00:00Like St. Joseph who traveled to look for what was to come,
00:15Kuya Beda found his true home in the hospital.
00:22The Turning Cradle is now closed.
00:25It is no longer used, but many children are still abandoned.
00:32According to the data of 2024,
00:35almost 2 million Filipino children were abandoned by their parents.
00:42In 2022-2024, more than 500 children under the age of 18 were abandoned.
00:51Most of them were between the ages of 5 and 10.
00:54These children were lucky to have a new family
00:58and a chance to be successful in life.
01:02The former mayor of Manila, Alfredo Lim,
01:06also lived in the hospital.
01:09Father Victor Torres was also taken care of by the mothers here.
01:16We are all like family here.
01:19When we are taken care of by our sisters,
01:22we are treated like a family.
01:25So you don't feel like an orphan?
01:27No, I never experienced that, like an orphan.
01:31This is the only place where I feel like I have a second home.
01:39But for every child looking for a new home,
01:44there are some who are left behind in temporary houses
01:47by the church.
01:53Gustavo Del Cielo, also known as Kuya Tabo,
01:58was one of the sacrifices of the Hospicio de San Jose.
02:04Just like his younger brother, Beda,
02:08he was also abandoned by his parents and never returned.
02:13Is this where you were born?
02:15Why? Did your mother work here?
02:17No, I don't have a mother.
02:19When I was little, I was really brought up here.
02:23I never thought about it.
02:26Who is your mother?
02:28I don't remember.
02:30You don't remember?
02:31You don't know your father?
02:34You don't know your father?
02:38When you were born, what do you remember?
02:43I was really brought up here.
02:46When I was a baby, I was brought up here.
02:49I never thought about it.
02:51You were brought up here?
02:52I never thought about it.
02:54Where were you brought up?
02:56Outside the gate.
03:00Outside the gate?
03:05It's normal for a child to be happy.
03:08But whenever he thinks about how his parents left him,
03:13he is deeply saddened.
03:16I want to have a parent.
03:19But the problem is, it's not that easy.
03:24It's not good.
03:26I can't do it on my own.
03:28If I have a parent, it will be difficult.
03:30You will only get hurt.
03:33When you were a baby, you were left behind.
03:35You didn't go anywhere.
03:36You didn't go anywhere.
03:38When you were a baby, you were left behind.
03:41You didn't go anywhere.
03:44So, it's better here?
03:46It's better here.
03:48Life is better here.
03:51I'm old now.
03:57Sister Leonor was considered a mother.
04:01She was taught by a good mother
04:03that love is not only found in parents.
04:08How would you describe Kuya Tabo as a child?
04:12What is he like?
04:14A sort of...
04:15Whoever he meets, he is really loud.
04:18He is an extrovert.
04:20This is my mother.
04:22Who is she?
04:23My mother.
04:24Who is she?
04:25My mother.
04:26Huh?
04:27She knows the pictures of my mother.
04:29She is your mother?
04:31She is your mother?
04:32Yes, she is.
04:33Who is your favorite mother?
04:40Sister Palo, why?
04:42She is the kindest.
04:44She is the kindest.
04:48So, what are their parents doing?
04:50We are sisters.
04:53You have a lot of children, sister.
04:55Yes.
04:56Not biologically.
04:58We do not have our own,
05:00but we have a lot of children
05:02that we are taking care of.
05:05Because of the love that Sister Leonor showed,
05:08the child Tabo gained self-confidence.
05:12She became an athlete
05:14and fought abroad
05:16for the International Paralympic Games.
05:20Inside the hospice,
05:22there is a room
05:24that is full of old pictures.
05:27Here, you can see the history
05:29of the San Jose Hospice.
05:32What is here?
05:34This is the history of the hospice.
05:43This is Sister Lourdes Gomez.
05:47Is she your sister?
05:49Did she take care of you?
05:51Yes.
05:52This is Teresa Mabasa.
05:54This is Teresa Rillo.
05:56This is Melchora.
05:58This is Mementa.
06:00This is Erene Oqueta.
06:03These are our mothers.
06:06These are our superiors.
06:08But in truth,
06:10you do not need to look at the old pictures
06:13to know the history of this place.
06:17The story of Brother Beda and Brother Tabo
06:20is a solid proof
06:22of the 100-year history
06:24of the San Jose Hospice.
06:26We will all go home
06:28no matter what the story of your birth is.
06:33So, they have been here forever?
06:35Yes, they are here.
06:36They consider the hospice as their home.
06:39And you as one of their mothers,
06:42are you proud of them?
06:44Yes, of course.
06:45They are our treasures.
06:48Now, Brother Tabo is one of the oldest members
06:52of the hospice.
06:54From then until now,
06:56he has been serving in the church.
06:59He is thankful to his father and mother
07:02who truly loved people like him.
07:06I am proud of the Daughters of Charity.
07:10They are Brother Tabo.
07:12If they did not take care of Brother Beda,
07:16and all of you who are here,
07:19we might have seen you wandering the streets.
07:23And he is doing good
07:25to each and every one of us.
07:27Sometimes, Brother Tabo gets angry.
07:30But that does not take away
07:34his goodness.
07:39It is a special day
07:41because it is the first week of Advent.
07:43Christmas is just around the corner.
07:46But it is not only the coming of Jesus
07:49that is celebrated on that day.
08:14One day before his birthday,
08:17I talked to Brother Tabo.
08:20What is your wish for your birthday?
08:23I want it to be sad.
08:27I want it to be sad.
08:30Why do you want it to be sad?
08:32Huh?
08:35Are you okay?
08:37Huh?
08:44Brother, I think I have a problem.
08:47Nothing, nothing.
08:48Huh?
08:49Nothing.
08:56So when his birthday came,
08:59Happy birthday to you!
09:03Happy birthday to you!
09:07Brother Tabo was surprised by his old friends
09:10who were with him at the hospice.
09:12Happy birthday to you!
09:17Leo, who has been with him since he was a child.
09:20When we are together,
09:22he is happy because
09:24when problems come,
09:26we help each other.
09:29That is what I tell him.
09:31When you are sad,
09:34just call us
09:36and we will bring you.
09:38Christmas birthday.
09:43Father Victor,
09:44who is considered as a brother inside the hospice.
09:48My biggest wish is that
09:51he will have a long life
09:53and serve the people here in the hospice.
09:57The staff of San Jose Hospice
10:00who became his friends.
10:03Our wish to him is
10:06that he will enjoy his life here in the hospice
10:08and that he will always be strong.
10:10Even if they were not saved,
10:11at least they enjoyed their life here in the hospice.
10:14And of course,
10:15his mother, Sister Leonora.
10:19May he always have good health
10:25and continue to serve the Lord.
10:29I was so happy when I arrived
10:32and I am always happy
10:34to see them again here.
10:36To me, they are our treasures.
10:43Together with other residents of San Jose Hospice,
10:47we celebrated the simple gift of Brother Apo.
10:53They brought back happy memories of their childhood.
11:03Brother Tabo felt that
11:06whatever the story of his birth,
11:09there is a home that will accept and love him forever.
11:19What do you ask of the Lord?
11:22We ask that He will give us strength in our lives.
11:29When we are sick,
11:31we pray until there is no more fever.
11:35Amen.
12:05Learn more at GMA Public Affairs' YouTube channel.
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