Pedro Amosco did not count the years he spent on the streets. He counted days by hunger, by worn soles, and by the kindness of strangers who sometimes paid him attention but most of the time, he remained invisible to passers by.

Somewhere between repairing broken shoes and finding a place to sleep, 8 years quietly passed.

Long before the streets of Mandaue City became his reality, Pedro was a young man full of determination. At 22, he left home believing that work would open doors and that effort would lead him forward. He carried hope more than he carried belongings. Like many others, he expected that the city would be his greener pasture.

For a while it did.

But when his job ended, stability slipped from his hands. Shelter followed soon after. For a time, Pedro found refuge in a friend’s house, cooking meals in exchange for a place to stay. It was never permanent.

When his friend started a family, Pedro moved out quietly, knowing there was no longer any space left for him.

That was when the streets became his temporary home.

Pedro learned how to endure living on the streets. He became a cobbler, mending shoes that had already walked many miles, much like himself. The income was small but enough for him to survive.

Some nights, a local establishment owner allowed him a corner to rest. Most nights, he slept wherever he could. Still, the hardest part was not hunger or fatigue. It was the distance from his family and the silence that grew with time.

Yet, his heart yearned for his real home.

Pedro’s life shifted when someone finally stopped to reach out.

Through the Pag-abot Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Pedro was approached not as an eyesore on the streets to be evicted, but as a person with dignity to be restored.

Through the Pag-abot team of DSWD Field Office 7 – Central Visayas, Pedro was able to go back to Barangay Lamac in Pinamungajan, Cebu – his true home. His siblings, Lucia Amosco Esrame, Ambrosia Amosco Rosario, and his niece, Rutela Amosco Manalag, welcomed him home with open arms and deep relief.

The Pag-abot Program, which was started by the DSWD in 2023, was institutionalized through Executive Order (EO) No. 52 in January 2024.

Through the Pag-abot program, the DSWD provides interventions to help families and individuals in street situations (FISS) return to their homes or places of origin and get reintegrated to their communities.

According to Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is the DSWD spokesperson, Pedro’s story is a testament to the efficacy of the Pag-abot program.

“The FISS who are on the streets get to be reintegrated with their families or communities. Sometimes, those in street situations only need to be reached out, and be given the assistance to go back home and start a life with dignity and hope. And the Pag-abot program grants that hope, that helping hand,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.

The DSWD had always believed that Pedro belonged with his family, not on the streets. And they were ready to help him begin a new life.

Lucia, the youngest among nine siblings and the person closest to Pedro, became his primary receiving relative.

A seasonal crops farmer, Lucia and her husband, Emiterio Esrame, a buko juice vendor, offered Pedro a home that was clean, peaceful, and safe.

With support from the DSWD FO-7, Pedro received assistance for his immediate needs and livelihood support to help him regain his independence.

Today, Pedro’s days look different. He no longer wakes up wondering where he will sleep. He no longer eats alone. He is surrounded by family who speak his name with warmth, not worry.

Pedro’s story shows that even after years of absence, being found and reached out is still possible.

When compassion reaches far enough, it can close the distance between survival and belonging, and lead someone back to the place they never stopped calling home. (KT)