ILOILO City – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has assured that children in the province enjoy their rights for survival, protection, participation, and development.
He said underscored that survival rights of children are achieved by providing their needs on health care, safe drinking water, and nutritious food.
“The Provincial Health Office provided basic oral health services, fluoride varnish, dental pits, and fissures sealant application to 50,417 male and female children,” Defensor said in a speech during his State of the Children’s Report during the 2019 Children’s Month Celebration at the Provincial Capitol lobby on Friday.
The governor cited completed infrastructure hospital projects to equip hospitals with quality health care facilities through the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO).
He also said the province was able to extend medical assistance to 75 children admitted to hospitals from January to October, through the Aid to Individual in Crisis Situation being implemented by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.
Defensor said the province has guaranteed that the children have access to safe drinking water through the implementation of the construction and improvement of water systems. Six elementary and high schools in the province were provided with improved water systems through the PEO.
Aside from this, the governor added that the province has partnered with the police force in conducting feeding activities.
“The Iloilo Police Provincial Office conducted feeding activities to 2,900 children, 46 of whom were from the Aeta community,” the governor said.
To provide the children protection of their rights, Defensor said the province has also undertaken measures through its Provincial Council for the Protection of Children (PCPC).
The PCPC has conducted training on Local Councils for the Protection of Children to impart knowledge to village chairmen and violence against women desk officers regarding women and family affairs.
He said the protection of the rights of children-in-conflict with the law (CICL) shall also be provided by the provincial government.
“From January to June of this year, nine CICLs residing at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth in Guimaras, managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas, were provided with support through (the) local counterpart of the Iloilo provincial government that amounted to P87,900,” he said.
The developmental rights of the children, or their right to special care, education, and training, should also be provided by the government, he added.
The province has 16,000 persons with disabilities, including children. “Providing these children with access to education is a commitment of the Iloilo provincial government,” he said.
Defensor said the PSWDO implements the Scholarship Program for Qualified and Indigent Persons with Disabilities.
Indigenous peoples and members of indigenous cultural communities are also not left behind as they are provided with educational assistance. “Since it started in 2016, a total of 131 male and female IP students accessed the said assistance,” he said.
Participation rights of the children are also provided by the province through awareness promotion activities that tackle the basic rights and laws protecting children.
The PSWDO has facilitated peer education and youth development training, among others, to lead the children to become responsible citizens, he said.
To forward the province’s effort concerning children, Defensor asked the support of the stakeholders present in the program. (With a report from PNA/PN)
