City hires facilitators to monitor street kids

CEBU, Philippines - At least ten facilitators are being hired by Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services this month to keep track of the street children in the city.

This is part of the city’s proposed Comprehensive Plan on Street Children, which will fund programs for minors as well as their parents in order to prevent them from wandering the streets.

DSWS chief Dr. Ester Concha said the proposal, which aims to achieve a long-term solution to the problem on street dwellers, has a budget of more than P6 million.

Half of the budget will go to programs focusing on Badjaos in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City and in Dauis, Bohol, while the other half will be allotted to the street children in Cebu City, said Concha.  The over P3 million intended for Cebu City will serve as assistance to children’s education and livelihood of their parents.

Part of the plan is for the young adults to render working hours in their respective barangays, while the parents, who are willing to support their children, will be provided with allowance so they can start their own small businesses.

However, the approval of DSWS’ memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development on the program is still pending at the City Council.

For the meantime, at least 10 facilitators are monitoring the streets and collating the profile of street dwellers.

These facilitators, after a series of orientations and trainings, have started their task on September 1, part of which is to determine street kids who can enroll in the program.

“If willing ang bata mo eskwela, abagan sila. If willing ang parents nga mopuyo sa ilang anak, we can also give them allowance,” said Concha.

The proposal will help keep the program sustainable, Concha said, especially that these street dwellers, just like those who have been recently rescued by the city, always return to the streets.

The Police Coordinating and Advisory Council conducted a rescue operation on September 11 and rounded up at least 45 young adults (29 boys and 14 girls.)  Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team head Grace Luardo said the rescued girls have returned already to their parents, who signed a commitment deal before their children were released.

“Dili mi kasiguro nga dili sila mamalik pero sa amo lang, dili mi mo-surrender sa pag-reach out nila. Sige sila’g balik sa dalan, kami pud sige og monitor sa mga dalan. Naa ta’y gipapirma nila (parents) before ma-release ang mga bata if in case naa lang gihapon sa dalan ilang mga anak, sila atong ma-file-an og kaso,” she said.

The parents, Luardo said, may face violations of the Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act) for neglecting their responsibilities to their children.  (FREEMAN)