[Press Release] CLRD launched its CARE center at Barangay Bagong Silang in Caloocan

On 25 August 2011, the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center (CLRD), Inc. has launched its new program at Barangay Bagong Silang dubbed as “Children’s Action Resource Education” (CARE) Center. In partnership with DKA-Austria, the program will run for three years beginning this year. The CARE center aims, among others, to facilitate in addressing violence…

Human Rights Online Philippines

August 31, 2011

2–3 minutes

CARE, Child abuse, Child sexual abuse, Child’s rights, CLRD, CSA, Domestic violence, Education, ESCR, Event, Gawad Kalinga, Human Right, Sexual Abuse

CLRD launched its CARE center at Barangay Bagong Silang in Caloocan. Photo by CLRD

The CARE center aims, among others, to facilitate in addressing violence against children that remains unbridled particularly child sexual abuse cases (CSA). CARE is already on phase 2 of its implementation, the first Phase was a baseline study conducted by CLRD on selected areas of concern at Bagong Silang, with the aim of obtaining the demographic of each areas, the general human rights situation of children, and programs being implemented, if any, by the LGUs to address child abuse cases. Commonalities in the findings of baseline study in terms of failure of the local government to address child sexual abuse cases is the clear absence of programs and policies that will respond to rampant cases of rape and sexual violence against children.

CARE operates through activities such as awareness-raising to the community as well as to the local government unit specifically barangay, on the rights of children as guaranteed by international human rights documents as well as local laws, free legal assistance to those seeking legal protection with respect to child sexual abuse, psycho-social intervention through referrals for counseling, formation of support group among survivors of CSA. Its target output is to device programs and activities in coordination with barangay, that will prevent, if not totally reduce the cases of child abuse.

Through the core group formed, composed of community-based/residents of Bagong Silang, CLRD hopes that the CARE center will help in empowering the community in addressing CSA cases.

The launching was attended by barangay kagawad, community leaders, parents, youths, local police, NGOs with program at Bagong Silang such as Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi (KnK), or Children without Borders-Philippines, Gawad Kalinga, and Children’s International.