is something horribly wrong with the youth in Baguio City.
This means there is something horribly wrong with their parents.
Or do the Baguio youth even have parents present to guide and protect them in the first place? By this I do not mean whether or not the parents are physically present in the lives of the children. By this I mean, whether or not the parents are behaving like parents in the first place.
At 44, I do not have children or a husband, and this is a matter of choice. Meaning, I thought hard about “matrimonial bliss” and decided that I was not the type of woman to “settle down.” But I do know all about children because, you see, I was once a teenager, too, and I remember how that was like it was just yesterday, except that I see everything now also from the perspective of a responsible adult. And I appreciate my mother more for the good job she did raising us alone.
About Winston
Lemme tell you a Baguio story first:
About 10 years ago, while I was operating a steak house on Legarda Road, the son of a regular customer, a typical “Baguio boy” of 24 years old whom we were forever rescuing from the police precinct for all the drunken brawls he was involved in nightly, enters the restaurant and says, “‘Tang na, nakita ninyo ba ang Daddy ko?” (Have you seen my father?)
His father was a regular customer, you see. “Kasi hindi pa nya pinapagawa ang bangga ko.” (He hasn’t had the bump in my car fixed).
That Baguio boy, let’s call him Winston, had dropped out of school but his father had given him a car and his parents were giving him an allowance of about 200/day (minimum wage was just about Php160/day then) and he was running pretty wild all over Baguio City.
I answered, “Winston, you should not curse your dad. He even gave you a car, money for gas, and if takes his time repairing the damage you caused, you should not take it against him.”
I added, “My mom never gave any of us siblings a car, and if we damaged the family car, we had to pay for it with our own savings from an allowance that was so small we could hardly buy anything with it anyway.”
The brat Winston says, “Then I don’t want a mommy like yours!”
So I retort, “You may not want a mommy like mine but, heck, she made sure each of us finished college by the time we were 21, and by your age (24-25 years old) we were all able to buy our first cars, and now (32-35 years old) we each have our own house or condo. So don’t tell me you don’t want a mommy like mine.”
Winston shuts up, turns around and leaves, still too spoiled a brat to understand that he was getting more than he deserved from his parents.
My mom Mitos
My mommy was a single parent working mom who–
- Watched her children like a hawk, made sure we were brought and picked up from school, did not allow us to be absent unless we were running a high fever (low fever, she still made us go to school and waited till the clinic called her to have us fetched), made sure we did all our assignments, and made sure we got good grades;
- Prepared for us “baon” (lunchbox items) instead of money to buy snacks from the canteen, and just enough coins to make an emergency phone call from a public pay telephone;
- Had one television set for the whole family to fight over and limited time to watch it, just as there was a limit to phone calls we could make and receive;
- Made sure she knew where we were and who we were with during the few times she allowed us to be with our school friends, and always required the supervision of a parent (we were never allowed to hang around in public places or even watch movies with friends — she made sure all those outings were family affairs and she never lacked for activities for us like out of town trips, or dining out, or watching a movie);
- Never allowed us to sleepover elsewhere but all our friends were welcome to sleep over at our home;
- Made sure we all ate dinner together on school days and all meals on weekends;
- Made us work for extra centavos like polishing pots and urns and cleaning things around the house while running errands were never paid as these were duties we had to do to help the household work;
- Made sure we had wholesome fun, at home fun and traveling fun;
- Kept her word at all times — she would spank us even when she was not in the mood to do so because she had “promised” earlier she would while we were misbehaving — and always made sure we understood the rationale behind her decisions;
- Supported all our school activities, whether they be academic, co-curricular or extra-curricular and, believe me, Mitos’s four children had something going all the time (in UP and Ateneo, as in our high schools, we had orgs and orgs and orgs (Baguio students need these, the schools must encourage and cultivate these);
- When it was our time for parties and dances, she either fetched us or made sure she was the one who opened the door for us no matter how late we came home (our curfews were adjusted based on her age and the trust we had earned by then).
When we all finished school, she then allowed us to go out with our co-workers but still made sure she was up and awake to hear our stories when we came home.
I have to add this, I come from an old family, but we were not materially rich when I was growing up. The Philippines was in a major recession brought about by Marcos’s martial law and plunder of the Philippines from 1978 to 1986. My siblings and I are individually well-off today because of the discipline my mom instilled in each of us, the creativity that she nurtured in us.
Let’s put it this way also, my mom gave us so little in terms of allowance that I had to start making my own money and learning to make financial decisions when I was a teenager and for this I thank her now.
About Baguio Street Gangs
Much has been written about the 28 or so fraternities that are terrorizing the city. There was a summit, there’s a to-do about the SLU-Patriotic pending rumble, there’s going to be another summit. Bars in the city are not safe, the police are plainly tired of brawls that they do not even see these as crimes anymore.
