BONTOC, Mountain Province – “Shamefiul crimes” against children have increased in the province alarming officials and prompting Gov. Leonard Mayaen to urge barangay officials to prioritize child-friendly programs and protect them from abuse.
“Increased cases of abuse against children does not speak well of a province professing a unique culture centered on respect to children and elders,” the governor said.
From January to August this year, at least 20 cases of sexual abuse against children – 12 rape, 1 incestuous rape, 2 attempted rape, and 5 acts of lasciviousness cases were documented by the Provincial Police Office.
There were also five instances of physical abuse.
To deter the commission of these shameful crimes, the governor urged officials not to amicably settle cases of sexual abuse even as he extended free services of the Provincial Legal Office to victims. “As a lawyer by profession, I know how much it would take to litigate a case in court but for these specific cases, we should let the law to take its course,” the governor stressed.
Mayaen added that making the perpetrators answer the consequences of their act would also discourage the commission of other crimes. “This will also arrest the commission of other spiteful crimes because I do not believe that a man would ever think of sexually abusing his daughter or any other child if he is not using drugs,” he said.
The governor likewise called on the officials to help stop cases of child labor. Reports have it that many children quit school in their dream of instant material wealth. Many of these children are found in small scale mining areas, at the quarry sites along the Chico River, and at the vegetable farms in upper Bauko.
Even with the meager financial resources of the provincial government, the chief executive said he will give special concessions to barangays with functional BCPCs.
The chief executive called on officials to strengthen theirBarangay Councils for the Protection of Children and reassess their development plans to include children oriented programs and projects.
“As elective officials, we are usually preoccupied with tangible accomplishments to reciprocate the trust given us by the electorate which sometimes eclipses our vision to unseen yet more rewarding intents. It is time to give children what is due them,” Mayaen remarked in his recent State of the Children’s Address.
The BCPC is a mandated special body tasked to look into the welfare of children. Among other things this body aims to: ensure that every child finishes at least elementary education, report to proper authorities cases of child abuse, prevent child labor, promote health and education of children, and prepare plans of action for children and ensure the integration of these plans into the long term barangay development agenda.
This special body has its counterpart in the municipal and provincial levels but the governor stressed the crucial role of barangay officials since they are the most knowledgeable as to the actual conditions and needs of the youth in their respective areas. “The municipal and provincial councils cannot come out with a purposive and objective plan without knowing your priorities,” Mayaen said.
The report of the governor revealed an improvement on health and education indicators but showed an alarming increase on child abuse cases.
The percentage of infants with low birth weight decreased and so with the number of child death.
Malnutrition rate of children decreased from 6.62% to 4.75% this year.
In education, the number of children attending Early Child Care and Development rose up with the construction of more day care centers.
Progress could also be gleaned in the elementary and secondary levels with an improved performance rating in the National Achievement Test annually administered by the Department of Education.
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