By: Thomas Arnold Vallejo
ILOILO CITY – Pastor Mark Cabag spearheaded the pre-launch of No More Orphans last Jan. 5, 2020 at The Box Function Hall, Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) in Mandurriao District’s Megaworld Iloilo Business Park.
Cabag jump-started the event with his vision of a “fatherful” city: “Imagine with me a city without the fatherless. Imagine with me a nation where every child has a safe, nurturing environment and a loving family. Imagine with me a world without orphans.”
A champion of the fatherless and a licensed foster parent since 2012, Mark has been actively engaging and partnering with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). “One in every 20 Filipino children is orphaned, abandoned, and neglected. In the Philippines, Iloilo ranks 3rd in HIV cases, teenage pregnancy, and suicide cases. And for me and my house, this is not okay.”
Mark, 37, is incumbent president of the Panay Adoptive and Foster Parents Association and a senior pastor of The City Iloilo, an evangelical church. Together with his wife Yen, they ideated the movement No More Orphans in order to address the growing crisis of fatherlessness in the city and the nation by “empowering every sector of society one city at a time.”
In the open-forum discussion, Mark stressed that not everybody can adopt or foster a child, but everyone can do something about it.
“Through collaboration, we can help raise awareness about this crisis. Professionals can help support a foster family financially or offer free medical and legal services. Politicians and lawmakers can make laws that will hasten justice and help children from the most difficult places and situations. Everyone can be a part of this [movement]!”
DSWD-6 social welfare officer V and chief of protective division Perla Haro said that in their commitment as social workers, “Indi lang kami ang naga-transform sang life sang kabataan, kundi ang
kabataan mismo [ang naga-transform sa amon].
She added, “That is why everytime we conduct adoption and foster care forums, we reiterate that the DSWD is not asking for any single centavo. Our passion is with the children, because we believe that foster care and adoption will be for the best interest and welfare of the children and not that of the adoptive or foster parents.”
She, together with her team, answered several questions concerning adoption and fostering. The dialogue included input from Atty. Hermogenes Narido, who confirmed some of the challenges of birth simulation, encouraging the group to pursue and promote legal adoption.
No More Orphans aims to challenge every Ilonggo, parent, family, and church to “encounter God’s unconditional love and compassion through fostering and adoption.” To raise awareness and get Ilonggos actively involved, they have prepared several activities which will include a series of fun runs, live interviews, and select activities and sessions for children from all over Iloilo.
No More Orphans is set to kick off Feb., which is also Adoption Month, with a No More Orphans Run every Saturday, including an individual run on Feb. 1, a Family Run on Feb. 8, a Married Couples’ Run on Feb. 15, a Barkada Run on Feb. 22, and an individual run+ team bike-a-thon on Feb. 29. For inquiries and registration, you may visit http://www.facebook.com/NoMoreOrphans.PH, check out the No More Orphans booth in SM City beginning the last week of Jan., or contact Mark at 0908-987-1101./PN