These Baguio children are spoiled. And don’t tell me that the only spoiled kids are rich kids. My waiter gives his 5-year old Php20 everyday on top of her baon and wonders why she gives the money away to her classmates. I told him, “Because she doesn’t NEED the money at that age — what were you thinking?!”
Parents want to give their children things that they did not have as children. I hear this all the time from people my age whose kids are already teenagers or young adults.
Sorry, people, that’s not how it works. You are not helping your children by giving them a car or material things. You will help them more by teaching them how to LEARN and EARN. Winston’s cousin was given a car and what does he do, he almost decapitates himself by “totaling” it under a truck near Bell Church (70 meter skid marks, that kid was going fast).
These street gangs are moving around with guns and knives. They do not fight with just their fists. Where in the name of — do they get the money to buy these weapons? And where are their parents? These kids all have cellphones, then parents please GPS them so you know where they are. And why should they not be kept at home after school hours? Are our educational standards already so low that they can go to school for a few hours, kill each other until midnight and — not do any homework?
Parents can help their children more by being there for them and nurturing their creativity. The kids are rumbling and grumbling because they are BORED! Very few here are given music lessons or go to dance classes. Martial arts training would be good, too. And if you argue that these are activities only for the rich, there are other good ways for parents and their children to bond — how about grandma teaching the kids to crochet, or board games played by the whole family, or picnics, or window shopping? How about keeping them busy by making a game out of household chores.
When my mom didn’t have money, we would take some old newspapers, cardboard and gawgaw and do papier mache. We played with our cousins patintero and piko or jackstones and agawan base, even when we were teenagers already, and always under the watchful eyes of one responsible adult at all times.
In other words, until we were 21, as the age of majority was still that then, we were always under the supervision of a much older person, usually a parent, never a cousine or friend who was slightly older.
What children need most from the parents, even if they do not know it, want it or appreciate it, is TIME and LOVE. Discipline is one of the languages of love.
It’s hard to say no to a child, but if a parent want the child safe and productive in later years, it may be wiser to practice saying NO.
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In a few days, I will publish a second part about what the Baguio schools can do to stop the street gangs.
Added 9/24/09, 4:46 a.m. This second part is taking a bit longer than I thought because I need some statistics and they are hard to come by. In the meantime, enjoy reading the comments made by parents, children and peace-loving citizens of the city. It’s fun — and disturbing at times — to learn the way people who live here think but I truly believe this discussion is important so we can all get a glimpse of what is ailing the youth and their parents.
We just...
Hi, Liza! ‘great you tackled this issue…alarming indeed…worse than the garbage problem I should say.
You mentioned about martial arts training. ‘just staged the University Martial Arts Challenge in Trinidad yesterday wherein around 10 schools/universities of Baguio and La Trinidad participated. It was actually a joint-project of the National Oriental Federation-Phils (NOFP) and the Jun Labo Sports Foundation, organized by my team, EventsPro. Whether or not the former Mayor is running (again) is not an issue for us actually…we accepted the project because we believed in the event’s objective of offering sports (specially that Oriental Sport or O-SPort is an internationally known martial arts discipline) to address the growing problem of street gangs and fraternities. Just so people would understand, released an article recently in the papers on this. I hope the new Mayor will take this major concern as his top priority. Btw, NOFP does training in schools and in their gym…the group also trains for free those who want to be trained but can’t afford to pay the fee.
Values…the parents of these lost kids I think failed to instill the necessary values any child should absorb. Why? I suppose it’s one of the many manifestations of a much harder life now that parents spend very little time or, no time at all, to guide their children. We’re blessed to have parents who knew very well their responsibilities.
One of the things that I’d like to see done soon is having an event that would showcase the old street games we had before as you mentioned so the younger population could see and appreciate them. I know DECS has a program on that I think but implementation seems to be very weak as I don’t hear much about it for quite some time already. ‘be nice to see the kids now playing those old games in the gang-free streets of Baguio.
Looking forward to your part 2. God bless!
Hi Vic,
That’s a great idea: “an event that would showcase old street games.” The kids can start forming patintero teams already. Let’s start floating that idea around … Hey, we can even turn the Jadewell parking area in Burnham Park into patintero grounds.
Regarding the “manifestation of a much harder life” … Giving birth may be easy but raising kids is hard whether rich or poor, a responsibility that lasts for decades. Lack of time or money should never be an excuse for bad parenting.
That’s a perfect spot for the “patintero challenge.” Given enough funding, my team is really keen on doing such event soon…would be very glad to have concerned people like you supporting it. I agree, let’s start talking about it with everyone.
