Many children of prisoners every year spend Christmas without seeing their fathers who serve time in jail.
Siblings Elvin Ramos, 13, Ederson, 12, and Princess, 11, belong to the unfortunate kids who celebrate Christmas away from their loved ones.
Their father, Adolfo, was convicted of robbery with homicide in 1981 and has been in jail for 23 years now.
Although the kids are residing with their mother Elvie, 46, inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, they rarely visit their father who has been confined at the maximum and later at the minimum security compound since 1981.
“Dati, araw-araw kami nakakadalaw kay Papa, ngayon po hindi, kasi wala po kaming pagkain sa loob at wala pong pamasahe papunta doon,” Princess said.
For this Christmas, Elvin, Ederson and Princess only wish for two things: to see their father released from prison and have a small home they can call their own.
At present, the Ramoses are sleeping on the cold pavement under the mango trees located in front of the Ina ng Awa Parish Church. They share the place with six other visiting families of inmates.
This is just part of the Christmas story I wrote for People’s Tonight in 2005.