Metro traffic, streetchildren discussed

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas met yesterday with various government agencies to discuss the issues on street children and traffic in Metro Cebu’s cities.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago met with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children and the traffic personnel from the cities of Mandaue, Talisay and Cebu.

In the conference yesterday, Santiago said the role of the Ombudsman is to mobilize the agencies to do their responsibilities.

“Our role is a mobilizer, as it is one of the five major roles of the Office of the Ombudsman. This is what the tanodbayan wanted to fix before her term ends two years from now,” Santiago said.

Jack Jakosalem, chairman of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management, said they are doing their best to solve traffic problems. In fact, he said, they already met with the heads of traffic agencies in various cities last month.

Also yesterday, Santiago said street children also add to the traffic problems. The traffic agencies agreed.

Santiago said that last Thursday, she saw five children in front of an establishment dragging what appeared to be stolen wires. She said there were no authorities around although a police station was near the area.

Jakosalem and representatives from Mandaue and Talisay said they will ask their traffic enforcers to take streetchildren to the centers.

According to social welfare officer Emma Patalinghug of DSWD, they are already coordinating with the LGUs to help in addressing the problem on street children. – /JPM (FREEMAN)