A total of 693 street children in five localities in CALABARZON Region were provided assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the year 2018 under the Comprehensive Program for Children and Families at-risk on the streets.

Under the program, street children from selected localities in the region are identified and provided case management and appropriate social interventions to ensure that their rights as a child are protected and opportunities to become productive members of our society are delivered.  The identification, management and provision of social interventions are implemented in coordination with the local government units.

The five partner local government of the Department under this program are the local government units of the City of Antipolo and the Municipality of Taytay in Rizal Province, and the Cities of Bacoor, Imus and Dasmarinas in Cavite Province.

According to Ms Amy Colorico, Social Welfare Officer II of DSWD Field Office IV-A, the issue on street children is not resolved by simply pulling-out or rescuing them from the street. The factors that led them to become street children must also be considered in order to achieve the long term goal of making them productive members of our society.

Ms Colorico also added that among these factors identified are the low awareness and skills of the parents on raising children, the lack of employment or livelihood opportunities among family members, and possibly, the incidence of violence within the family.  Thus, interventions provided under the program were not only focused on the children but also to the other family members and other local community structures involved or have a stake on the issue of street children. 

Among the interventions provided to the said street children were basic support services such as educational assistance for street children (116 children) and skills training assistance for adults and parents (81 individuals) and developmental activities such as developmental sessions for street children (20 sessions for 329 children on topics such as self-awareness, spirituality, health and sanitation and values formation) and sessions for parents (quarterly sessions with 204 parents with discussion on spirituality, health and sanitation and urban planting). with reports from ABColorico and RJAlamo ***