DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / July 30, 2012) – A nongovernmental organization advocating children’s welfare has distributed bags and school supplies to some 150 children in the southern Philippine city of Davao in an effort to encourage them to religiously attend school and value their education.
Bernardo Mondragon, executive director of the Child Alert Mindanao, Inc., said for two days, they distributed the bags and school supplies in five villages – Talomo, Dumoy, Toril Proper, Crossing Bayabas, and Daliao.
He said the activity was supported by their international partners, the Philippine International Aid and CIFA-Italy.
“We conducted the bag distribution activity because children, in impoverished areas like urban poor communities, needs encouragement to continue going to school despite their difficult socio-economic condition. Coaxing them to attend school is one way of steering them away from anti-social activities that are rampant in the communities they come from,” Mondragon said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
The Child Alert Mindanao assists community stakeholders in developing their own mechanism for child protection.
“Because of their young age and innocence, children are most vulnerable to abuses and rights violations. That is why they should be in the priority list of our government. However, the programs and services for children have yet to materialize in the communities of Mindanao,” Mondragon said.
A report by the Department of Labor and Employment showed that there are almost 5.5 million children with ages ranging from 5 to 7 years old, who are already working. About 54.5 percent or 2.9 million children are engaged in hazardous jobs and this does not includechildren victimized by trafficking and others forms of abuses.
Mondragon said an estimated 55 million children are out of school in the Philippines.
“This sad plight of our children must serve as wake-up call to all concerned citizens and institutions. The government must prioritize children’s welfare now and make concrete plans that would address the children’s concern. Our organization is here to offer our unwavering support and assistance in protecting the children,” he said.
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