LGUs As First Responders in Reaching Out Street Dwellers, DSWD Provides Technical Assistance

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VII clarifies the role of the Department, the Local Government Units (LGUs) and other stakeholders in reaching out to street children.

Based on the Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the LGUs have the primary responsibility in the delivery of health and welfare services and the implementation of programs and projects for children, primary health care, maternal and child care, etc.

Moreover, the role of the LGUs, through their City or Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (C/MSWDO) is to be the first responders by leading in the reach out and profiling of street dwellers, based on the Protocol to Reach Out to Street Children published by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC).

“We have been receiving reports from the media and even in our official social media accounts regarding street children and we constantly forward this to the concerned LGU. As the frontline service provider of social welfare and development services, the LGUs are in the best position to know and address the needs of their people,” said Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre.

Aside from the C/MSWDO, other key offices are the Philippine National Police (PNP), City and Municipal Health Office, Barangay Council for the Protection of Children as well as Non-Government Organizations or Faith-based groups.

“The role of DSWD is to provide further technical assistance and capacity building to LGUs and other stakeholders in implementing programs and services for street children”, added Macapobre.

Last year, DSWD-7 replicated the Comprehensive Program for Street Children, Street Families and Indigenous Peoples, especially to Sama-Bajaus in Cebu City in partnership with the Cebu City Government through the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), which was first implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) in 2011.

The said program aims to develop income generating opportunities and skills training for children and their families to prevent them from working on the streets, creates activity centers where they could have life skills trainings and literacy activities, and provides shelter assistance for them to permanently leave the streets and to eventually gain access to basic social services.

This is an on-going project and is also being replicated to other highly urbanized cities where there is high prevalence of street children and street families.

Aside from Region VII, other identified regions to implement the program are Regions III, IV-A, V, VI and XI.

“We are appealing to all sectors in society, including the media and the general public, to contribute in addressing the problem of street dwellers,” Macapobre said.

“Along with the rest of the national government agencies in region 7, we, in DSWD recognize the urgency of responding to the situation of street children and street families affecting the urban areas here in the region,” added Macapobre.

She emphasized that the government cannot do this crusade alone.