Task Force willing to accommodate evicted children

CEBU, Philippines – CEBU City Councilor Margarita "Margot" Osmeña, who chairs the committee on family, women and children, wants to ensure the safety of the children living and sleeping inside the Taboan public market.

This as the Cebu City market authority forcibly evicted 30 to 40 families or about 150 individuals, including children, who stayed and lived in the public market for almost 20 years now.

Taboan public market is one of the oldest markets in the city where various kinds of dried fish are being sold.

Osmeña yesterday met with various government agencies like the police, anti-squatting unit including market administrator Raquel Arce and social welfare chief Cathy Yso, to ask for update about the illegal settlers.

"My concern here are the children," Osmeña said, adding that Cebu City Taskforce on Street Children and the Parian Drop-in Center are willing to accommodate the children for as long as the parents will allow to let them stay.

But Osmeña stressed that housing the children in the center would be temporarily while their parents are looking for a job or a house to stay.

"I'm not trying to solve the problem here. What we are introducing here is that we have these services," Osmeña said.

The councilor is willing to talk with the parents to inform the parents about the services that the government can offer them.

The Cebu City Government is imposing the market code that strictly prohibits anybody from staying in their stalls at night. (FREEMAN)