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NYC chair eyes task force tackling welfare of street kids

By Azer Parrocha

October 26, 2022, 5:19 pm

<p><strong>STREET CHILDREN</strong>. National Youth Commission Chairperson Ronald Cardema (right) fist bumps Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Undersecretary Angelo Tapales (left) in this undated photo. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct. 26, 2022), Cardema proposed the creation of an inter-agency task force that would address concerns regarding the welfare of street children.<em> (Photo courtesy of National Youth Commission Facebook page)</em></p>

STREET CHILDREN. National Youth Commission Chairperson Ronald Cardema (right) fist bumps Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Undersecretary Angelo Tapales (left) in this undated photo. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct. 26, 2022), Cardema proposed the creation of an inter-agency task force that would address concerns regarding the welfare of street children. (Photo courtesy of National Youth Commission Facebook page)

MANILA – National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ronald Cardema is eyeing the creation of an inter-agency task force that would address concerns regarding the welfare of street children.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he said the proposed inter-agency task force could be made up of representatives of the NYC, Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Sangguniang Kabataan, the departments of education, social welfare and development, and the interior and local government, as well as local government units.

Cardema lamented how parents fail to look after their kids to the point that the latter get injured or killed.

He cited reports on a four-year-old girl who died last month after being hit by a sports utility vehicle in Malate, Manila, noting that the parent chose not to press charges against the driver.

“Mas naiinis ako dun sa magulang dahil siya ang naglagay sa anak niya sa ganung environment ng lansangan na dapat wala dun ang isang four-year old (I am more annoyed with the parents because they were the ones who put the child in an environment like the street where a four-year old should not be),” Cardema said in a recent press conference on the celebration of National Children's Month.

He said he would want the NYC and CWC to file charges against the parents for criminal neglect should they fail to fulfill their constitutional duties towards their children.

“From now on, kung walang magkakaso sa mga ganito, NYC at CWC ang magkakaso mismo, lalo na sa mga magulang na dinadala ang mga anak sa kapahamakan ng lansangan. Dapat simulan na ito para tumigil ang ganitong kalakaran (From now on, if no one files these cases, NYC and CWC will file, especially against parents who bring their children to the dangers of the streets. This should be started to stop this trend),” Cardema added.

He said the NYC is also studying the possibility of putting up facilities for street children similar to that of Boystown and Girlstown.

Cardema said it is the state’s duty to invoke “parens patriae” or parent of his or her country, a doctrine that allows the State to step in and serve as a guardian for children, the mentally ill, the incompetent, the elderly, or disabled persons who are unable to care for themselves.

“Kapag palpak na ang magulang sa pagpapalaki sa anak, pwede na pumasok ang gobyerno sa policy na parens patriae, ang bansa ang magulang ng mga citizens nito. Pag di natin ginawa yan, hindi magiging pag-asa ng bayan ang mga yan kahit kabataan sila, magiging problema pa or lalong magdudusa pa sa lansangan (When the parents are careless in raising their children, the government can step in with the policy of parens patriae, the country is the parent of its citizens. If we don't do that, they would not be the hope of the nation even if they are the youth. Instead, they would become a problem or suffer more on the streets),” he said.

Republic Act (RA) 10661 declares the month of November of every year as National Children’s Month (NCM).

It also mandates the DepEd to facilitate and encourage the celebration of the NCM in all public and private schools in the country. (PNA)

 

 

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