ASU donates seized items to CICL, women shelters

The Davao City Ancillary Services Unit (ASU) has donated sacks of shoes and used clothes (ukay-ukay) to children, girls, and women in various shelters managed by the city government.   

The donated shoes and clothes were confiscated by ASU from vendors illegally occupying and selling along the city sidewalks. Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and abused girls and women were recipients of the donated items.

Bahay Pag-asa Center manager Gina Autida said about 55 CICL boys received pairs of shoes, two sacks of shoes and one sack of used clothes to the Sidlakan Women Center and two sacks of shoes and one small sack of used clothes to the CIC-Balay Dangupan. 

CIC-Balay Dangupan is a care institution serving as a temporary substitute home for children who are victims of physical and sexual abuse while the Sidlakan Women Crisis Center (Victim of Violence Against Women and Children) is a 24-hour intervention center for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.

Autida said the boys aged 12 to 18 at the Bahay Pag-asa were happy with their pairs of shoes that they can wear during the center activities.

“Nalingaw jud intawon sila kay feeling nila naa sila sa night market. Ang ubang mga bata nisulod diri lawas lang ang dala wala jud gamit kay sugod sa pandemic no see policy na dili sila pwede bisitahon.  (The boys had fun. They felt like they were in the night market. Most of the kids who came here had nothing and since the pandemic they could not receive visitors because of our no see policy),” Autida told the City Information Office (CIO). 

Meanwhile, City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) chief Ma. Luisa Bermudo said her office received a total of 10 sacks from the ASU and these were distributed to the city’s various residential facilities.

“The kids in Bahay Pag-asa were the ones who sorted out the shoes and paired them. They were also made to choose for themselves their pair of footwear,” she said.

She thanked (Paul) Bermejo, the chief of the ASU, for the donation to the kids who were excited and enjoyed pairing the shoes after these were disinfected. 

Bahay Pag-asa, now called as Davao City Children’s Village was established 12 years ago as a temporary shelter for CICL whose cases have been filed in court and are waiting for the disposition of their cases. The center currently houses 93 CICL.

Bermejo said most of the confiscated items were from the fiesta fire in Panacan. The other seized goods were not claimed and accumulated over time and filled their storeroom. 

“We are glad the kids and other beneficiaries were happy to receive the shoes and ukay-ukay clothes. We have been donating for quite some time but it was the first time we donated everything from our bodega. The confiscated perishable goods like fish and fruits were also donated to Balay Pasilungan after we wait hours before 5 p.m. for owners to claim them,” Bermejo said. CIO