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͞Childhood is the world of miracle or of

magic: it is as if creation rose luminously out
of the night, all new and fresh and
astonishing.͟
This would be the life of a child. But
many of our children today suffer various
forms of violence, abuse and exploitation.
According to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, each child has the right to be
loved, nurtured, protected and given the
best possible start in life. Nowadays, we can
observe a lot of children roaming around
the streets in all ages both boys and girls.
They are called street children.
 _treet children are a term used to refer
to children who live on the streets of a city,
deprived of family care and protection.
Most children on the streets are between
the ages of about 5 and 17 years old, and
their population between different cities is
varied.
_treet children live in junk boxes, parks
or on the street itself. A great deal has been
written defining street children, but the
primary difficulty is that there are no
precise categories, but rather a continuum,
ranging from children who spend some
time in the streets and sleep in a house
with ill-prepared adults, to those who live
entirely in the streets and have no adult
supervision or care.
 Children may end up on the streets for
several basic reasons: They may have no
choice ʹ they are abandoned, orphaned, or
disowned by their parents. _econdly, they
may choose to live in the streets because of
mistreatment or neglect or because their
homes do not or cannot provide them with
basic necessities. Many children also work
in the streets because their earnings are
needed by their families. But homes and
families are part of the larger society and
the underlying reasons for the poverty or
breakdown of homes and families may be
social, economic, political or environmental
or any combination of these.
 overty is naturally the reason why so
many children go about loitering in the
streets of urban centers in the hilippines.
You can see it in their faces when you
encounter them: on their dirty, unwashed
and disheveled bodies; in their vacant,
glazed eyes; in rags and tatters that they
wear; on their runny noses, the sores on
their skin, their distended stomachs.
_treet children are the very picture of
poverty in the hilippines.
 The consumption of drugs serves as a
temporary escape from their harsh reality.
The use of intoxicants, such as the
inhalation of glue, petrol/gasoline, and
benzene, is widespread. The most
common substances are inhalants, like
solvent/rugby and cough syrups, followed
by marijuana and shabu. Marijuana and
shabu in particular are drugs that are
shared with friends whenever one
barkada member is lucky enough to have
money to buy them. Moreover, many
street children take more drugs more than
once, some as often as a daily intake of
solvent/rugby.
 Rugby boys for many Filipinos, conjure
up images of the pitiful sight of
youngsters living on the streets who
escape from the reality of their hopeless
lives by sniffing glue. ͚Rugby͛ is a
household brand of adhesive which is the
substance of choice misused by these
innocent victims of society. Glue-sniffing,
known as "rugby," is a common addiction
among the street children who turn to this
drug to suppress their hunger pains.
 Generally, street children are thin,
untidy, and undernourished, hardly
equipped to survive the hazards of
everyday living and working on the
streets. _ome of the hazards they face
include sickness, physical injuries from
vehicular accidents, street fights,
harassment from extortionists and police,
sexual exploitation by pedophiles and
pimps, exposure to substance abuse and
sexually transmitted diseases.
 This documentation clearly showed the
effects of inhalants abuse on a person͛s body.
One male teenager served as the subject of this
documentation has been addicted to rugby
since he was 7 years of age. He started sniffing
rugby due to influence of his peers. He soon
became addicted to rugby because of its͛
intoxicatingly sweet smell. All of his friends are
addicts and the meager money they earn are
saved to buy a bottle of rugby. The boy even
turned his addiction into business; he would buy
a bottle of rugby then sell it in portions to his
friends then whatever profit he makes will allow.
 This boy is just one of the hundreds of
children and teenagers who are rugby users.
_ome manufacturers of this solvent have
created a new type of rugby that does not have
the ͞smell͟ these rugby addicts seek. This is a
step in the right direction and hopefully, more
manufacturers would follow. But as long as
there are people who continually sell these
solvents to these kids, rugby users will continue
and thrive. _tore- owners should be
conscientious about their money- making goals
and make sure that they are not contributing to
the destruction of these children. The hilippine
government should penalize these people who
illegally sell these solvents to children. It is not
enough that a law exists; the law will be useless
without firm execution.
 For parents, being poor does not mean
being victims of poverty. Teaching our children
what is right and wrong is our obligation to
them and to society. The values and morals we
imbibe in our children are not something we
can buy with money, but something we can
instill on them that is priceless. Let us
remember that no matter how mature and
street- wise they are with the ways of this
cruel world, they are still children. _niffing
rugby might be their way to cry for help or to
fill a void in their lives; a void that can be filled
by unconditional love and guidance. Hopefully,
these children can be saved and not become
another statistic.

