Sheltering young Filipinos suffering from all forms of abuse, Bantay Bata 163 relaunched its Children’s Village to help youngsters become more resilient and empowered members of the community
As part of the foundation’s 21st anniversary in advocating for child welfare, the Children’s Village was unveiled in a press conference held at ELJ Communications Center, Quezon City.
With refurbished facilities and an enhanced program, the new home aims to help more children who are victims of child abuse, which has served as home for over a thousand young Filipinos since 2003.
“It’s Children’s Village version 2.0,” said Jing Castañeda, program director of Bantay Bata 163, as the new house for the abused children has new features. With its new programs like the Resilience Program, the children can have necessary life skills in preparation of their reintegration into the society.
After four years of temporary closure, the Children’s Village located in Norzagaray, Bulacan—through the help of partner organizations such as the local government of Quezon City—can now house and provide holistic healing for at least 120 abused children.
“Rehabilitation and healing must be complete,” Castañeda added explaining that the village will have a structured, therapeutic family-like environment. Children can stay up to one year, and after living in the Village, the foundation monitors them.
The “mini-DSWD” also has the Productivity Skills Training and Livelihood Development Program, which helps the children to have independent living after their life inside the village.
Also, the foundation presented a scholar of the Bantay Bata Foundation named “Len” and shared her experience inside the Children’s Village. It was a great experience for her, and it helped her stand up again after abuses she went through when she was a child. She shared that in the village she felt having a family.
“Bilang isa sa mga natulungan ng Bantay Bata, ito po ay malaking tulong sa kanila,” Len said as the Village helped her to develop her self-confidence. She is currently taking up an education course and now ready to take on challenges after she has learned to be resilient in the village.
“Kailangan namin ng tulong ninyo, we really need to make sure we invest in our children kasi sila ang kinabukasan ng ating bansa,” Castañeda said urging everyone to take part in the advocacy.
“It takes a village to raise a child, but we need love to build a village,” she concluded emphasizing the responsibility and duty of every citizen to protect the children.
Also, the foundation is gearing for the protection of country’s future generation from online abuse and exploitation for 80 percent of children and youth are experiencing some form of violence on the cyberspace as reported by the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in the country conducted by UNICEF. Protecting the rights of a child online remains a challenge but the foundation has a strong goal to fight abuses in the virtual world.
Additionally, the Bantay Bata has a partnership with Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to help children left behind by OFW parents who are also vulnerable to abuse.
For more information on the Bantay Bata 163 Children’s Village log on to www.abscbnfoundation.com or follow @abscbnfoundationkapamilya on Facebook as the foundation’s initiative needs support from a lot of people to continue its advocacy for children’s rights and protection.