CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Department of Social Welfare Services has called on all government and non-government agencies as well as the police to cooperate in the move to solve the problem on street children.
This is in response to the issue on the alleged refusal of four non-government agencies to admit the 13 rugby boys saturated by the Fuente Police personnel last Thursday.
The Parian Drop-in Center, Operation Second Chance Foundation, Bahay Pasilungan, and Community Scouts have allegedly refused to accept for social care the 13 minors caught sniffing rugby.
The four are supposedly centers that cater to children in need of protection and shelter under different circumstances that put their lives in danger.
Police said that it was the first time these agencies rejected street children they take to them. Police guessed that agencies might have become already exhausted as these children tend to always bolt from centers and go back to their vices.
Department of Social Welfare and Development information officer Jaybee Carillo said that putting these children in rehabilitation centers should be the last resort.
Carillo pointed out that upon apprehension, these kids should have been turned over to their parents first as their parents are the ones responsible for them.
But Carillo said things should not end there. Social workers in different municipalities are responsible for looking into these children and how their parents have handled them.
Municipal social workers are also tasked to attend to parents in ways like teaching them on responsible parenthood and the rights of their children also, with free counseling.
If the social worker has assessed that these children are better away from their parents for safety reasons that’s the time they will be put in centers where they would be protected and taken care of.
On the other hand, according to a DSWS social worker, the police can not just do a rescue operation without coordinating with concerned agencies.
Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa said that during his meeting last Thursday with the Philippine National Police, DSWD, and other non-government agencies, each has committed in the mission to eliminate children on streets.
As the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children conducts the saturation and rescue operation within this week, preparations were done like the location where children who will be rescued will be temporarily placed while assessment is being conducted. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja and Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)