We actually want to do our version of the “Sport for All” Program which other countries have already been doing. Hopefully, we can do it soon…need to double my efforts though in finding events investors or title sponsors first so we can do it.
Bad Parenting is only an effect I think of having a bad life…I’d like to believe that every parent who has turned out to be “bad” has no intention at all of becoming a bad parent, in the first place. Life circumstances (of either the rich or the poor)somehow forced him to behave like one. However, his life doesn’t and should not stop there. If he still allows his self to be a bad parent despite his awareness of what he has become…despite the fact that the ill effects are glaring enough for anyone not to see them, then as clear as the morning sun, he needs divine and professional interventions I think…
Hi again Vic,
Oh, I believe that every parent has only the best intentions for his or her child! And that no one wants to even be called a bad parent. But it is important to determine responsibility here, especially since the existence of street gangs is evidence of the moral decay of society and young hoodlums are not simply the problem of the parent but the problem of the whole populace.
The Philippines and Filipinos must start understanding that before we complicate things further, we must take a step back and assess why everyone is in such a rut, instead of making excuses like “I am in a rut therefore I am entitled to –” so we stop digging ourselves in deeper.
So as for the street gang members, what’s the excuse for parents to allow their kids out at night? Why are their parents either uncaring or helpless to discipline them?
And as for the local government, why are street gangs with criminal inclinations acceptable?
We used to have a curfew for minors — it was first suggested here at Baguio Insider, and I was so happy when the mayor implemented it — but that lasted only for a while even when during that time, the crimes perpetrated by the street gangs lessened.
This is a serious problem for a city that the mayor calls the “Educational Center of the North” — to have such young hoodlums terrorizing residents and tourists unabated.
p.s.
“Street games” are wonderful Filipino activities that are wholesome, require very little equipment or expense, develop teamwork and encourage physical fitness. Imagine if street gangs could settle a dispute through patintero instead? That would get them tired and they can have as many rematches as they want! Hahaha!
i appreciate the effort that you put,and i agree that the parents are responsible for the safety of our children,but it is unfair that you generalize or you presume that all children who joins gangs are troubled and spoiled kids.
I maybe a young mother to a fifteen year old child,we may not have a perfect family,but I have instilled to my children the value of hard earned money,the importance of education and shared to him the Love of the Almighty.
I think that you understand so little because you are not a mother.
Your first lesson is to go out there and talk to all these children so you will know their reasons.SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG BUT DO NOT SAY IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO HORRIBLE PARENTING!I spent a good amount of time with my children and I am a working mother..BUt unfortunately,i cannot be with them all the time..when my son lived,he was always a victim of the street,whether just passing by or buying at a nearby store.These gangsters took his cap,kicked him when he would not give 20 pesos for their ‘yosi’,bullied him,I have so much heartache I worry each time he goes out of our house.He is always at home when some children prefers to be out there.It is never ok to stay out at night,my husband always brings them to and back to school..but what can i say..Baguio is no longer the kind of place..I do not know how to address this issue..but DO NOT POINT FINGERS! BEFORE YOU DO,ASK YOURSELF IF THERE WAS EVEN SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE!Where were you 3 or 4 years ago when all of these gangsterhood were forming?So you had to wait all these years before you decided to write that this is all due to bad parenting!
I am a single parent and i do not think that all the blame should be put to parenting..it has also to do with soceity..when my 19 year old kid steps out of the house,all sorts of things happen..when the son of my co employee died of a gang related crime last year, i packed our things and looked for work in manila..Baguio is no longer safe to raise our children.
Mother Theresa,
I have been working with kids to keep them safe. My business partner and I run a free table tennis clinic for teenagers to instill in them responsibility, team work, and keep them safe where their parents can’t. We teach them after school, feed them and bring them home. We have a 100% record in terms of board passers for nursing because the kids will not play if they do not do well in school first. We do this so they can also have free college education through sports scholarships.
I worry precisely because a child like yours can get attacked without provocation.
The person primarily responsible for a child is the parent. Then the schools, then the rest of us who are not related to you because, believe it or not, I feel that the success of your child is my responsibility, too, even though we have never met.
It is our responsibility to make sure the city is a safe place, so no excuses are allowed, otherwise there will be as many different excuses as there are residents.
I am sorry about your son. I may not have my own child but I do take care of many, many teenagers everyday, explaining to them how right or correct their parents are — because at that age, they tend to listen more to groovy aunties than their own adults (whom they think “do not understand them.”)
My mom kept us safe by not allowing us to even go to the store, and keeping us off the street. She planned for everything we would need and provided it at home so we would not have to even go out. And we were not rich, and she was a solo parent and she was working.
Hi Melanie,
I agree this is a problem of society — but who composes society? Families, parents, children, businesses, schools, police. It is a problem because for as many street gang members, there are parents who have allowed their formation or for their kids to join one.
