DSWD: No hiding of street dwellers during Apec meetings

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday denied the claims of some groups that it will hide street dwellers and homeless families during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting in November.

DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said the agency will instead continue extending its services to homeless families “to protect them from harm and abuse which are rampant on the streets.”

“It is their right to be protected and to be given services. This is why we continue to provide them with health, shelter, and educational assistance,” Soliman said in a statement.

During the plenary interpellation for the 2016 proposed budget of DSWD at the House of Representatives, Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Friday expressed alarm that the agency might resort again to its “vanishing act” in the Apec meeting.

In January, DSWD came under fire for supposedly hiding street dwellers from Pope Francis during his visit to Manila, but the agency said the homeless families were brought to a government-sponsored “camping activity” in a resort in Batangas.

READ: DSWD chief admits homeless rounded up in line with Pope Francis’ PH visit | ‘Homeless not hidden from Pope; they were in training’

Noting that the modified conditional cash transfer for homeless families continues to be implemented, Soliman stressed that street dwellers will not be hidden during the Apec meeting, but will participate instead in “nation-building” activities in line with the celebration of National Children’s Month in November.

The DSWD chief said one activity will be the “Talakayang Pambarangay,” a forum aiming to create awareness among parents on how to protect their children from different forms of abuse. The activity will be led by the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children and parent leaders of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

“Keeping children off the streets is one way to protect them from abuse and from becoming potential prey of syndicates. Homeless families especially street children are vulnerable and they become doubly vulnerable if they remain on the streets,” Soliman said. IDL

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