 
 

 The name of our respondent is
Lawrence C. Opsima. He is 16 years of
age and a teenage male. His father͛s
name is Leonardo C. Opsima whose
occupation is a shoe maker and his
mother͛s name is _herlita C. Opsima
who is a peddler. He is the seventh
child among the eight children of the
family. Their family once lives in
Barangay Ong Yiu Butuan City but
they transfer to Cagayan de Oro since
they were asked to evacuate the said
place.
 As many of us he together with his
family is Roman Catholic. At his very
young age as early as 7 years old he
had learned to take rugby and soon
enough by the influence of his peers
he had learned to take alcoholic
drinks, cigarettes smoking and the
worst is taking marijuana and shabu.
In relation with his health conditions,
he sometimes has runny nose, cough
and fever.

 
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˜nsa mon imo pangalan dong?
ý Kuan ya, Lawrence, Lawrence C.
Opsima
ila nman pd imo edad?
ý 16 na ya
naa ba kay mga igsoon?
ý Oo
ila man pod mo kabuok?
ý Walo ( 8 ) mi kabuok ya
Ikapila man pod ka?
ý Ika pitu ( 7 ) ko sa amoa
Taga asa mn pd ka?
ý _a una diha mi nagpuyo dapit sa
ongyu, tapos kay gipahawa naman mi
nibalhin mi didto sa Cagayan, ako
pamilya toa didto nagpuyo ako kai
nabilin man ko dire, kanang nabiyaan
ba kay naglayas man ko ato sa amo
mao nabiyaan ko.
Wala di-ay ka gipa-apas o gibalikan sa
imo pamilya dire butuan?
ý Gipa-apas mn ko didto, mga isa ka
toig ra pd ko nagpuyo didto pero
nibalik ra pod ko dire butuan.
Ngano mn pod na nibalik pa ka dire?
ý Di man ko ganahan magpuyo didto sa
ila kay permi man away, sige lng
gubot ba, si papa og mama sige lang
og away ako pd magsoon sig era pod
away, mao na nibalik nlng ko dire.
˜nya kabalo pod imo pamilya na naa ka
dire butuan?
ý Oh, ako mn gipananghid na
magtrabaho man ko dire
˜nya ngano wala man lage ka
nagtrabaho kron, naa raman ka dire
nagistambay?
ý Nagtrabaho mn ko ato pero nakitan
man nku ako mga barkada dire mao
nibalik na pod ko sa ako bisyo
Kanang kanusa man di-ay ka nagsugod
ani na bisyo?
ý Katong 7 years old pa ko nagsugod
ani
Kinsa man pod nagdala sa imo ani na
bisyo sa imoha?
ý Nadala ra pod ko sa ako mga barkada,
una testing ra man ko ato tapos sukad
ato sige na daun ko rugby
Ngano man pod na magrugby ka?
ý Kay tungod ra pod sa ako pamilya na
sige lang away, unya ang permi
kauban kay ako man mga barkada na
mga rugby boy mao na na
impluwensyahan ra pod ko nila
˜nsa man pod imo bati-on pagnaka
rugby naka?
ý Malipay, hehe,
˜nsa pa man imo lain bisyo maliban
aning rugby?
ý Kaon, inum, sigarilyo, kng naa kwarta
usahay mag-marijuana pod mi kundi
shabu
Asa man pod mo makakuha og kwarta?
ý Mamantay mi og sakyanan, usahay
mangantik
Dili pod mo mangawat?
ý Mangawat man mi pero kana rang
mga sanena, kay para naa pod mi
soutaon ba
Kapila man pod mo mukaon sa isa ka-
adlaw?
ý _a isa ka adlaw ka isa ( 1 ) ra, usahay
kaduha ( 2 ) pero chmba raj d ng
makakaon mi katulo sa isa ka adlaw,
kasagaran one-day-one-eat rajud mi
ana
Asa man pod mo mangita og pagkaon?
ý Naa man pod mohatag sa amo og
pagkaon sa mga kalendiryahan,
usahay pod kung nay kwarta magpalit
mi diha sa kalendirya
˜nya asa man pod mo mangatulog
pagkagabie?
ý Gipa puyo man mi sa isa ka kagawad
dha bitaw likod sa bomberuhan, naa
may balay diha na way nagpuyo
Kamo ra pod mga rugby boy nagpuyo didto
karon?
ý Oh, kami ra pod
Naa po moy hilig sa pagdula2?
ý Oo
˜nsa man pod nadula inyo ginadula?
ý Kuan basketball pero bilyards jud amo
kasagaran dulaon
˜nsa man pod nasakit inyo maramdaman?
ý Kuan ra gud hilantan, sip-onon, kanang
mga simple lang na mga sakit ba
ero naa pod kay plano magbag-o?
ý Ahw, naa man jd,
˜nsa man pod kaha ang mkapabag-o sa
imuha?
ý Ang makapagbag-o ra jud sa ako kay sa
tabang ra jud sa ginoo,
˜nya mag-gasimba pod mo dira sa
simbahan?
ý Oo magsimba man pod mi usahay
Naa pa pud kai planu mu uli didto sa inyo
sa Cagayan?
ý Oh, mo-uli na man jud tana ko, kaso lng
wala man koi kwarta pauli sa amoa sa
Cagayan
 _






