Cebu City barangay intensifies child-protection measures

IN its effort to promote the protection of children and discourage corporal punishment as a form of discipline, Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City has enacted a barangay ordinance patterned after Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law, which is now waiting for the approval of the Cebu City council.

The ordinance seeks to provide intervention, counseling, and eventual fine or community service for repeat offenses, to parents reportedly using corporal punishment to instill discipline on their children.

Barangay councilor Ventura Montecillo, one of the authors of the ordinance, said they have already conducted an information drive to raise awareness among the residents about the ordinance.
Montecillo said the local government of Guadalupe enacted the ordinance after seeing the vicious cycle of violence involving children in the barangay.

“Nakapa-trigger jud ang pag-create anang R.A. 7610 na we have to cut this vicious cycle na i-abuse ang bata,” he said. “Unya naa pud ang BCPC (Barangay Council for the Protection of Children) as a whole, iyang program is for the protection of the child as a whole – naa ang education, health, juvenile justice, everything with regards to taking care of our children.”

In addition to the ordinance, Barangay Guadalupe has also been conducting parent-support group seminars for two years now to raise awareness about the adverse effects of corporal punishment.

The parent-support group seminars highlight positive discipline techniques to help parents nurture their children and open communication, the effectiveness of positive discipline and open communication between parents and their children.

Susan Araneta, a resident of Guadalupe who was trained to facilitate the parent-support group seminars, said they conduct the seminars as scheduled all throughout the year in the 96 sitios of the barangay.

“Mao na man jud na among gi-kuan nga kina-hanglan jud (That is what we emphasized) positive discipline. Dili kinahanglan nga ang bata ato pang bun-ugon para lang pag-disiplina nila. Naa man ta’y laing pamaagi nga kanang pinaagi lang sa pag-istorya. Mao na akong ginahimo sa akong mga anak ug effective gyud siya (It is not necessary to beat the child just to discipline them. We have other methods such as to talk to them. That’s what I did to my children and it was proven effective),” Araneta said.