Roxas City firms up program for children
Roxas City -- City Mayor Vicente B. Bermejo has further firmed up the city's program for children by mobilizing the Roxas City Council for Children to finish the local development plan for children and reconstituting the council to include new members who could help push the program.
The council, which is also chaired by the chief city executive himself, has met and started doing the finishing touches on the plan which will serve as a long-term blueprint that will lay down strategic actions to promote children's rights on survival, development, protection and participation.
The plan is anchored on frameworks that include the International Convention on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations (UN), Child 21 program of the Philippine government, overall development agenda of the Arroyo administration, and other commitments of the government to UN-led global efforts to protect children's rights and promote their welfare.
As reconstituted by Bermejo, the children's council now includes the Chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Social Justice, Services and Welfare (Hon. Erwin Sicad) and the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay (Hon. Wilson Acerbo, Punong Barangay of Brgy. Mongpong).
Also in the council are Sangguniang Panlungsod Member Carla Abela, who heads the SP Committee on Women and Family, as vice chairperson and the following as members: SP Member Ramon Albar, Chair, Committee on Education; Jose Aurelio Roldan, Head, DILG City Office; Dr. Jessie Gomez, City Schools Division Superintendent; Lorelei Piansay, City Planning and Development Coordinator;
Gilda Fernando, City Budget Officer; Dr. Amelia Robles, City Health Officer; Cynthia Besana, City Social Welfare and Development Officer; Mignon Bermejo, City Nutrition Officer; Joselito Almodiente, City Treasurer; the SK Federation President; Salvador Borda, City Agriculturist; Hon. Erwin Ignacio, City Prosecutor;
Marina Aquito, Project Coordinator, Katin-aran Children Center; Chief Inspector Leo Batiles, OIC, Roxas City Police Station; Sr. Mary Bertrand Villareal (O.P.), Head, Social Services, St. Joseph Orphanage; Jaime Cabag, Jr., PIM, Philippine Information Agency; Danny Espinosa, Acting Provincial Officer, Department of Labor and Employment; Corazon Ortiz, Chairperson, Buas Damlag Sang Panimalay; Gennalou Artates, Child Representative/President, Katin-aran Children Association; Monica Bermejo, PTCA Federation President; and, Remedios Laplana, City Population Officer.
Bermejo formalized the reconstitution of the council by virtue of Executive Order No. 16 which he signed November 22, 2007 after the body had met to reorganize itself.
The order also created a Technical Working Group which is composed of the CPDO, DILG, CSWDO, DepEd, CHO, SK, Liga ng mga Barangay, City Budget Office, City Treasurer's Office, NGO representative, PNP, City Population Office and PIA. The order also placed the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) local coordinating council as a committee of the council.
Spelling out the overall development agenda of the government, President Arroyo said children are among the primary beneficiaries of her administration's efforts to bring the blessings of a resurgent economy through programs in education, health, hunger mitigation, and environmental protection. (PIA)