TWO children, aged two and four years old, were rescued by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Lapu-Lapu City in Barangay Agus on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
The children were allegedly living by themselves in a tree house.
The CSWDO posted about the rescue on social media on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, stating that it was prompted by a concerned citizen's report about the children's situation.
According to the citizen, the children's mother had gone to Manila to work as a maid, while their father would frequently leave the house and not return for extended periods.
The concerned citizen reported that the children often had no food to eat, and the food donations from neighbors were not enough to sustain them.
Additionally, the area where the children lived contained sharp materials such as steel sheets and chopped wood, as well as wild animals such as snakes, which posed a danger to the children's safety.
As the children also lived in a tree house, there was a risk of them falling, especially considering their young age and lack of supervision.
The CSWDO, in collaboration with the Barangay Agus officials, violence against women and children Lapu-Lapu desk, and other concerned offices, launched a rescue operation for the two children.
During their assessment, the CSWDO concluded that the tree house was not a safe place for the children to live and temporarily relocated them to a homecare facility. (HIC/With PR)
