The CRIBS Blog

To all beloved volunteers and visitors of CRIBS,

As of now, CRIBS is closed to volunteers and visitors indefinitely. This is in view of the current situation regarding the spreading of the A(H1N1) virus.

Please take care. All of you will be truly missed.

Keep safe, and God bless you always.

Dear readers,

If you haven’t been visiting our main site and haven’t read last year’s newsletters, they could be found in the following links:

First newsletter
Second newsletter

Our newsletter is published bi-annually.  If you want to contribute, please contact the newsletter’s Editorial Board through the following contact details:

Contact Person:                         Maritona V. Labajo
Executive Director
Email Address:                          cribsnet@info.com.ph
Phone No.:                                 681-5921; 681-8078

Legacy of An Adopted Child
Author Unknown

Once there were two women,
Who barely knew each other.
One is in your heart forever,
The other you’ll call mother.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Dine Racoma

It has been very cold the past few days, even before the holidays. Some of us like it cold, but not too cold. Like you and me, we have tried our best to keep warm. Those of us who have kids, and babies for that matter, see to it that they are warm, even huddled close to us.

But what about the babies at CRIBS? They have no mothers to give them attention, to keep them warm one-on-one. They have their patient and loving caregivers, who dress them up in their sweaters and pjyamas, but not to to keep them the whole evening cuddled in their arms. There are only 3 of them for 30 infants, crawlers and toddlers–on duty in the evenings, feeding them, changing their diapers, giving medicines to those who are sick, putting to sleep those who are awake and crying. Such a great responsibility for the caregivers.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Dine Racoma

Here’s sharing with you a Christmas message–A Perfect Christmas, from Kuya G, a hospital chaplain. He sent this mesage through The D Spot.

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I arrived in the Philippines 18 years ago and soon was greeted by Jose Mary Chan (JMC)’s “A Perfect Christmas” on the Philippine air waves. It has been my theme song since then. Of course one can argue that there is no perfect Christmas, especially now that there are more bad news about global recession and what impacts they may have upon us in the coming year. The world was in a  similar mood of gloom and doom when a baby was born in a manger about 2,000 years ago–almost no one cared except a few shepherds and curious foreigners.“Simple pleasures are made special, too, when they’re shared with you..”  JMC croons on the radio, telling us about his idea of a perfect Christmas.

“Looking through some old photographs, watching busy shopper’s rushing about, sparkling lights all over town, children’s carols in the air…” You can make your own list.

How about embracing a child today? Looking at her eyes and find again in our heart the awe and wonder for life, reminding us that God wants to dwell with us, embracing our humanity, and gives us courage and hope?

Read the rest of this entry »

by B.A. Racoma

I never really got the hang of leaving the CRIBS home. After 6 months of regular volunteering, you’d think a person would be used to just having only two hours every week of visiting these kids.

But no.

Every week there is something that pinches my heart whenever I bid and hug and kiss the babies goodbye.

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by Dine Racoma

During the past few months that I have been visiting CRIBS, I had one outstanding observation among the crawlers and toddlers–they are not difficult to feed, and they are not really difficult to take care of. Young babies that they are, from infants to 2 years old, or slightly older, they are pretty much different from our pampered children. By pampered, I mean children who are being take cared of by parents, yayas, or relatives.

The kids who are in an orphanage, at least in CRIBS, seem to be by default, a disciplined lot–maybe because they have no choice. Or maybe, by routine, by instinct or by they way they are raised, they know that they have no particular person to rely on, except the caregivers who are here now and gone tomorrow, the volunteers who come and go, and the regular staff who are there but not really interacting with them on a regular basis, like the kitchen staff, admin staff, cleaning staff, nurses, doctors, and caregivers. Read the rest of this entry »

by Dine Racoma

What are these shoes and slippers for? Who own them?

What are they doing in CRIBS’ doorstep? Read the rest of this entry »

by Angela Racoma

My experience in CRIBS is something that I will always treasure and keep with me, as I grow older and even when I already have children of my own. It is an experience, which I can say have helped me become the person I am right now and the person I will be in the future. Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of becoming a pediatrician or a pre-school teacher. With this experience, I became more inspired to continue this, especially now that we are already preparing for college.

Last October 2007, my nephew, who was only six weeks old, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. At first, we were all shocked and got depressed over what happened. It was like, God sent us an angel whom we did not expect would leave us too soon to fly back to Him. We all know that the moment we were born, we already start dying, but what we do not know is when it will actually happen. How come some children were fortunate enough to live but not fortunate enough to have parents who will take care of them, while some parents are capable of taking care of a child, but not fortunate enough to have one? In the end, all we can do is understand that things happen for a reason that we may not always understand, and not always have to understand.

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by Dine Racoma

Every now and then, when we visit on Sundays, we would hear about this little boy or this little girl who have been taken away from CRIBS by his or her adoptive parents. It’s a mixed feeling among the staff and the volunteers–for we all know that this tiny tot will be in good hands, after going through all the legalities and procedures for adoption. Feelings of joy because this tiny tot will now start a new life–with a real family. Sadness, because we, especially the staff, will miss the tiny tot–who they have taken for a year or two.

These little children have somehow become a part of our lives. What with acting as pseudo parents, feeding them, playing with them, taking care of them. The full time staff on the other hand, stay with them almost the whole day, or whole night in shifts,  bathing them, dressing them up, putting them to sleep, even disciplining them. Oh yes, they get a surplus of hugs and kisses from the staff, both administrative and those directly handling them–nurses, therapists, caregivers, clinicians, doctors, etc. They see to it that the kids celebrate their birthdays, with cakes and all, coordinate with volunteers for the kids’ spiritual needs, and when a child gets sick, give individual care, accompanying him or her to the hospital when confined.

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