Highly productive: 7 out of 10 KADAMAY families in Pandi have at least six children

The consolidated report of three Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), that conducted the census inside Pandi housing units occupied by urban militant group, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY), reveals that 7 out of 10 families have at least six children. The government sets three kids for each family, as ideal number considering the growing population, especially in below poverty communities.

Guild of Urban Planners and Livelihood Education (UPLE), the leading agency who conducted the census says the number of children inside Pandi housing units is alarming,

UPLE chairman Cristeta De Guzman said groups like KADAMAY will never recover from poverty if they continue to produce children without proper planning.

“Ang nagyayari kasi, anak lang sila ng anak without considering the future of their children. Dapat isipin din nila ang kapakanan ng mga anak nila. Yong mga adult nga e halo wala nang makain, e yong mga bata pa kaya. Hindi pwedeng i-asa na lang sa gobyerno lagi ang lahat”, De Guzman said.

[What is happening here is that, these people just continue making babies without considering the future of their children. They should also consider the good of their children. There are already shortage of foods for adults, how much more for these children? They could not always rely everything on the government]

De Guzman also added that problems in communities like in KADAMAY are always started with over-population, lack of education, juvenile crimes, and uneducated parents.

“Parents lack education, what can we expect from children? They can only increase the growing number of uneducated and unemployed Filipinos”, De Guzman added.

Another NGO Juvy Acosta said that another problem they discovered inside the community is that, some families just wanted to get 4Ps government aid without following the rules and guidelines.

“Ang Sistema kasi, bibigyan ka ng gobyerno kung mayroon kang estudyante. Ang problema e karamihan sa kanila gusto lang kumuha ng tulong pero ayaw paaralin ang mga bata. Wala ring mangyayari. Sayang lang.” [The rule is, the government will give you an aid through 4Ps program provided you send your kid to school. The problem is, most of them just wanted to get aid without following the policy. Nothing will happen], Acosta said.

Acosta added that the main problem in dealing with KADAMAY is ignorance and illiteracy.

“Ayaw kasi nilang making. Ang importante lang talaga sa kanila e kung merong magbigay sa kanila ng makain. Nainsulto pa nga yong DSWD employee na kasama naming nong sinabihan siya ng lalaki na (bakit pipirma pa e limang kilo lang naman ang ibibigay. Kung isang sako yan bibigyan pa kita ng magandang autograph0”, Acosta said [They don’t want to listen. What important to them is if there is something to eat. They even insulted a DSWD employee. Someone refused to sign because he got only 5 kilos.]

The consolidated report said that KADAMAY and other similar militant groups are sharing a big part in the Philippine’s poverty and literacy problem.

“Mabuti pa minsan ang mga katutubo,maintindihan mo pa kung kulang sila sa kaalaman. Itong mga kadamay may alam naman ngunit nagmamaang-maangan lang para may makuha sa gobyerno. Pangit lang sabihin pero karamihan talaga sa kanila tamad. Buti pa ang mga baboy, pag marami anak swerte ng may-ari. Itong mga KADAMAY walang silbi”, a mean comment from another NGO member who asked not to be named. /Sacha Sanchez/

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