The Quezon City government on Wednesday opened four Special Drug Education Centers (SDEC) for street children and out-of-school youth in line with the government’s antidrug campaign.
In the inauguration rites in Batasan Hills, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said the multipurpose drug education center, which she said was the first in the Philippines, aims to aid values formation and provide skills training to children to prevent drug addiction at an early stage.
“Ang SDEC ay isang lugar kung saan pwede nating dalhin ang mga street children at out-of-school youth. Kung sila man ay ‘di pa gumagamit (ng droga), pwede sila dito, gumagamit na, or hindi pa lulong, pwede rin sila ditong dahlhin,” Belmonte said.
“Sila po ay bibigyan ng counseling, ng values formation education, skills training sa tulong ng department of information and communication… Higit sa lahat, mabibigyan po sila ng life skills o edukasyon para sila ay makaiwas sa masamang bisyo at magkaroon ng lakas ng loob na tumahak sa buhay at magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan,” she added.
Belmonte said even those children on the streets who are not using drugs and with families of their own were welcome at the centers, which she said would provide other services like reproductive health education and sports programs.
“Ang layunin po nito ay para mayroong lugar para sa mga street children at mga out-of-school youth na madalas binabanggit ng ating mga punong barangay na natatagpuan sa ating mga lasangan ngunit wala silang pagdadalhan. Kadalasan, kapag tinetest nila ang mga kabataang ito ay nagte-test positive (sa drugs).”
“Ang layunin natin ay maibalik sila sa kanilang mga tahanan, na ‘yung mga magulang din nila ay maturuang maging mabubuting mga magulang, at ang mga batang ito ay maibalik sa paaralan. Kung may mga pangangailangan ang bata na hindi natin matutugunan, may referral system tayo dahil maayos po ang network natin sa iba’t ibang mga service providers bahagi ng advocacy natin for a child-friendly city,” she added.
Three other SDECs were also inaugurated in the barangays of Lagro, Tandang Sora, and Milagrosa on Wednesday. CBB