1. Why there are rugby boys?

2. What is the effect after sniffing rugby?

3. What are the reasons why some parents

neglected and abandon their children who turn
to rugby boy?

4. What is the content of a rugby that this rugby

addicts seek?

5. What are the factors why does this rugby addicts

discriminated in the society?
 


  

ý There should be more punishment to the parents who

neglected and abandon their children who turn to rugby
boys.

ý For adults, there should be a law that treats rugby like

real drugs (shabu) and make the user suffer lifetime
imprisonment when caught.

ý For children, they should be put on a second chance cell

to redeem their selves.

ý The manufacturers of this rugby should create a new

type of rugby that does not have the smell these rugby
addicts seek.

ý eople should treat this children nice and kind despite

of their appearance instead of discriminating them
because it might help them to change.
   

 
 In our subject we were given a
task of some series of interview
about Rugby Boys. This is to be aware
of what is happening in the society of
these street children. It is also given
to us to understand these poor street
children and the reasons why they
turn to rugby boys.
 In our case study about Rugby boys
there life is different from other ordinary
boys in the society. Elsewhere rugby is a
sport, but in some other countries just
like the hilippines rugby is strong glue
used for home repairs. This same rugby
serves as a drug that street boys inhale
to get high. They just were rooming in
the busy streets of the city. At night they
just lay their cardboards on the ground
for their bed to sleep in. they had
nothing else. Taking these inhalants such
as rugby deadens the senses and melts
the brain.
 For rugby boys taking rugby is an
aiding material for them to survive and
for the reason of because they are
hungry. These rugby boys are so
unfortunate children because they are
just not neglected and abandon by their
own parents they were also
discriminated in the society. Rugby boys
also considered as thieves, snatchers and
bullies even though some of them are
not that bad. eople also considered
them that they will become big-time
criminals in the future.
 These poor street children
become what they are right now not
because they want this to happen to
them but because they just have
been force to do this. These for the
reason of neglecting of there own
parents and the influence of peers.
_
  
 We had our field work at laza͛s
ark, Butuan City last month. We
interviewed a rugby boy as our
respondent in our case study. During our
interaction, I learned a lot and realized
how lucky I am that even though I could
not posses all the material and luxury
things in life I can still go to school, wear
a presentable cloth, can eat 3 times a
day and most of all be with my family
who cares and understands for me. Life
is indeed unfair but it͛s you who choose
of what path you will take.

_


 In our field work for our case
study on rugby boys, we go to the
laza͛s ark of Butuan city. During the
interaction of our respondent I felt
pity for him. His life is so miserable
and his body is so thin. He wears a
rag clothes and he smells bad. His life
is different from other teenagers in
our society. He told us that he sniffs
rugby not just because he becomes
addicted to it but also because of
family problems.


_


 _





   
 The life of a rugby boy is an
image of a pitiful sight of youngsters
living on the streets who escape from
the reality of their hopeless lives by
sniffing rugby. These street children
take inhalants such as rugby to aid
their hunger. They are the very
picture of poverty in the hilippines.
 In this documentation we were
able to present the life of a teenage
rugby boy. This documentation
clearly shows what its like to be a
rugby boy and of what kind of world
they existed. In our respondents
interaction with us we were able to
understand what the reasons why
they are sniffing rugby. They take
life͛s challenges into negativity
instead of positivity.
 We learned also that family
relationship has also a big impact on
a person͛s life destination. It has
various factors that influence many
aspects of Childs development. Thus
what makes a rugby boy sniffs rugby
is due to family problem, peer
presence, environment or just for self
contentment.