Thursday, October 12, 2006 Cebu City wins title despite ‘limited budget and poor performance of youth groups’ By Linette C. Ramos Sun.Star Staff Reporter
A LIMITED budget and the “poor” performance of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in addressing children’s concerns did not stop the Cebu City Government from implementing breakthrough projects that made Cebu the most child-friendly city in the country, officials reported yesterday.
In their state of the children address yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his wife Margot pointed out the lack of cooperation on the part of the city’s youth officials in promoting the welfare of children.
But even without much help from them, the City Government was able to help children in the barangays in the areas of education, social services and health and nutrition, Margot said.
She reported that the return of the City’s investment of at least P200 million for children’s programs has not only ensured the Cebuano child’s survival but their future as well.
Among the breakthrough projects she highlighted in her state of the children address were the door-to-door immunization of some 22,500 children and the “Oplan Batok Bitok,” which benefited some 85,000 public elementary school pupils in the city.
Health and nutrition services have also significantly decreased the infant mortality rate from 17.55 percent in 2001 to 6.95 percent in 2005.
“The return of our investments may not be immediate but we are confident we are on the right direction. We must lay the groundwork now for the Cebuano child so he and she will have the roots not only to survive but to grow, develop and prosper,” Margot told the City Council yesterday.
The City’s diversion program for minor offenders, mobile school and other projects have made Cebu the most child-friendly city in the country, according to a study by the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines.
To sustain the projects, Margot said there is a need to hire more social workers, establish homes for the youth and maximize the involvement of the SK.
Margot, co-chairperson of the Cebu City Commission for the Welfare and Protection of Children (CCWPC), appealed to the SK to be more active and participative in addressing the concerns of children.
“The SK officials are not visible. I can’t say all 80 SKs in the city are not active but as a rule, I wish we could see more of our SK officials. We have dialogues with them for children’s programs in the barangays but they don’t show up,” she told reporters after delivering her address during the City Council session.
Margot identified the SK of Barangay Cogon-Ramos as one of the few youth councils that are active in working for the cause of children.
She said that SK officials have cited strained relations with their barangay officials as the reason for their absence in some activities.
“But that’s not an excuse. After all, they were elected to serve the children,” Margot further said.
Challenge
The mayor, also co-chairman of CCWPC, made the same observation during his speech in response to the state of the children report.
“There are three things I’d like to highlight here: dedication, teamwork and the poor participation of the SK. And that’s the irony of it all, sorry but I have to be very frank. Hundreds of individuals have sacrificed their time to see to it that the development of our children is world-class despite our limited resources,” he said.
Following the speeches of the mayor and his wife, the council passed a resolution urging the SK and the barangay officials to take a more pro-active role in addressing children’s issues in their barangays.
The Osmeñas thanked the private sector, civic groups and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) for their contribution to the City’s projects for children.
Apart from Unicef’s P2.2-million funding for the second phase of the Country Programme for Children 6, the City has also appropriate P199.5 million to fund various projects for children.
Of the amount, P190.5 million was sourced from the Special Education Fund, P7.2 million from the General Fund and P1.8 million from the Local Development Fund.
On mass motion, the council passed a resolution lauding the CCWPC, Cebu City Task Force on Street Children and other department offices for their efforts in promoting the welfare and interests of the children.
The council specifically commended them for their juvenile justice and diversion program, which they effectively implemented long before the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 was approved.
