Fire threats and child abuse

This month is Fire Prevention Month but fires are breaking out nearly every day in Cebu City. Fire marshals and city government officials are in a quandary over the trend which has seen a disturbing loss to lives and property.

This  never happened this bad in Cebu until this year. Why? I think  there are so many people inhabiting Cebu already. The numbers are taking their toll. Houses of light materials are built left and right,  and close to one another so that when fire occurs, it easily spreads to  neighboring houses.

But why are so many people dying in fire accidents? With so many people staying in  places that are fire-prone and thickly  populated with people and houses, it’s  doubly difficult for  firemen to penetrate the interior part of a fire scene.

I think Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama is doing the right thing when he ordered the re-blocking of  congested streets in fire-affected areas so that fire trucks can easily enter during an emergency.

I hope barangay officials don’t oppose the directive of the mayor because, after all, it is for the good and welfare of city residents though some settlers would be affected by the reblocking and as far as the barangay officials are concerned, this is an election issue for them.

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I think the commotion that took place  in  Operation Second Chance last Monday was a blessing in disguise because it exposed wrong practices in the center.  Now corrections can be made by the new management.

The  hostage-taking of a jail guard by  young inmates occurred  basically because several wards were  victims of verbal  and physical abuse at the hands of jail guards of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

This is a  big no-no in handling children in conflict with the law. I think Councilor Margot Osmeña is correct in calling for a  thorough investigation and for  all personnel in the institution to undergo training in  handling children in conflict with the law, specifically the psychology of the mind of the child and child development.

In a related manner, I support the proposed Cebu City ordinance  banning corporal punishment, which has been proven to be detrimental to children. We’ve seen many examples of  children suffering verbal and physical abuse by their parents and adults, although parents would argue that it is their right to discipline their offspring.

But I think parents should be educated about the difference between discipline and punishment, that has children suffering verbal and physical trauma in the name of discipline.

The effect of corporal punishment as seen in the trauma caused on children is linked to violent behavior that the child repeats later in a vicious cycle.

Several child advocates told me that positive discipline is a less harmful way to handle children without causing them shame.

However, I am against the proposed penalty in the ordinance because this would not help eliminate corporal punishment. I suggest that we make an effort instead to  educate  parents and provide counseling services. Putting them in jail  would not correct the wrong done.