And now kids feel that they have to join one gang or another so that they, too, will be “safe.” It becomes a vicious cycle of violence. We must stop this, decisively, now.
The city government is dialoguing with the gangs. But this is not enough. We must all be part of the solution. But parents first, then the schools, then the rest of us. Because their foundation for becoming good people must be made solid.
Being a person closer to the age group of these teenagers who join street gangs, I actually know a number of them, and I have openly expressed my distaste with their actions. For example (yes, this is true), many of them actually WANT to go to jail for gang-related crime because it serves as a coming-of-age ritual for them, sort of like a “badge of experience” for them.
Eventually I told these groups that if ever any harm ever comes to me and my own, no matter how small, I will personally find each and every way possible to extract some sort of retribution against ALL of them.
As for the parents, if they can’t even take care of their kids, they shouldn’t have had kids in the first place–another reason why I advocate expansive contraceptive programs.
Hi Dion,
I was 35 when I was first made aware of the street gangs, when I was running Freddie’s Billiards and dialogued every day with good college students who would play during their breaks or on weekends. (They had to show me passing grades to play, and banned those whom we knew to be high school and college dropouts from being customers).
Some were gang members but the gangs knew they were not welcome there, not even in my parking lot, and I would talk to them all, even their handlers who were a little younger than me. I made sure Freddie’s was a “safe haven,” free from rumbles.
It takes older people to put a stop to this madness. They behave because we make sure they understand that we will not condone their shenanigans.
But the older people who should first put a stop to this are their own parents. And if one of the most violent members is the son of a former chief of police who felt he was untouchable because of his father’s connections, and this “protection” was extended to his gang mates, then we do have a problem, don’t we?
And yup, the problem is that this city keeps breeding parents who breed them, without the wherewithal to raise them properly, and unleashing them into the streets. Then of course there’s that law that was sponsored by my old friend Francis Pangilinan that does not allow them to go to jail for their crimes but does not penalize their parents either…
Harsh words, I know — and people will take issue with my being so vocal — but true!
We all went through our very own younger days. Wily, out of control, being young offered experiences that goes beyond the realms of legal discipline. Depending on the youth’s socialization among the factors that affect his upbringing, he metamorphoses from a child to a young adult either as a law abiding individual or otherwise.
The young of today tend to be fraternal. They’re an all for one, one for all gangsters of hot burning lava ready to blow off anytime, once provoked. A sense of brother hood, a kill or be killed attitude, that is what every gangster member is made of. Knowing the youth of today, they tend to be responsive with what ever threat that befalls them. They get easily annoyed once a rival group threatens any member.
I recall a movie entitled City of God. Ironically the title doesn’t fit the movie’s story, it is exactly the opposite. In the movie, young adults and children tend to find refuge not in their families. They find security and stability with their peers who held guns, used drugs and into prostitution. They don’t believe in education and parental control. But they do believe in God, and they were mislead that God had a purpose for them, kill or be killed to survive, a creed taught to every new member by the gangs big bosses. The toughest among the brood was their saviour, protector from the threats that awaits them in every corner of their territory. They didnt believe in the law, law did not exist. This isn’t just a movie, it was based on real situations, real people. And it is happening now, a problem every neighborhood within the city needs to address immediately before hell breaks lose.
Living in a country with good laws assures a citizen of a safe and secure society to live in. However, laws remain as mere written doctrines embedded in books and records without implementation, lacking its true purpose, social order. It needs fangs to bite on offenders, it should be implemented to its maximum, with no exemption or whatsoever. We have laws requiring the youth to clear the streets of Baguio after 9 p.m., ensuring the safety of our children and the community as well. Republic Act No. 9344, an act establishing a comprehensive juvenile justice and welfare system, creating the juvenile justice and welfare council under the department of justice, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes. It is just one law among a premise of other similar laws so poorly implemented.
Just recently a student ofSaint Louis University Laboratory High School was brutally killed by fellow youths. Law enforcers failed law implementation resulting to violence that could have been deterred if laws were implemented (the incident happened in broad daylight. Was it circumstantial? I guess not. Are the law enforcers liable and should be blamed for their negligence? Parents too have obligations to be aware of every activity their children undergo. Do we have to blame the parents for being negligent?
Incidents similar to what had occurred happens everyday. Laws are made to establish order in society. It should be implemented to the maximum. If only law itself can do what it was mandated for, if it could only roam and apprehend those who violates, implementing it’s power, humanity in a civilized society will enjoy the benefits it offers. Blaming the law is absurd, but blaming society for creating lost young souls is justifiable.
There are two sides of every coin, and I do not generalized generation y, there are of course good breeds among them.
Society must act fast, before our millenials take over, in chaos and not in peace,they are growing fast…. and in numbers.
