It is a common practice for street children to take on an alias while surviving in the streets. In Stairway, we have encountered several children, who gave us a false name upon intake, but it usually doesn’t take long for them to feel secure enough to reveal their true identities. This is the time that the social worker can start the process to obtain a birth certificate and in some cases find some of the child’s relatives. The work of locating long lost relatives cannot be done by one social worker alone. It requires a concerted effort by various social welfare and development offices, along with a bit of luck.
In the case of Remark, alias Renan, no known address was on record, but upon going to the place where he was born, the community leader noticed Remark’s distinctive eyes, and knew where to locate a paternal aunt. The paternal aunt led Remark to his father, whom he had not seen in nine years. Remark also obtained the number of his eldest sister, from whom the social worker got the number of Remark’s mother.
Last week, Remark boarded a plane going to Mindanao, where he was reunited with his mother, whom he has not seen in 13 years! Presently, he is continuing his education and is helping his mother to pack candies.