THE Mandaue City Council is deliberating on an ordinance that would address the proliferation of street children in the city.
If approved, business establishments in the city will be required to have donation boxes where people can drop their donations for the street children.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Demetrio Cortes Jr. said having these donation boxes is a better alternative to people directly giving alms to street children.
The Mandaue City Council introduced an ordinance controlling street childen in the city and urging establishments to make voluntary initiatives in addressing the needs of street children.
The proposed ordinance will also prohibit people from giving alms. It would even prohibit motorists from giving money to children who act as parking attendants.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) and the City Social Welfare Office would also be mandated by the proposed ordinance to make sure street children are taken off the streets.
Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) in Mandaue City Police welcomes the proposed ordinance.
“Angayan na sila tabangan ang mga bata kay luoy mana sila, gwapo na nga ordinance,” (There is a need to help the street children. This is a good ordinance),” said Bastes, a known advocate of street children rights and welfare.
Bastes said the ordinance will greatly help the street children walk in the right path rather than living along the streets.
After Bastes was assigned in Mandaue, the local government asked him to apply what he did with the street children in Fuente, Cebu City.
Bastes would take the street children for a jog, feed them and then bring them to Holy Mass.
According to Violy Cavada of the City Social Welfare Services, they have documented about 60 street children loitering in the city.