Hi Renie,
We are all fraternal and sociable — God made us this way. You remember being a teenager, so do I, and yes we had “wild days” and each generation feels the later one is wilder.
And of course there are good kids, more than there are bad kids but that there are 28 street gangs with a growing membership Baguio must sit up and take notice and be decisive.
Heretofore, no one has blamed the parents, I would say, so I expect a lot of flak and welcome it even, from folks like Mother Theresa above. I try to avoid the assignment of blame, really, and merely try to point out who is responsible for whom at what point.
But honestly, why put the responsibility on the cops for not enforcing the law, when we should get down to the basics of family life, where good parenting must be emphasized.
I have a niece in Baguio who got initiated by a gang. She came home with her face all beat up, and lied about the initiation and said she was accosted by a gang that rivaled the one she was joining. Her uncle, who is probably your age, who has his “frat” days too (”but it was just all about fists”) almost started a generation X versus generation Y war.
She wanted to belong somewhere. Her parents dealt with that threat of joining a “frat” decisively with sanctions, a lot of counseling and eventually made sure she joined the basketball gang in school instead where she now very happy.
In other words, her parents LISTENED not to the lies of the child, or the kid’s excuses, but listened to what her heart was saying, “Mom and Dad, I want to join a group of people who like the same things I do, help me find them and join them.”
Lawlessness is, yes, a problem of enforcement. But let’s get down to the basics, why are there young hoodlums? Because there are parents who are NEGLIGENT and HELPLESS in the performance of their duties and responsibilities of raising good citizens and keeping them safe.
Hi Lisa,
Would be nice to know the stats on absentee parents of these kids who work abroad. Also, maybe this is a good time to offer subjects on parenting in college. And just maybe, our city’s decay contributes to this kind of behaviour from our kids.
If I were the Mayor of Baguio, I will declare a “Day of Self-Assessment.”
WOuld be good to see everyone seriously assessing themselves just like when we do teambuilding exercises. I wonder what happens next when everyone really does the exercise and thereafter, make the necessary changes…I think good behavior would be very much evident in the City.
When I moved in here a few months back, one thing I read in a street lamp post in Lourdes was the notice on curfew…I felt really good knowing that there’s one here but days passed, was wondering already why I see a lot of teens still roaming around even after the supposedly curfew hours. Again, “ningas cogon” is unfortunately practiced.
You’re right on the advantages patintero can bring to our street gangs hehehe…will consider inviting the gangs then
Keep safe, Liza!
Hiya Resty,
Count the number of kids in dorms in the city and you know how many are absentee parents. But ALL those frat kids I know ALL have parents who live in the city who give them an allowance, allow them to hang around in the streets, allow them to sleep over elsewhere, and who feel secure that their parents will bail them out of the messes they will get themselves into.
Then they grow up to be young adults whom we can jail if they keep to the ways they are accustomed to, then they will become parents who will be unable to discipline their kids, too. And it will be a vicious cycle.
Hello Vic,
Yup that curfew is more necessary now. Plus a strict enforcement on the sale of alcohol to minors because they can buy gin from sari sari stores just like that. I don’t know where they get the guns — from their parents?
We must get creative here while pinpointing responsibility and yes, we must self-assess (I actually do that all the time — what am I doing right for the Philippines, what am I doing wrong, where can I improve?). And I found that the reason I moved to Baguio in the first place is still the better solution for everything — keep it simple, get down to basics, less materialism, more generosity (give until it becomes painful), SWOT-ing oneself, “market basket-ing” oneself works.
Must reach out, must educate, must influence, must engage, provide creative solutions.
my parents raised me up well..the checklist you have right above whatever is your basis in a way was how my family raised me.I am 19 years old and i am a gangster..i am an OG-or a gang leader.i do not have issues at home..THE REASON I JOINED IS BECAUSE OF PEER PRESSURE,I MIGHT ADD-BIG IMPACT!..9 out of 10 children have gangs nowadays..i am hurt that you blame parents for what we have become..it is petty,but it is what is in right now.YOU CANNOT BLAME ME TOO BECAUSE OF ALL THE AMOUNT OF BULLYING I GET WHEN I AM IN SCHOOL..I DECIDED TO JOIN SO I HAVE A PROTECTION EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT IS NOT RIGHT.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW,YOUR KID COULD BE A GANGSTER,YOUR NEPHEW OR YOUR NIECE COULD BE A GANGSTER..IT IS A FREEWILL..it is funny u compare and one of u even says we should play patintero..what a joke..i play guitar,piano i even know how to play drums..i am intelligent,i go to an exclusive school,i am not good in sports but i know best how to swim..my parents doesnt know..WHEN ALL ARE GANGSTERS IT WILL BE EASIER FOR U NOT TO IDENTIFY KUNG SINO ANG HINDI MGA GANGSTERS..
