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Friday, March 29, 2024

Davao: Sara says children Davao City’s top priority

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Davao City – Children are among the top priorities of the city government, Mayor Sara Z. Duterte said, citing various welfare, health, and educational programs that made the city as one of the child-friendly local government units in the country.

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During her Valedictory and State of the City Address (SOCA) Thursday afternoon, Duterte said the city government was able to respond to the needs of the children by establishing the Quick Response Team for Children’s Concerns.

She said the team conducts rescue operations, investigation, and documentation of cases of abuse and sexual exploitation of children.

Likewise, the mayor said the local government unit (LGU) has established various shelters specific to the needs of children – Balay Dangupan for physically abused children; the Bahay Pag-Asa temporary shelter for children in conflict with the law (CICL); the Paginhawaan Drop-In Center for street children, and the Lingap Center for mentally-challenged children.

“We also operate various daycare and childminding centers providing daycare services for children of working parents. For these efforts, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) named Davao City the 2021 national awardee for Gawad Paglilingkod Sa Sambayanan (GAPAS) for Model LGU Implementing Day Care Services,” she said.

Child-friendly

Mayor Sara added that the recognition is on top of the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities under the highly urbanized city category, which Davao City has won five times, and for which the city has also been elevated to the Hall of Fame, receiving the honor in 2017.

“But caring for our children and providing for their needs must never stop,” she said.

In 2020, the city government also launched the “Student Siblings Laptop and Tablet Sharing Project” where 335 laptops and 1,380 tablets were given out to indigent and qualified junior and senior public high schools for their online classes.

“Priority beneficiaries were children from indigent families, indigent solo parents, or those living with indigent guardians,” Duterte said.

Protection, welfare

With more children diagnosed with special needs and given the prohibitive cost of therapies and intervention programs, the LGU is establishing the Davao City Special Needs Intervention Center for Children. It will provide free early intervention, occupational, speech, physical therapy, and special education and transition programs to children and youth with special needs.

The PHP70-million facility located near People’s Park will include a physical therapy room, a swimming pool for aqua therapy, an occupational therapy sensory gym, a speech therapy room, an audio room, and special education rooms.

She said construction of the facility is expected for completion early next year.
“We were also able to boost existing mandated child protection and children’s welfare programs with the establishment of the Special Office for Children’s Concerns and the Kean Gabriel Hotline,” she added.

Since its creation in 2016, Duterte said the number of child abuse complaints decreased dramatically, and there has been no reported death of children due to physical abuse.

“We encourage everyone to immediately report any cases of child abuse through the hotline – 0908-818-4444,” she said. (Che Palicte)

(Source: Philippine News Agency)

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