DSWD to reduce number of street children by December 2011
by Ogie Salvador

QUEZON CITY, May 6 (PIA) --- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano “Dinky” Soliman disclosed today that they are currently implementing a program that will drastically reduce the number of street children in Metro Manila by December 2011.

In the Communication News and Exchange Forum (CNEX) at PIA Building today, Soliman said, DSWD has identified 10 areas in the cities of Quezon, Pasay, Manila and Caloocan where street children proliferates. These areas are located on busy thoroughfares where street children beg for money or sell sampaguitas which poses danger to the street children as well as the motorists.

Soliman said that, DSWD has been conducting rescue operations on these areas and rescued street children are turned over to rehabilitation centers or returned to their families.

For rescued street families, DSWD is offering the “Balik Probinsya” program, wherein they are given free transportation back to their home provinces. To prevent them from going back to the metropolis, Soliman said that, DSWD is giving the rescued families a 1,000 square meters of land complete with farming or fishing equipment that they can use and cultivate.

Soliman also disclosed a plan to convert a one hectare area at the Quezon City Parks and Wildlife into a sampaguita plantation wherein vendors can purchase the flower at a low price. However, there is a condition that they must not allow their children to sell the flowers at major thoroughfares.

In the past years, several street children has been killed or injured in major highways in Metro Manila. (PIA)