CLB and Tsinelas: Help promote children's rights

CEBU, Philippines - The Children’s Legal Bureau and the Tsinelas Association are calling for help in the promotion of the children’s rights for education and protection.

The two non-profit organizations yesterday held a forum in SM to call upon donors, supporters and volunteers.

The forum entitled “Hustisya ug Edukasyon Alang sa Kabataan” called for support to help them promote children’s right in education and protection. The forum focused on the two organizations advocacies as well as educating possible donor on how they can help the organization. The forum also discussed about tax deductions when corporations and individuals donate an amount to organizations.

Isabelo Suelto Jr., head of the Tax Payer Assistance Unit of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, discussed Sections 34(H) and 101 of the Philippine Tax Code or the sections that discusses tax exemptions or deductions through donee institutions. According to Suelto, 10% and 5% for individual and for corporations respectively, of the amount they donated are due as tax deductible.

The two organizations hope that through the forum, possible donors would be encouraged to donate charitable amounts so that they can continue on their advocacies and activities.

CLB is an organization that envisions “a just world for children”. They focus on child abuse and children in conflict with the law and help these children by providing them legal assistance. “Those who aren’t capable of protecting themselves should be represented,” said Michael Mende, a member of the board of CLB.

On the other hand Tsinelas Association is an organization that is “making a difference one step at a time”. The non-profit organization gives education assistance to poor and worthy students in mountain barangays in Cebu province. They envision a society where all children of school age are in school and enjoying their rights to education.

“Walay lain lugar ang mga bata kung di eskewelahan ug balay,” said Lorenzo “Insoy” Niñal, the executive director of Tsinelas.

One of the programs of Tsinelas is building reading centers in mountainous areas to provide children with good books and a place to read. Niñal said that they believe in the power of being able to read and even said that it solves half of the problems in the society.