Protection cluster launched in typhoon-affected towns

TWO towns of the provinces severely-hit by Typhoon Pablo have already come up with their protection profile giving a deeper analysis on the need to protect highly vulnerable sectors, especially the children.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Davao Region, which heads the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG), recently launched the Municipality Protection Profile for the towns of Boston in Davao Oriental and Monkayo in Compostela Valley.

The Protection Cluster has categorized the two municipalities under very high risk level due to poor infrastructure particularly lacking in electricity or power supply and communication lines, presence of large number of minority communities in remote and hard-to-reach barangays; and weak referral mechanism on gender-based violence and security in remote areas.

DSWD information sheet said that the protection profile aims to guide decision-making of any humanitarian responses as it presents detailed information on displaced families categorized according to demography; lifeline status which covers information on electricity and communication; community security forces; gender-based violence; key child protection issues; and persons with specific needs.

The profile also presents information about indigenous communities; land property and housing issues; documentation and registration, contacts at the community level.

Meanwhile, the Protection Cluster also attends to issues on non-discrimination, physical safety, psycho-social support, child protection, sexual and gender-based violence, information dissemination; land, property and housing; and civil document status.

In particular, the Protection Cluster has noted registration issue pertaining to the need for family access cards to be distributed immediately in remote indigenous communities where members need to be understood and supported so they won't get discriminated.

The cluster has found out that the absence and, or destruction of infrastructure especially lighting is creating fear especially in relation to women and children and that the tensions within communities are creating security problems.

Information dissemination is also identified as among the issues to attend to recognizing the need to deliver information to spare vulnerable sectors from harm and to inform them how to avail of services they need.

The cluster has discussed ways of addressing the issues and concerns giving special attention to children and even to elderly and persons with disability.

The Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) is organized in Davao Region in coordination with the Camp Management, Livelihood, Shelter and Protection Cluster led by DSWD to address the concerns that have emerged due to onslaught of Typhoon Pablo.

The CPWG is chaired by the Council of the Welfare of Children (CWC) and co-chaired by the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) Child Protection.