A time of hope, rebirth, and renewal, Easter is as important as Christmas. It is quiet, meaningful, and low key. There is no pressure for gift-giving and celebrating. Lent, the solemn 40-day period of self-denial, fasting, and abstinence, is finally over.
Children enjoy the traditional Easter egg hunt, but the prizes are simple goodies. No flashy gadgets and fireworks.
The country is in crisis mode.
Most people must juggle the discomfort of blistering heat and migraine-inducing fuel and electricity bills, and the possible loss of income and jobs.
Child protection should be one of the priorities of the government. The process is complicated. It begins with awareness.
Abused children need medical care, psychological therapy, rehabilitation for the victim, legal action, due process, and punishment for the guilty perpetrator.
A HAVEN
In April 1993, my first column, “A Haven for young girls. …” was published in the opinion page of this prestigious newspaper. It was based on interviews with abused girls and the congregation of sisters who specialized in caring for them. They had a quaint home with a garden with blossoms and leafy trees. Located in cool Tagaytay near the ridge, it was postcard pretty.
The young boarders were victims of a secret crime — incest. The children had been violated or pimped by the men in their families — the grandfather, father, brother, cousins, or uncle. Occasionally, repeatedly. All abused girls share similar characteristics. They are anxious, depressed, afraid, hurt, battered, and manipulated. They have been forced and threatened to remain silent and compliant. Being a victim is probably equivalent to hell on earth, on a level of Dante’s Inferno. It is the ultimate form of slavery.
This writer met the dynamic superior, the Spanish Sr. Isadora Irisarri, and Sr. Nida Viovicente at a Jungian retreat workshop on dreams. Their unique mission was to work with marginalized women — prostitutes in Venezuela, bar girls in Cebu, poor street girls in Metro Manila.
The fateful meeting was insightful, and a long friendship was forged. An advocacy to help protect abused girls was born. This commitment continues through the proceeds from solo art exhibits and productions.
BENEFACTORS
Over the years, the sisters have had different benefactors — civic groups such as the Rotarians who built the quaint house with a dorm for 24 boarders. The property was donated by Lulu Baltazar-Benitez. They built a lovely, sunlit chapel in memory of her daughter-in-law, BBB.
Among the partners were the Department of Social Welfare, the Western police district, psychologists, seminarians who taught religion, skilled artisans and artists who gave workshops in sewing, art, and livelihood crafts — rosary-making, quilting. They had a piano, a computer, and the basics. They attended a school nearby and wore uniforms.
The girls have mounted an art exhibit of playful colorful mobiles and paintings at the Ayala Museum to mark the silver anniversary of their benefactor, the Consuelo Zobel Foundation, which donated the other home, Serra’s Center (on F.B. Harrison St.) for the street girls.
It is important to mention that the Child Protection Network (CPU-PGH), led by executive director-pediatrician Dr. Bernadette Madrid (a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee in 2023) and volunteer lawyers who worked with Sr. Nida. Among them is Katrina Legarda, the legal luminary, professor, and director of Women and Children Protection Unit.
It has been 33 years. There has been a tedious process of reorganization.
A NOBLE MISSION
Sr. Nida said that the missionaries are determined to fulfill their noble mission — despite the challenges and obstacles, and the lack of funding especially during the pandemic.
A small new community in Marikina was set up by Sr. Nida and Sr. Marietta about 10 years ago, The Marian Missionaries of the Philippines. They do family counseling and psychological rehab work with children in Palawan, Cebu, and Metro Manila.
Over the years, this writer has interviewed young victims. Their stories are truly heart-breaking and moving.
Twin Amerasians escaped the clutches of vile male relatives. One twin offered herself to spare her twin sister. They were only nine years old. At 17, they went to college through grants from the Pearl Buck Foundation. They worked and have blossomed into social workers who counsel children. They are giving back. I met them again and marveled at how they developed. It was heartwarming.
The missionaries and the “wounded healers” continue to give of themselves unceasingly.
A SAD STORY
A sad story surfaced a few days ago. It turns out that Ms. X had undergone the same ordeal as a child. She finally wrote about it, after four decades of silence.
It was a shock to friends because the perpetrator was a popular businessman. More than 40 years ago, he had taken advantage of his helpless nieces who were temporarily in his care. They could not complain due to the threat of the withdrawal of financial help to their family.
The belated admission seemed odd to those who read the story. “Why now? It’s been so long. What’s the reason?”
Ms. X explained that she needed to speak up and warn people about pedophiles. The man was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He had a dark, sinister, malevolent side.
There is no case to be made. No demands. Ms. X revealed her secret so that she could heal her shattered heart, pick up the pieces, and move forward. Her trauma and suffering were part of her painful journey to healing.
She lives and works in another country, far away from harm. She helps abused girls (through Sr. Nida) from a distance. One day, she hopes to meet the beneficiaries.
Long ago, our mothers warned, “Never take candy from a stranger.” In this case, it was a relative. A betrayal of the worst kind.
The secret crime remains a secret in some houses with manicured gardens, high walls, and barred windows. Gilded prisons for defenseless children at the mercy of “helpful” or “playful” male relatives.
A beloved spiritual adviser once explained, “One should not judge others. One should forgive and bless those who have hurt you.
A fallen woman who has risen from the ashes is an Easter woman.”
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
