DUMAGUETE CITY: The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office assured Thursday that evacuation centers in Negros Oriental are safe and friendly to women and children.
Hilton Edrial, PSWDO chief, said other evacuation centers across the country are safe and friendly towards children and women, particularly pregnant and nursing mothers while at their temporary shelter, as they are reeling from the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and enhanced southwest monsoon.
‘We hope these safe spaces will ensure that the rights of children and women, especially pregnant and nursing mothers, are protected while at the evacuation centers,’ Edrial said in an interview.
Evacuation centers in the province allocate spaces where children can play while nursing areas have also been set up for mothers and their babies.
This is part of the mandate of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under its Camp Coordination Management System where LGUs are asked to provide safe spaces for vulnerable sectors.
Unfortuna
tely, not all LGUs in Negros Oriental are implementing this as yet owing to the absence of logistics, such as manpower, facilities, and training, to ensure that their clients are attended to.
Some LGUs like Dumaguete City, Guihulngan City, and Manjuyod have already been trained, the PSWDO chief said.
Edrial is calling on LGUs in the province to step up their efforts to provide safe spaces for women and children and to request the regional DSWD office for training on camp management.
Source: Philippines News agency