Hi Leann, and thanks for giving us the point of view of a “gangster.”
“I DECIDED TO JOIN SO I HAVE A PROTECTION EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT IS NOT RIGHT.”
There are other recourses one can take when subjected to bullying, and it is not to get protection from other kids your age. You may be too young to understand, but if you are the instrument to stop bullying once and for all, then peace can reign in your school and in the streets.
When one is bullied, there are disciplinary and administrative actions that your school affords you. I am sure you have guidance counselors and advisers. Trust them. They act as guardians when you are under their care and can protect you better by putting a stop to the bullying once and for all.
When one joins a gang, once has the benefit of protection yes, but you also extract retribution when one of your own is — rightly or wrongly, with provocation or without — harmed. And you will continue this cycle of violence for which there is no end, for as long as the youth gangs are around.
And what are your activities as a gang? Are you doing productive things or just hanging around? Go home, your parents love you and will protect you and will teach you better things than the people your age can.
SI JUSTIN NGA NAMATAY NG UMAGA PAPUNTA LANG NG SCHOOL..ANONG MASASABI NYO DUN?PARENTING PA RIN..EH DI KAYO NA LANG ANG MAGHATID SA MGA BATA SA SCHOOL DIN PARA MABANTAYAN NYO LAHAT..SI CALPITO,CHURCH WORKER PA YUNG TATAY..IF NOT MISTAKEN HARAP PA NG CHURCH NILA PINATAY YUNG BATA..bad parenting pa din ba?ahaUha..kakatawa na..DAPAT MAGTAYO TAYO NG GANGBUSTER!DI NA UMUUBRA YUNG PA CUTE CUTE NA STYLE!..SA AMIN SA LIPA,MAY MGA GANGSTERS NA DIN PERO HINDI GANITO KALALA..YUNG KAKILALA KO,3YEARS AGO PA YUN,NILOOBAN YUNG BAHAY NILA SA AURORA HILL,5KIDS..HINOLD UP..MAY BARIL PA SILA,TAS MAY MGA HOOD AT MGA PANYO TAKIP SA MUKHA..THEY TOOK ANYTING THAT IS VALUABLE..NGAYON PA LANG NAHULI YUNG MGA BATA..DI UUBRA YANG MGA PANTINTERO AT PA TENNIS TENNIS APPROACH NA YAN!YUNG IBANG BATA KAKILALA KO,MISMONG PAMANGKIN KO,WALA NAMANG PINAGKAIBA SA PAGPAPALAKI SA AMIN NUN..AYUN GANGSTER PABALIKBALIK NG KULUNGAN..YUNG ANAK NG KUMPARE KO,TANGGAL ANG ISANG MATA..WALA NAMAN AKONG NAKIKITA NA MALI SA PAGPAPALAKI..PAG SINASABI NYO TO,ALL THE MORE NA SASABIHIN NG MGA BATA NA KASALANAN PALA NG MGA MAGULANG EH ANO NGAYON..mabuti na lang tong website mo eh di babasahin ng mga bata sa tingin ko kasi panay sulat na mahahaba..di na marunong magbasa ang mga bata ngayon..MADALI LANG KAYONG MAGSULAT NG KUNG ANU ANO..EH KUNG NANJAN KAYO,EH DI SANA WALANG GANG GANG SA BAGUIO..
NO MORE MR.NICE GUY..
Mr. Nice Guy,
Si Justin ay namatay hindi dahil nagkulang and mga magulang NIYA, nguni’t and mga magulang ng pumatay sa kanya.
Anong klaseng pag-iisip ang ginanawa mo, iho? Masyadong banking! So ang sinasabi mo ay nais mo na ang umiral sa mga kalye ay karahasan? Umalis ka na sa Baguio kung ganoon, kasi kaming nakatira dito ay nagnanais ng kapayapaan.
And website na ito ay kaya ninyong basahin kung kayo ay nag-aaral o natututo o nag-iisip ng tuwid. Dahil masyadong yatang malalim ang usapin para sa mga taong gustong lang maging astig at kriminal.
Hindi po ganito ang Baguio. Hindi kami papayag na sirain ninyo dahil wala kayong pinatutunguan sa inyong buhay at gusto ninyo pang mandamay ng iba.
why didnt u post my comment..because u r one sided and nagpapa cute lang.u should not write something that u did not experience..walang nalalaman sa pagiging magulang.
Carl,
You have no comment in my moderation queue before this one. Send it again so everyone can read your thoughts. Maybe you don’t know how to post a comment in a blog that moderates comments.
Oh dearest, one does not have to be a parent to know what is right or wrong or to appreciate the difficulty of raising a child.
