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DSWD prohibits 'street caroling' for children's safety


The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prohibited street caroling this Christmas season, citing its dangers to the health and safety of children. The DSWD said it will implement its safety program this month in Metro Manila areas where there are many street children. An article posted on the DSWD website Wednesday said the agency has drawn up the “Paskong Ligtas sa Batang Kalye: Kapwa Natin Palayain sa Panlilimos ngayong Pasko (A safe Christmas for Streetchildren: Let's Free them from Begging)." The DSWD said the project aims to prevent children from caroling and begging along major roads and thoroughfares. As an alternative, the DSWD has scheduled caroling performances of street children in various venues from December 10 to 18. On December 19, a grand Christmas Party will be held where there will be gift-giving, distribution of Noche Buena food packs, and setting-up of food booths. A “soup kitchen" will be set up during the nine–day Novena Masses or “Simbang Gabi." There will also be arts and crafts, storytelling, book parade, performing arts, team sports, and youth leadership workshop, and reflection sessions for the street children. "These activities will be done in safe and clean streets as venues," the DSWD said. Refrain from giving money to street carolers DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman urged the public to refrain from giving money to street carolers and asked them to give gifts to the DSWD instead. These gifts will be distributed during the scheduled caroling performances and the grand Christmas party. Soliman added those who want to play Santa this holiday season or do other goodwill Christmas efforts, may contact Myla Loza of the DSWD-NCR office through telephone number 488-2761 or mobile number 09185029491. The Christmas project is a preliminary activity for the Comprehensive Program for Street Families and Children. The program aims to extend social protection services and provide poverty reduction projects. The program is one of DSWD's long-term solutions to address the needs of "home-based street families" and "homeless street families." For home-based street families, the DSWD will develop income-generating opportunities to prevent them from selling on the streets. The agency will also provide literacy and formative activities for their children to keep them out of the streets. For homeless street families, the DSWD will strengthen its Balik-Probinsiya Program which assists interested individuals to go back to their provinces or places of origin to start life anew. The DSWD will also provide in-city and near city shelter assistance and access to income-generating opportunities. To motivate local government units to implement the program for streetchildren, the DSWD will provide P50,000 as incentive for the village that will succeed in keeping their children off the streets. “They can use the amount for the implementation of children-related services," Soliman said. Rapid appraisal From November 8 to 14, the DSWD conducted a rapid appraisal to gather data on the number of street families and street children in Metro Manila. The appraisal covered Metro North, Metro South, Metro East, Quezon City, and Manila. Within Metro Manila, 5,086 street dwellers were identified, 199 of whom are infants and 2,873 are children. – VVP, GMANews.TV

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