CEBU, Philippines - Lahug barangay captain Jovito Taborada is requesting Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to recall the permission given to Barangay Apas to use a room under the jurisdiction of Lahug for their home-based program.
“Moreover, for purposes of fairness, that the Province shall provide another facility to Barangay Apas for such purpose taking into consideration the Implementing of Republic Act 8980,” Taborada’s letter addressed to Garcia read.
Taborada is referring, first, to the Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) and second to RA 8980 or the Early Childhood Care and Development Act.
Apas and Lahug currently have a boundary dispute over a Capitol-owned property formerly occupied by the non-government Cebu Hope Center. Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman said their day-care center was padlocked twice just before the opening of classes.
Taborada said Barangay Apas, is operating the SNP program supposedly to address the education needs of its kids aging two to five years old. However, it is situated within Lahug’s jurisdiction, citing the 1965 geographical map.
Taborada also cited an SNP guideline that each SNP can be composed of a maximum of 10 children. If it goes beyond its maximum number, this should fall within the facility of a day-care center.
However, there are currently 50 to 60 students currently enrolled in the home-based program.
Furthermore, the current SNP of Apas is situated just beside Lahug’s St. Francis Day-Care Center, a violation of a guideline stating that an SNP program should provide services to children who are unable to avail of day-care center services due to distance and a non-existing center.
“Although we fully support the noble intention of the program adopted by the Barangay Apas, however, we are also advocating in adhering the wisdom of the Implementing Guidelines of RA 8980 so as not to wreck chaos and confusion as regards its program offering as it duplicates one another and worst this may lead to competition as it is situated just a foot away from each other,” Taborada’s letter further read.
Apart from confusion, the continuous existence of the Apas center may further create “political squabble” between the two barangays and “may not be a good example to the children in both barangays,” the Lahug barangay captain added.
Provincial legal counsel Marino Martinquilla, when sought for comment in the absence of Gov. Garcia who is in Manila, said Apas and Lahug should settle the dispute between themselves first.
Should the two barangays resolve the matter through legal or any other means, Martinquilla said that in the end, the Capitol will still have the vacant room of Hope Center utilized.
“Mosugot ang Capitol na ipagamit ang lugar ni bisan kinsa. Wa man mi kahibaw nga naa’y problema sa boundary ug muinsister karon ang Lahug na ilaha ‘na,” Martinquilla said.
–(FREEMAN)