The root of this problem is the fact that so many people are having kids that they can’t take care of.
“Following incidents of kids threatening to throw stones at vehicles if they are not given money, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman appealed to barangay officials to keep these children off the streets,” reports Rainier Allan Ronda in The Philippine Star.
Soliman said, “The barangay can immediately act on the issue if they see children on the streets. Furthermore, they know where these kids come from so their active involvement is vital in putting a stop to these incidents.”
Motorists had also revealed that kids threw stones at their vehicles or threatened to smash their windows with rocks if they thought that the money given to them by motorists was “too small.”
Soliman pointed out that “the DSWD worked with Quezon City officials to address incidents along C-5 Road, Katipunan Avenue, and UP Town Center.”
Soliman disclosed that they found out that “the children who committed the offense are not streetchildren, but live near the areas where the incidents happened.”
The report noted: “Five of the six children reportedly involved in the incidents are currently staying at the Molave Youth Home while one was returned to his family. A social worker has been sent to provide counseling to the boy and his parents.”
Soliman explained, “Normally, the social workers talk to the parents and conduct counseling on parenting. If the child repeatedly commits an offense, the child will be placed in a rehabilitation center for the youth in conflict with the law. On the third offense, the child will no longer be returned to his or her family.”
By the way, the DSWD has a Twitter account, @savestreetkids, where the public can immediately report sightings of children on the street.
