DSWD-7 gives P2 million for street kids in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 has turned over P2 million to Cebu City government for the latter’s comprehensive program for street children and street-dwelling families.

 DSWD-7 director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre hopes the P2,882,140 will help the city government in providing packages of assistance to identified children and families living and working in the streets.

The program involves the development of income-generating opportunities and skills training for families to prevent them from working on the streets.

“This comprehensive program will also include life skills training and literacy activities that would keep the children away from the streets and eventually reduce their risks and vulnerabilities,” Macapobre said.

She added that the identified families will also soon be included in the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) or in the regular Panta-wid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to ensure that they would be permanently removed from the streets and provided with appropriate assistance.

Macapobre said one of the components of the program is the family life enrichment seminar in which they will experience various activities geared towards character building and personal development.

Other program components are creation of child-friendly activity centers, educational assistance to children and livelihood assistance.

Under the agreement, the city government will directly implement the program through the Department of Social Welfare and Services. The DSWD, on the other hand, will monitor the program implementation.

The city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services is expected to hire and mobilize a pool of street facilitators to monitor the activities of street dwellers in priority areas.

DSWS will also coordinate directly with the barangay officials, non-government organizations and other service providers for the smooth conduct of the program.  (FREEMAN)