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Govt hopes to keep streetchildren off Metro Manila roads before 2012


Government agencies and local government units will hold a forum on Tuesday to discuss ways to keep streetchildren off Metro Manila roads before 2012. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the forum will be held at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria at the Ortigas Center. "In NCR, there are more than 4,000 streetchildren mostly converging in areas in eight cities, namely: Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Pasig, Parañaque, Mandaluyong and Muntinlupa," the DSWD said, citing a rapid appraisal conducted in November 2010 by the DSWD, with partner agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) in Metro Manila. Memorandum of agreement A highlight the forum is the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DSWD and the local chief executives of eight LGUs that are the priority areas for the Comprehensive Program for Streetchildren. All stakeholders who will attend the forum shall likewise sign the Statement of Commitment to signify their commitment to the program. Under the MOA, the DSWD shall provide financial and technical support in partnership with the LGUs to implement the Comprehensive Program for Street Children, Street Families and IPs, especially Bajaus. The local government units shall provide financial and technical counterpart in the implementation of this project on a cost-sharing scheme. The groups that will be represented at Tuesday's forum are:

  • DSWD
  • Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC)
  • Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
  • Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
  • 17 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila Among those expected to attend the “Forum with the Local Chief Executives and Partners in Safeguarding the Welfare of Streetchildren, Streetfamilies and Badjaus" are:
  • DSWD secretary CWC chairperson Corazon Soliman
  • DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo
  • MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino “We are closely coordinating with the local chief executives (LCEs) of the eight priority areas with the highest incidence of streetchildren to achieve our goal of zero streetchildren by the end of this year," Soliman said. For her part, CWC Executive Director Brenda Vigo said they are "heeding the call to support this program and to be reminded always that every child is our responsibility." Program for streetchildren The Comprehensive Program for Streetchildren includes six components:
  • the establishment of activity centers
  • day and night child minding centers to be identified by the concerned LGUs;
  • youth camp;
  • provision of sustainable livelihood for the families of streetchildren;
  • sampaguita planting project; and
  • the relocation of Bajau families and street families. - VVP, GMA News
    • Tags: streetchildren, metromanila, dswd
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