Number of abandoned children up

CEBU, Philippines - Number of child-rape victims dropped, but 152 cases were still recorded in 2010, 48 of them incestuous.

Government social workers in Central Visayas yesterday announced that the number of abandoned and neglected children in the region went up in 2009 and 2010 compared to seven years ago, although the rape and other sexual abuse cases went down.

Although the number of children who were given protective custody by DSWD dropped from 1,435 in 2003 to 845 in 2009, the statistics of abandoned children rose to 127 in 2009 from only 58 in 2003.

Emma Patalinghug, senior social welfare officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 office, distributed to media statistical data of the cases handled by the social workers since 2003.

The issue on child abuse was among the topics discussed in yesterday’s forum of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) 7 held at the DSWD regional officer, where Patalinghug spoke in behalf of the social workers.

The number of children who were victims of rape in the region dropped from 210 in 2003 to 104 last year, while the number of incestuous rape also went down to 48 in 2010 from 91 in 2003.

DSWD records also showed that the statistics of physically abused children had gone down from 199 in 2004 to 114 in 2009. Patalinghug encouraged the public to report to their office any abuses against the children.

Child abuse includes abandonment and neglect, sexual abuse and exploitation, physical abuse or maltreatment, illegal recruitment, child trafficking, abduction and those involved in armed conflict.

The DSWD 7 personnel are still collating cases for 2010.

The most number of child abuse cases served by the DSWD in 2007 came from three regions, including in Central Visayas that had 738 cases. Region 9, with DSWD office based in Zamboanga, had 1,429 cases, followed by Region 3 in Central Luzon with 1,003.

Some of the abandoned children were products of broken families while the rest were neglected by irresponsible parents.

Irresponsible parents could be liable for violation of the provisions of the Child and Youth Welfare Code under Presidential Decree 603.

Patalinghug failed to provide data whether her office had filed cases against the parents concerned. – (FREEMAN)