STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS - Bacolod City

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For other DSSD services, we are happy to report that the Women’s Crisis
Center was able to help 87 women, 10 children and 16 men who were victims of
domestic violence.
Our DSSD staff is also working closely with barangay officials to help them
organize and activate their Barangay Council for the Protection of Children or
BCPC. As of now, only 24 BCPCs are functioning.
We also organized last December 12, 2007 the Inter-Agency Council
Against Trafficking of Bacolod City with DSSD as lead agency.
In line with our continuing thrust to improve social services to children, we
approved last year the inclusion in this year’s budget of the amount of P1.5
million for the repair of the Social Development Center which provides residential
care, temporary shelter and custodial care for street children, “rugby kids”, and
children in conflict with the law. Purchase of materials for the repair work is now
on-going. More funds will be budgeted next year for the improvement of the
facility. Once the City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office moves
out of the premises shared with the Social Development Center, the vacated
space will be turned over for use of those children classified as “in conflict with
the law”.
In partnership with the City Health Office, the DSSD worked diligently on
programs for children. As a result of this close collaboration, Bacolod City was
again awarded for the 8 th straight year as the “Most Child-friendly Highly
Urbanized City for 2007 in Region 6” and will vie for the national search as
representative of Region 6. During the national search in the previous year for
the most child-friendly city in the Philippines, we were ranked no. 2, next only to
Makati City, in ceremonies graced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at
Malacañang Palace.
For this feat and for their other accomplishments, may we acknowledge
and thank the officials and staff of the DSSD and the City Health Office. Please
keep up the good work.
To augment the services of the DSSD, our Sectoral Concerns Office,
through linkages with various national government agencies and Philippine
embassies abroad, also helped 10 families of OFWs with assistance ranging
from repatriation of human remains to locating missing OFWs who went into
hiding from abusive employers.
The Sectoral Concerns Office also oriented trisikad drivers and operators
on their duty as transport workers and on social welfare protection through
Philhealth and SSS coverages. It also helped Globe Telecom launch its
livelihood program for trisikad drivers and operators.