Now, those who decided to have children must also not hide behind the “you don’t know how it is” excuse and take responsibility for the safety of the children, the same way we who chose not to have children also try to make this world a safer and better place for everyone — young or old.
When one is bullied, there are disciplinary and administrative actions that your school affords you. I am sure you have guidance counselors and advisers..
it goes on and on..guidance counselors and advisers are no longer heard..”5-0″ nga o police eh di na kinatatakutan..and didnt you hear that GANGS ARE LEGAL IN BAGUIO..we have members who are already adult enough and working..so i guess di na nila kelangan ng parents to know it wrong..
And what are your activities as a gang? Are you doing productive things or just hanging around? Go home, your parents love you and will protect you and will teach you better things than the people your age can.
when i joined,i had visions of making it right..but i guess there are more spoiled tomatoes than the good ones..but once a gangster..will always be a gangster..
i failed to add,nung palagi akong nagsusumbong parang lumalabas ako ang delinquent..girls my age waited for me after school..and it wasnt fair because they will be not less than 5..sometimes 10 or 13.one time i almost peed my pants i thought i was going to die..all because sabi masama daw ang tingin ko..and you should see my guidance councilor!pathetic..at this age,you should put someone in position with character so people my age will have interest and will listen..that is just me outside looking in..
some of us are well raised by our parents..but this is what is going on if we are out there..
Hi Leann,
“It goes on and on..guidance counselors and advisers are no longer heard..”5-0? nga o police eh di na kinatatakutan”
Actually, it’s your comments and insights that interest me the most, the way you think, your justifications. The way you LOVE being a gangster and feel that violence should be a way of life.
It’s sad that you do not have any respect for or trust in the adults who are in charge of your education and upbringing. It is sad that they cannot discern how you guys feel, or have any solutions to keep you safe, except to watch helplessly as you do whatever you please.
Your comments here should give adults a great starting point for dealing with your problems. By the way gangs, groups, fraternities are not illegal. We are all free to associate with whomever we want. What is illegal are the crimes perpetrated by bad elements, gang members or not — physical injuries, homicide, murder, drugs, underage drinking.
This is a thought I put to you — how do you see you and your friends’ lives in, say, 5 years? Will you be done with school, employed? Do you have dreams? Do you respect the dreams of others enough to leave them alone the way you want to be left alone? When you have your own son, will you encourage him to join a gang?
Leann, I glean from your comments that you are female, am I right?
Hi Lisa,
May I share this 2007 article from groundreport.com? It’s entitled “Street gangs undermining peace and order in RP’S Summer Capital”
(Start of article) The peace and order of the summer capital of the Philippines is yet again threatened by the resurgence of street gangs. The new breed of young generation populating Baguio City is the kind of junkies who are more daring, vicious, and disrespectful and war freak and unsurprisingly — belongs to the rich families.
It was in the 70s and early 80s when Baguio City was hounded by the daily troubles committed by street gangs. Killings, drug trafficking and addiction, robbery and other infractions are what the gangs are known for. But when the city has had enough, the chief of police then had started a campaign against criminality. Brutality and decisive police action were implemented and almost all the gangsters were eliminated one after the other. Human rights group was critical on the police action, the community appreciated the authorities after the gangs were finally nailed to the coffin of extinction.
But after a short period of relative peace and calm, the summer capital is again back in turmoil. The 21st century gangters are now prowling the city streets, establishments like malls, schools, parts, disco and beer house where they meet and conduct their illegal activities. These gangsters are composed of young men and women with the consent of some adults who have a say in the community, and of course uses them as fronts in illegal activities.
The gangters are like bees because they have their own territory to protect, and anyone caught trespassing in others backyard, will lead to trouble and eventually killing each other to the max. These gangsters are invasive/deadly and they are defiant towards the authorities and constantly bring fear to the community. So, maybe police action is again needed in the style of Dirty Harry? And let these gangsters know that they’ve got to be stopped at any cost. (End of article)
I too love Baguio and am submitting above for Lisa’s approval with the desire to let decent, peace-loving and law-abiding baguio residents know that this problem with gangs is not new. We have eliminated the problem before and we can do it again.
Hi Beth,
Thanks for this!
“These gangsters are composed of young men and women with the consent of some adults who have a say in the community, and of course uses them as fronts in illegal activities.”
Yup, the youth gangs are being “handled” by “older gangsters” who insist that the kids cannot be stopped anyway and need some regulation. I know one or two of them.
Then there are the parents of these “frat kids,” because many of them are minors or joined the gangs as minors. The former either consent to the shenanigans or are such emotional absentees that they are content with not knowing what’s going on in their kids’ lives, or helpless to do anything about it.
I know many of them.
