MANILA, Philippines - The National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), headed by chairman Vilma Labrador and executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez through its Kalahi Cultural Caregiving Program opened the first CinePambata Festival to commemorate the Streetchildren’s Day on Dec. 28 at the NCCA Auditorium, Intramuros, Manila.
The NCCT and NCCA also held a Kalahi Cultural Caregiving Program for the children in attendance in arnis, visual arts, music, dance, and theater arts, among others. At least 300 children under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the City Hall of Manila participated in the said event.
Unicef lists at least 250,000 streetchildren in the Philippines currently living and working in the key cities in the country, and exposed to various risks that endanger their health and well-being.
Conducted nationwide, the Kalahi Cultural Caregiving Program is a poverty alleviation program aimed at achieving the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs). This program utilizes the Earthsavers Dreams Methodology, which involves human resource development, eco-social rehabilitation and values education through arts and media and sports and science. Its holistic approach underscores the therapeutic and participatory values derived from meaningful and relevant arts training that culminates into a showcase of talents in the field of visual arts, music, dance, theater arts, rondalla, creative crafts, media and animation and broadcast modules.
The Holy Innocents’ Day, annually celebrated (Dec. 28), is dedicated to streetchildren, and other abandoned, orphaned, abused and marginalized youth. The local celebration is anchored on a biblical story of the massacre of all children less than two years of age, as ordered by King Herod at the time of the birth of Christ.
For details, call or SMS Rene Napeñas at 0927-5582656, and Alexis Feliciano at 0927-7134825, or 527-5529/527-2192 loc. 508, 612 to 615, e-mail at ncca.paio@gmail.com or public_affairs@ncca.gov.ph or visit www.ncca.gov.ph.