City government to address ‘rugby boys’ concerns

CEBU, Philippines — From just roaming in Cebu City’s downtown streets, so-called “rugby boys” are now penetrating barangays and stirring trouble, something that the City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) will address through “proper interventions” soon.

COSAP Executive Director Jonah John Rodriguez said they have been receiving complaints from the barangays, particularly Capitol Site and Kamputhaw, on the presence of rugby boys in their areas.

Barangay officials “rescue” these rugby boys but they again go back to the street and even victimized residents.

“Kuyaw na gyud ang situation aning mga rugby boys kay nakadawat naman gud ta og reklamo nga ang uban ani nila manghilabot ug mangawat,” Rodriguez said.

“Rugby boys” is a term used in Cebu for street children addicted to sniffing contact cement, which include a brand called Rugby, including other solvents. They used to be seen just in corners sniffing the content of small plastic bag whose opening they incase their whole face in to get their high.

In the past, they just do this to battle hunger pangs but later it became an addiction and the “rugby boys” start to become rowdy and aggressive and even commit crimes like robbery hold-ups.

Rodriguez said Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia already initially gave approval for the creation of a technical working group that would come up with guidelines on how the rescue operations will be done.

City Hall’s COSAP, Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), and the Cebu City Commission for the Welfare and Protection of Children (CCCWPC), and law enforcement agencies though had already conducted a strategic meeting to come up with interventions to address the matter.

Rodriguez said that through the rescue operations and interventions, they hope to minimize the presence of rugby boys in the city streets.

He said the mayor also intends to issue an executive order to provide legal basis to support the said operations.

He, however, stressed that they do not just rescue the rugby boys but also to provide psychosocial intervention for them.

“Dapat ig-rescue, dapat nay intervention nga ihatag nato nila,” he said via the Cebu City PIO’s Sugbuanon channel.

It was also learned that the Charity of the Miraculous Medal (CMM) have already agreed to help the City government on this matter by providing shelter to the rescued rugby boys at the Asilo de la Milagrosa.

CMM’s commitment, Rodriguez said, is important to ensure that the rescued children are rehabilitated and do not return to the streets.

“If you notice, daghang ma-rescue nga rugby boys pero mobalik ra gihapon sa dalan igkahuman. Dili unta ta magbalik-balik og rescue,” he added. — (FREEMAN)