Phil: For the Best Interest of Children

STEPPING-UP FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF CHILDREN
(Keeping Children Safe, Philippine Sector)

Br. Ted Fernandez, FMS, the Chairperson of the Child Protection Commission of East Asia Province, convened the Steering Committee for the implementation of the Misean Cara Funded Project last September 22-23, 2017 at Marian Beach, Tulan, Sarangani. The purpose of the gathering was to review the extent of accomplishing the goals and objectives of the seminar-workshops conducted on Keeping Children Safe: Building the Capacity of Teachers and Student Leaders in Child Rights and Child Protection. The project has trained 60 personnel and 60 student leaders, equipping them with knowledge on child rights and skills in protecting children, and preparing them for their active role in setting up a functional child protection desk in their respective schools. Six (6) Marist Schools in the Philippines and Nine (9) Notre Dame Schools in the Diocese of Marbel participated in this capacity-building initiatives.

To further improve the quality of child protection mechanism inside, and around the schools, the Steering Committee, composed of Br. Ted Fernandez, FMS, Br. Crispin Betita, FMS, Br. Albert Bolibol, FMS, Ma Fe Lucia L. Palma, Agnes S. Reyes and Jubert Mendoza, discussed the importance of up-scaling the actions to be taken to stop abuses and violence against children at home, in school, and community environment.

For this reason, the Committee plans to organize a capacity building workshop in November 2017 for the Barangay Child Protection Council (BCPC), an organization in the community where the school representative will work in close collaboration with. Thirty Student Leaders and Fifteen school guidance counselors will be met separately for a seminar on Peer-Care: Detecting Manifestations of Abuses Among Children and What To Do About It. With Marist schools and Diocesan schools forging a strong alliance with community leaders, it is hoped that a more strengthened system for the protection of children will be established.

Br. Crispin Betita, FMS, the Executive Director of Marcellin Foundation, raised his hopes: “May this capacity-building initiatives we will do for the schools and community bring about a responsive and functional BCPC and a more involved schools in support of the initiatives of the local community. All for the best interest of the children we care for.”

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