Confiscated ukay-ukay clothes, shoes donated to kids

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 from vendors illegally occupying and selling along the city sidewalks.

Gina Autida, Bahay Pag-asa Center manager, said that 55 boys received shoes. The center is home to children in conflict with the law.

Autida said the boys, aged 12 to 18, were happy with the pairs of shoes that they can wear during the center’s 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.

Meanwhile, two sacks of shoes and one sack of used clothes were dropped at the Sidlakan Women Center, and two sacks of shoes and one small sack of used clothes were donated 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 is a 24-hour intervention center for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.

Ma, Luisa Bermudo, City Social Welfare Development Office chief, 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.

Bahay Pag-asa, now called the 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 CICLs.

Paul Bermejo, the chief of ASU, 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 waited hours before 5 p.m. for owners to claim them,” Bermejo said.