Samar mayors, media meet for WCPU Orientation

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
September 12, 2007

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Samar Local Chief Executives and the local media will attend an orientation on the presence of the Women and Child Protection Unit to be established in the province of Samar.

The Samar Provincial Sub-Committee on the Welfare of Children met Monday to smoothen the creases and fine-tune the activities scheduled on October 11 for the launching of the Women and Child Protection Unit (WCPU) in Samar.

The facility is now experiencing a ‘passionate push’ from the stakeholders who have worked out some two years ago for its opening. It has though suffered hitches that the committee chose to forget. This has now been the ‘flavor of the month’ for both government and NGO Plan Philippines due to the rising cases of children and women abuse in the province.

With hub of activities centered on this facility, the promotions committee proposed that the mayors be oriented on the presence of the WCPU so that the LCEs could patronize this facility and could also commit to support the program in any way.

Meanwhile, as information multipliers, the media would also be invited to attend another bout of info activities relative to the WCPU.

The mayors’ orientation will be held on September 21, 2007 at the Waling-Waling Inn while the media will have their turn on September 28, 2007 in the same venue.

The series of orientation is hoped to widen and deepen the awareness level of the Samarnons as regards the presence of the WCPU in the capital city of Catbalogan.

The WCPU aims to provide a comprehensive medical and psychosocial care of the highest caliber to all its clients.

The WCPU staff is committed to ensure the safety and well-being of children – at risk. The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) composed of a trained physician, social worker and a law enforcer are available 24-hours, seven days a week for the women and children that would need protection.

Plan Philippines, a noted NGO with “children at the heart of everything they do” is s strong partner of the Samar provincial government in extending this facility that offers child-friendly services on investigation, medical examination and psycho-social care for women and children who may have suffered abuse or neglect.