CHILDREN found to be frequenting Cebu City’s skywalks will be rounded up this week as part of “Operation sa Gugma” to be spearheaded by the Cebu City Task Force for Street Children (CCTFSC).
Cebu City Acting Mayor Margot Osmeña said they received reports that the street children are often seen at the skywalks along with the night dwellers, taking shelter there.
Osmeña said Cebu City police will accompany social workers in rounding up the street children and bringing them to the Parian Drop-In Center for processing and transfer to designated non-government organizations that will care for them.
These NGOs include Dilaab Foundation and Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB).
Osmeña said the task force had been working to get minors off the streets since 1986.
In 1989 the task force and Osmeña set up the Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc. to rehabilitate street children and keep them off the streets.
“It’s a cycle we haven’t been able to break,” she said.
Due to the rising number of street kids, Osmeña said roundups will be done on a weekly basis until the number of street children go down.