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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
NGO, DepEd seek passage of Comval's children's code
By Ben O. Tesiorna
SEVERAL non-government organizations would continue to lobby for the approval of the controversial Comprehensive Children and Family Support System Code that was junked by the Compostela Valley Provincial Board.
The Department of Education (DepEd) in Southern Mindanao expressed their support for the proposed ordinance authored by Kristine Mae Caballero, daughter of Governor Jose Caballero.
In Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao, Sagop Palad Foundation spokesperson Ana Mcartney said they plan to have a talk with the seven Compostela Valley Province Board members who voted against the passing of the children's code.
Mcartney said they would try to appeal to the seven board members to reconsider their earlier decision since the children of Compostela Valley that would ultimately suffer.
Meanwhile, DepEd regional director for Southern Mindanao Diamar Kadon said the approval of a children's code in the province would be a booster to their programs for the children in Compostela Valley.
According to Luchie Damolo, provincial planning development coordinator, without a children's code in their province they would lose the chance of being a beneficiary of the United Nation Children's Fund (Unicef) assistance program.
The province has almost completed the requirements needed to become Unicef beneficiary save for the creation of the local children's code.
She said they expect to receive P16 million from the Unicef with the provincial government having a counterpart of P7 million that would fund various projects for the children.
Damolo said the children's code was a result of the series of consultations and hearings conducted by the technical working group composed of various government agencies and NGO's concerned with the welfare of the children.
She said it is not true that the proposed ordinance was "half-baked ordinance" as insinuated by the Magnificent 7 composed of opposition board members Maricar Zamora-Apsay, Arthur Uy, William Andres, Moran Takasan, Graciano Arafol, Adrian Relampagos, and Reynaldo Navarro.
Neil Dublin, national president of the Pag-asa Youth Association, meanwhile, appealed to the opposition board members not to wait for something bad to happen among the children of Compostela Valley before doing something.
"Dili na unta nato huwaton na ang kabataan dili na mamahimong pag-asa ng bayan bag-o pa man sila mulihok," said Dublin.
The seven Board members, who call themselves Magnifcent 7, during last week's session at the Nabuntural provincial capitol, earlier disapproved the children's code of Caballero.
The opposition claimed the ordinance was hurriedly done by Caballero and wants it to be approved expeditiously.
The young Caballero, however, said the excuse of the Magnificent 7 is a lame one.
Caballero said her colleagues are only playing politics considering that she is from the administration.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (December 20, 2005 issue)
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