Capitol to build crisis center for women, children in Lahug

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Government of Cebu is building a P20 million crisis center for women and children who are victims of abuse. The project broke ground yesterday morning in Sudlon, Barangay Lahug.

The budget for the construction of the center was taken from the five percent allocation of the Gender and Development Office. Capitol consultant Heddah Largo said the project is expected to be completed within six months.

The center which will have a floor area of 1,955 square meter will be composed of an administration office, lecture area, recreation and social workers’ office. The building construction will start as soon as the bidding process is completed and a contractor has been awarded of the contract.

Largo said the crisis center will be used to billet the women and children who are victims of all forms of violence that happened within the territorial jurisdiction of the province.

“This will house the victims of all forms of violence, physical, psychological, harassment, human trafficking and cyber child pornography that had happened within the jurisdiction of the province,” Largo said.

Lawyer Joan Saniel-Amit, executive director of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), said that this is a great development for the women and children of Cebu since there will already be a center that would cater all the victims of violence.

She said that the present shelters that they have could not cater all the victims since Cebu has higher cases of child abuse and prostitutions and she’s thankful that a new house is built for the victims.

She added that other municipalities must also have their own centers but since this is made by the province she had foreseen that all the victims coming from the different municipalities will be billeted in the soon-to-rise center.    - THE FREEMAN