BAGUIO CITY – In observance of National Children’s Month this November, the Department of the Interior and Local Government – Cordillera (DILG-CAR) renewed its call to all local government units in the region to strengthen their campaign to curb the incidence of violence against children (VAC) in their localities.
DILG-CAR Regional Director Araceli A. San Jose appealed to LGUs to ensure that programs on children’s welfare are mainstreamed in their local development plans and that local councils for the protection of children are duly organized and functional.
She said that while the Police Regional Office – Cordillera (PROCAR) reported a decrease in documented incidence of VAC in the region from 354 cases in 2023 to 281 cases in 2024, the high number of cases remains alarming and necessitates stronger interventions at the local level.
Ensure functionality of local councils
RD San Jose urged LGUs to ensure that their respective Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (LCAT-VAWC) and Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC) are adequately capacitated to effectively perform their responsibilities in the implementation of various child-protection laws and issuances.
“It is imperative that our LGUs ensure the optimum functionality of these councils as they are integral to shaping responsive local policies that will ultimately safeguard the rights and well-being of our children,” RD San Jose said.
She added that this must also be complemented by an active Violence against Women (VAW) desks in all barangays that are capable of sensitively responding to reports of any form of violence within their communities.
Meanwhile, RD San Jose said that DILG-CAR’s City and Provincial Field Offices have been directed to provide technical assistance to LGUs in the organization and strengthening of capacities of these councils.
MAKABATA Helpline 1383
The DILG Cordillera chief also enjoined local chief executives to pursue stronger information and education campaigns (IEC) to promote the MAKABATA Helpline 1383.
Launched by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) earlier this year, this initiative dubbed as “MAhalin at KAlingain ang ating mga BATA” (MAKABATA) Helpline 1383 offers a mechanism to provide immediate response, monitoring, and feedback on all child rights concerns via calls, e-mail, and various social media platforms
This helpline enables child victims or persons who have direct knowledge of violation of child rights to directly report these incidents to the concerned offices. All forms of violence and abuse against children such as physical abuse, online sexual abuse and exploitation, bullying and other grave violations such as rape, abduction, and trafficking, among others, are highly encouraged to be reported to their platforms.
Moreover, the MAKABATA Helpline offers legal advice and counselling to victimized, vulnerable, and at-risk children and their families.
“The MAKABATA Helpline is a valuable resource for our constituents and we must make them aware that such options are made available to them by the government. Thus, our Local Social Welfare and Development Offices must actively campaign for this helpline in their localities,” RD San Jose said.
To report any case of violence against children, the MAKABATA Helpline can be contacted through their hotline number “1383” or mobile numbers 0919-354-1383 or 0915-802-2375; via email at makabatahelpline@cwc.gov.ph; or through their official social media channels MAKABATA Helpline 1383 on Facebook and Instagram. A “Click to Call” option is also available at the CWC Website https://cwc.gov.ph.
“We must work together to strengthen the network of support for our children. Let us work together to create an environment for the next generation that is free from harm and all forms of violence,” RD San Jose said.**FFP/DILG-CAR