Baguio is losing its sense of community, with so many strangers amongst us now — 30,000 college students from out of town, plus migrant teachers and carinderia operators, pirated dvd vendors, etc — all desperate of a better life and thinking that Baguio City is the place that will hand it to them.
We must fight for peace. No such thing as achieving peace through negligence when vigilance is most necessary.
Hi Ms.Lisa,
I read this article though i guess my comments were quite a month late already (hehe..)
Anyway,I find this topic really interesting and shoud be really given focus both my our government and parents themselves.You see,I used to be a regular speaker/host/resource person for Marriage & Counselling (couples to be married are to attend this one in order to get a certificate then permit). I certainly agree with you that it is the responsibility of the parents to take care of each of their child and that there is no excuses (at all) as to why and how they become who they are right now. I believe also that there is no deliquent children but only deliquent parents.
Read about the one woman who has commented that all these problems with the youth in Baguio (gangters, etc) should not be solely pointed to parents. I only have this to say to you: Whatever the outcome of your children all boils down to how they were raised us a kid. You can never excuse work from being a responsible parent. Heck,we all work our lives everyday. I do. I’ve got businesses to attend to everyday but that doesn’t have to be an excuse ” for not being able to be with my child all the time”. Ang ibang magulang kasi iniisip na pag-sinabi mo na responsible parenting eh yun bawat segundo dapat nandun ka sa tabi ng anak mo. Hindi po ganun.
Responsible in a way that you know who your child is and attends to all their needs as much as possible..all the time. You trust yourself enough that you have produced a good person in your child and that child will only become an asset to the society and not end up in jail.
You are right Ms. Lisa. Family is the main core of the society. If families fail,society fails. Laging ganon. Kasi saan ba nanggaling ang mga bata? Hindi ba sa magulang? Saan sila nakatira? Sa iisang bahay. Kung ang isang bahay ay hindi maganda ang pundasyon, hindi matatag, chances are, paglabas ng bata, may takot, may pressure, etc.
Protection. As a parent, we all want our child to be protected from harmful things. Pero kung sana nga lahat ng parents responsible enough, sana wala ng tayong dapat katakutan.Kasi alam natin walang masamang bagay na mangyayari sa kanila kasi lahat ng bata napalaking maayos ng magulang. But the reality is here. Nandyan na sila. There is no more time for blaming but only for reconstructing.
What we can do best now is to produce quality parents in us. Quality parents results to quality children. If parents do not become or behaves as they should be,let’s not expect good results.
“my parents raised me up well..the checklist you have right above whatever is your basis in a way was how my family raised me.I am 19 years old and i am a gangster..i am an OG-or a gang leader.i do not have issues at home..THE REASON I JOINED IS BECAUSE OF PEER PRESSURE,I MIGHT ADD-BIG IMPACT!..9 out of 10 children have gangs nowadays..i am hurt that you blame parents for what we have become..it is petty,but it is what is in right now.YOU CANNOT BLAME ME TOO BECAUSE OF ALL THE AMOUNT OF BULLYING I GET WHEN I AM IN SCHOOL..I DECIDED TO JOIN SO I HAVE A PROTECTION EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT IS NOT RIGHT. -from leann
In the first place,how can you say that your parents raised you well? What are your own basis for this conclusion iha?
If your parents raised you well, you wouldn’t have given into peer pressure. Whatever impact it is. Lahat ng bata nagdadaan sa peer pressure pero hindi lahat napipilit sa pressure. Dahil may sarili kang decision to do it or not.
If your parents raised you well, you shouldn’t have been in that Gang, because you are CONSCIOUS ENOUGH (you admit it, right) that it is not right being there. The real prtoection that you’re looking for can only be given by God and by your parents. No one else can protect you more than them. Why? Dahil sila rin ang matatakbuhan mo in the end. Your parents are the only people that will love you, accept you and protect you. Now if you don’t find this three in your home,chances are sa iba mo talaga hahanapin yun. In the end,you will only find yourself producing kids same as you were raised, as your choice – a Gangster.
Thanks again for the nice article Ms. Lisa. I hope maraming magulang ang makabasa nito and wag silang ma-offend if they know enough sa sarili nila na responsable silang magulang.
(”,)
Hi Cherie,
Although this is a blog, folks comment for YEARS after each post is published and all are welcome, most are still timely. For the topics discussed here are still pretty current (Korean impact, distribution of land, satellite markets, beautification/.uglification), especially since there is no marked improvement in the quality of the lives of the people.
Thank you for your comments. I agree that quality children can only come from quality parents. Forums held in the city after this post was published ALL talked about responsible parenting as the main solution to the street gangs. How can it be anything else?
We all know what is right and wrong. We would be lying to ourselves if we start accepting our excuses as justifications for the things we do wrong or the things we fail to do.