Cagayan de Oro City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development is reminding its partners and the public to uphold the welfare of children and to ensure their protection and security especially during emergencies or crisis situations.

According to Delia Maravillosa of the DSWD, the Department saw the need to enhance strategies and systems to improve services for the children who are at risk during disasters. “That is why we are tapping our non-government partners to help us out in ensuring that children are safe and are being attended to,” says Maravillosa during the conduct of the DSWD’s orientation with non-government organizations on child protection during emergencies held today, September 29, 2015, here.

Non-government organizations and civil society groups have been active partners of the DSWD in providing rehabilitation interventions to children.

It can be recalled that last December 2011, Tropical Storm Washi, locally known as “Sendong” hit this city, affecting hundreds of children psychosocially, physically, economically, and even socially. A DSWD report cited that many of these children were displaced and were traumatized by the disaster.

DSWD shared such lessons to the non-government organizations during the forum where strategies were created to make the children safer and secured at the onset of any disaster.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, DSWD