CEBU, Philippines - Investing on children is a crime prevention strategy.
One of the kids is the eighth daughter of a laundry woman and a porter, living at the port area.
She was among the performers of “Waynes Angels”, the champion entry of Cebu City Police Office, Station 3 (Waterfront Police Station).
The girl said she was very happy seeing the delighted faces of the audience as their group performed to the tune of “Talk Dirty”, “Who Run the World” “whoops kiri” and many more.
She and her 10 other companions are street wanderers as they frequent the streets for any possible errand or opportunity to earn instead of going to school.
“Lami kaayo paminawn ang pakpak, importante pod diay ko, (It felt so good to hear the applause, I realized I am also important)”, the girl said.
She said they are also happy that the policewomen took time to practice and danced with them even if they were responding to alarms in between.
“Wala man mi kaayo tagda sa amoa mam, pasagdan ra man mi, (We were neglected in our house),” the girl said.
PO3 Janice Tamayo, PS 3 WCPD head said it took them two weeks to practice their presentation, but the more serious part was already near the competition date.
Tamayo said these were street children living in the port area where most of them are scavengers.
“We make it a point to gather them every once in awhile for talks or anything, just so they will not be swayed to commit crimes,” Tamayo said.
The second winner was Police Station 7 “Hip Life”, under PO3 Aizagalil Nacario who presented a skit of street kids in a drinking session.
Nacario entered the scene and stopped the street children from their vices and educated them. They went on performing a dance number. Third place was “Girls on the Move” by Police Station 8.
Over all CCPO WCPD head Police Inspector Arieza Otida said the aim of the culminating activity was to showcase the talents of the street kids who were branded as mere street urchins.
“Although we have regular programs for them, but we make them feel very very special on Childrens Month that’s why we have the Kids Show Time,” Otida said.
This year’s theme of the Children’s month celebration is “Bata Kasali Ka, Ikaw ay Mahalaga” high lighting their participatory right’s.
For the entire month, Otida and all the WCPD in the stations covering Cebu City also conducted information advocacies in at least 20 schools.
School children were informed of their rights and common crimes such as drugs, anti-trafficking and many others.
There was also a poster making contests depicting idea and value of the celebrations theme.
And one of the highlight’s that happened during the month was the marriage encounter among 20 policemen and their spouses.
“Because we believe that we also as police officers have to be secured in our marriages and families, to make us more convincing in protecting the rights of the children,” Otida said.
Philippine Mental Health Association-Cebu President Dr. Glenda Basubas said, it is best to spend and invest on children since the values they learn will be the same values they will have as grown ups.
“There has to be focus on the family and children. Raising good valued children will eventually lead to lesser crimes,” Basubas said.
In Cebu City there are 170 cases of Children in Conflict with the Law as of September this year. The number they hope will not go beyond last year’s 201 CICL’s. — PIA (FREEMAN)