Street kids’ task force evicted from facility

The City Council has asked the Cebu City Legal Office to study the contract of lease of the Children of Cebu Foundation following the reported eviction of the Task Force on Street Children from the drop-in center in Barangay Pari-an.

In her privilege speech last Wednesday, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera chairwoman of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Affairs, LGBTQ and the Commission on the Protection and Welfare of Street Children, raised concerns regarding the lack of drop-in centers for rescued street children.

Pesquera began her speech by recalling that rescue operations conducted in the past took those rescued to a drop-in center in Barangay Pari-an. She added that the Pari-an Drop-in Center will serve as clearing house where rescued children will be housed while they wait for data gathering and analysis to determine which center they should be sent to.

She said under the Task Force on Street Children there were multiple nongovernment organizations that were partnered to provide shelter for those rescued. But recently she said the executive director of the Task Force on Street Children told her they had been evicted from the Parian Drop-in Center.

"So, we were surprised why the task force was the one evicted out the drop-in center because again, the task force was supposed to be the one helping the city government in addressing the issue on street children," said Pesquera.

This prompted her office to dig up the legal ownership of the said center. In their research, Pesquera said they found out that one of the members of the Task Force on Street Children, which is the Children of Cebu Foundation, is the owner of the facility.

Pesquera added that it was in 1989 when the city government entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Children of Cebu Foundation under the administration of former mayor Tomas Osmeña whose wife Margarita Osmeña stood as president of the foundation.

The said MOA is for the utilization by the Cebu City government of the facility in order for them to construct the building. The city government also provided financial assistance to the Children of Cebu Foundation.

Pesquera further said that aside from the MOA, Cebu City entered into a contract of lease with the Children of Cebu Foundation signed in 1989.

“And it is stated in the least contract that Children of Cebu Foundation will pay the amount of ₱1 per year for 50 years. For 50 year, giabangan sa Children of Cebu and immediately they paid the ₱50 issued of receipts,” said Pesquera.

She reiterated that its purpose is to help the street children of the city. Pesquera added that it has been changed now since the Children of Cebu Foundation “ejected” the Task Force Street Children.

“And the question is how come it happened with just ₱1 per year, maybe the purpose is very noble. However, as I mentioned things change and they changed the scenario,” said Pesquera.

During the discussion, Pesquera said it was the president of the Children of Cebu Foundation, Margot Osmeña who ejected the task force.

She clarified that it was the government that owned the land where the said building stood. According to her, the eviction was done approximately two months ago.