“A HALLMARK of our shared undertaking to protect the Mabalaqueño youth.”
Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo made this statement, reiterating his staunch commitment to continue being of service to Mabalaqueño children and women through the Mabalacat City Drop-In Center for Women and Children in Crisis Situation (MCDIC).
The MCDIC, known to Mabalaqueños as the "Purple House," is a flagship social protection program of Mayor Garbo established in July 2017 in Barangay Sapang Biabas to cater to children at risk, children in need of special protection, children in conflict with the law and even to women in, especially difficult circumstances.
“Hangarin po ng Mabalacat City Government na magkaroon ng puwang ang bawat Mabalaqueño sa pagbuo at pagtamasa ng isang matiwasay at masaganang lipunan. Tuluy-tuloy po ang serbisyong ito ng ating siyudad lalo na sa ating mga kabataan upang maproteksyunan ang kanilang karapatang makapamuhay ng ligtas at walang-pagaalinlangan,” said Garbo.
(The Mabalacat City Government wants every Mabalaqueño to have a space to build and enjoy a peaceful and prosperous society. Our city will continue to provide this service, especially to our youth, to protect their right to live safely and without hesitation.)
Amid the pandemic, the facility has continuously provided a sundry of support services and temporary shelter to individuals, particularly those whose security and safety were compromised due to certain circumstances.
Currently, the facility accommodates 22 individuals in crisis who are being cared for by social workers from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the City Population, Gender and Development Office (Popgad).
“Hindi lang po temporary shelter and ibinibigay natin sa ating mga benepisyaryo. Ang ating pasilidad ay nag-aabot rin ng continuing and special education opportunities, at practical and livelihood skills development, sa pakikipagtulungan ng Department of Education (DepEd) at mga katuwang natin sa pribadong sektor. Ang mga programang ito ay maghahanda rin sa ating mga kabataan at mga kababayan sa kanilang reintegration sa komunidad,” the city mayor said.
(We don't just provide temporary shelter to our beneficiaries. Our facility also offers continuing and special education opportunities, and practical and livelihood skills development, in collaboration with DepEd and our partners in the private sector. These programs will also prepare our youth and countrymen for their reintegration into the community.)
Referrals and walk-in clients are being handled and undertaken by the Women and Children Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network (WCAPIN) of the Mabalacat City Government.
The facility is also an affiliate of the Area-Based Standard Network (ABSNET), an organization of social welfare and development agencies (SWDA) whose purpose is to provide participative and consultative mechanisms in areas of social work standards development.
Over the years, the Mabalacat City Government under Garbo’s helm has reaped numerous accolades especially in the fields of health and social services. At the onset of 2021, the city was adjudged by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the national winner of the Gawad Paglilingkod sa Bayan, naming Mabalacat City as a Model LGU Implementing Day Care Services.
Meanwhile, Garbo is set to deliver the city government’s accomplishments and plans about youth development in his 2021 State of the Children’s Address this November. (PR)