For the love of children

Three hundred civic-minded friends readily showed up at the 3rd Child Protection Network (CPN) benefit  with a common goal: to help the most deserving foundation raise funds for children in need.

CPN founder David Bradley of Atlantic Media first came to our shores as a Fulbright scholar in 1977 and formed a deep affection for the Philippines. In the early ‘90s, upon the urging of Jesuit priest Fr. Donelan, David agreed to put up a center to protect physically and sexually abused children. This started the charitable step of providing medical and psychosocial care to abused kids. There are currently 60 Child Protection Units in 39 provinces that are ably manned by social workers and legal counselors led by CPN stalwarts Dr. Bernie Madrid and lawyer Katrina Legarda.

“We have a professional society of child-abuse specialists and they’re beginning to train other health-care workers from other countries. It’s the best medical system for abused children in Southeast Asia,” enthuses David.

At the benefit held at Raffles and Fairmont Makati Ballroom, we learned that CPN’s goal is to have 80 units nationwide and to have donors who are willing to shell out P10,000 to cover the medical treatment (assisted by social workers) and legal counselling of one child for a year.

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Should you wish to donate, visit www.childprotectionnetwork.org.

Please send your comments and ideas to: jacinto.fa@gmail.com.