CEBU CITY – Margot Osmeña, being the chairperson of this city’s Commission for the Welfare of Children, during her state of the children’s report before the Council recently, has pushed for the strict implementation of laws that protects the children from the dangers in the community.

Osmeña, upon presenting her report, has appealed to the City Council on the strict enforcement of laws that protects children to help address the continuing problem on malnourishment and trafficking, among others.

“The city has been very supportive and active in addressing the problem of our children yet there is still a lot to be done as we continue to see disadvantaged kids in the streets,” she said.
Further, Osmeña, who is also the fist lady of the city, has lauded the efforts of the City Council in helping the less-fortunate children by providing them with free education and health services that made the city among the top child friendly local government unit (LGU) in the country.

She pointed out that the city was the second LGU to launch the biggest deworming campaign last 2006 that was able to benefit 94,987 elementary pupils and some 5,000 children in the day-care centers this year.

Osmeña added that as of last year, the city government through the special education fund was able to construct 98 classrooms for the different public elementary schools here worth P47.86 million.

For street children, Osmeña announced that many have been given free education by the Task Force on Street Children.

Of the 1,952 children provided with education assistance by the task force, 534 graduated – 22 with honors – in elementary and high schools and at least 90 have graduated in college.

While, the two mobile schools for non-formal education have benefited 743 children.

On the other hand, the first lady also admitted that despite the strong support of the City Council, she was able to receive a report about the increasing number of minors working in resto-bars here, prompting her to propose a strict curfew for the minors.

She also recommended that local officials should strictly implement City Ordinance 1413, which prohibits the establishment of resto-bars within 100-meter radius from schools and other prohibited areas.