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.

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.

(”,)

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.

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.

“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?

some of us are well raised by our parents..but this is what is going on if we are out there..

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..

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.

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.