City eyes creation of children’s social media helpline

The city’s Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) chaired by Mayor Benjamin Magalong will establish a hotline/helpline through social media for the Summer Capital’s children and youth targeted to be operational by April this year.

This was agreed during the LCPC meeting, February 17, presided by its co-chair, councilor Elmer Datuin, who heads the city council’s committee on social services, women and urban poor. The Helping Hands, Healing Hearts Ministries, a non-government organization, also co-chairs the LCPC.

Datuin said he will sponsor an ordinance in the august body to strengthen an earlier executive order creating the LCPC in order to finalize its membership, ensure their commitment, have additional funds, and more.

Social welfare officer III Ellen Dayag of the city social welfare and development office (CSWDO), the LCPC’s secretariat, said the Mayor issued executive order no. 139, series of 2019, reconstituting the City Council for the Protection of Children in Baguio or CCPC.

It was decided during the meeting that instead of ‘City’ it would be changed to ‘Local’ instead, she disclosed.

Dayag said that the creation of an LCPC is in line with Republic Act No. 7610 that calls for the stronger deterrence and special protection of children against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination  and provisions of the Civil Code of the Philippines that “the government shall establish the Councils for the Protection of Children’.

Its functions, among others, include formulating plans, programs and policies for children that are gender-fair, culturally relevant and responsive to the needs of diverse groups of children below 18 years of age.

She said an orientation meeting will be conducted during the first semester of the year on the specific roles of LCPC members and also an information and education campaign thru a media forum conducted by the City Mayor’s Office public information division. – Gaby B. Keith