Put up halfway village in Pasay — GMA

Street families rounded up by local authorities in Metro Manila in pursuit of their "beautification campaign" will be homeless no longer as President Arroyo ordered yesterday the construction of a "halfway village" in Pasay City to accommodate them.

The President issued the directive during a pre-Christmas visit to Boys’ Town in Marikina City at around 10 a.m. where she distributed gifts to the residents of the orphanage and met with street families rounded up by Manila authorities in the run-up to the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) which the country is hosting starting on Sunday.

Mrs. Arroyo, accompanied by Social Welfare Secretary Lualhati Pablo and Boys’ Town administrator Daniel Cabangangan, distributed slippers, candies and food items to 159 street children.

The children were among those rounded up by the police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) this month in Manila.

Dr. Jose Baranda, head of the social welfare department of the Manila City government, said Mrs. Arroyo ordered the release of an initial P15 million from the President’s Social Fund (PSF).

"The Halfway Village, as it is called, will help give to families who don’t have provinces to go home to or who really grew up and lived in the streets, better opportunities in life through livelihood programs and skills training under the Sagip-Ahon program of the President when she was still DSWD Secretary," Baranda said.

He clarified that the gathering of street families had long been a program of Mayor Lito Atienza but the effort had been intensified because of the SEA Games. He said those who have provinces to go home to or actually reside in other cities are turned over to authorities in their origins.

Since the campaign started last week, Manila authorities were able to round up more than 40 street families, he said.

While at Boys’ Town, Mrs. Arroyo also held a meeting with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco and top police officials, getting updates on the preparations for the SEA Games.

Baranda said the village would be located in the former "Nayon ng Kabataan" in Pasay City that would be converted for the purpose. It is owned by the national government and other Metro Manila governments can avail of its facilities.

He said the plan is for the street families to be given skills training or have them participate in livelihood programs to enable them to find decent jobs or even start small businesses.

Cabangangan said the street kids are given temporary shelter and basic necessities as well as being taught moral values. The children are then released once it is determined by Boys’ Town authorities that they are ready to be reunited with their families or relatives.