DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reminded teachers to report cases on child abuse for it may cause students to be problematic and dysfunctional in their grown-up years.
During the World Teacher’s Day celebration at the Davao City National Highschool (DCNHS) on Friday, October 5, Duterte-Carpio told some 5,000 teachers from the three congressional districts about being sensitive to their students, especially to those who may be undergoing physical, sexual, or psychological abuses.
“Abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, sexual abuse, makaapekto na sa atoang mga bata (Abuse, whether it be physical, emotional or sexual abuse will affect our children),” Duterte-Carpio said.
“It will affect them when they grow up so usually ang mga vitims of abuse, maging problematic teenagers na sila and maging dysfunctional adults na sila (It will affect them when they grow up because usually victims of abuse become problematic teenagers and dysfunctional adults),” she added.
Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio said that children’s welfare is the responsibility of the city government of Davao and that the city has a “very strong” campaign against child abuse.
“If you suspect a child to a victim of abuse, let us know so that our City Social Service and Development Office (CSSDO) can do something about it [earlier],” Duterte-Carpio said, adding that if they do this, the city government will not have to deal with dysfunctional adults.
“The things that you say and the things that you do, they [students] will always remember that all their lives," she said, urging them to always be positive and encouraging to their students.