The Dumaguete City local government through its City Social Welfare & Development Office is focusing its annual Children’s Summer Camp this year on addressing concerns posed on children exposed to various types of abuse and climate change.
CSWDO information officer-designate Jacqueline Flores disclosed Thursday that the Children’s Summer Camp had to bring in resource speakers that would enlighten the participants on anti-voyeurism, anti-pornography and anti-bullying as well as on practical life-saving tips during disasters and other emergencies.
One hundred children, aged 10 to 13, and coming from the city’s 30 barangays, are attending the three-day Summer Camp at the Barangay Talay Gymnasium in this capital city, said Flores.
According to Flores, concerns have surfaced on the easily available PisoNet, usually a home-based Internet “café” business, where children are prone to exposure to voyeurism, pornography and similar acts when they go online without the guidance of their parents or adults.
PisoNet only requires a fixed amount of money for a corresponding amount of minutes or hours of computer/Internet use, and some can go as low as ten pesos for five minutes.
Joel Delmo of the CSWDO on Thursday gave the summer camp participants an orientation of laws on anti-bullying, anti-pornography, anti-photo and voyeurism act.
Meanwhile, Shaina Dawn Sarita, who hails from Dumaguete City but works in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is a member of the international rescue group, Disaster Emergency Responders International, talked on Wednesday about safety and survival techniques during disasters.
Sarita stressed the need for households, and even children, to learn practical tips and procedures using what is available in the home during an emergency or when disaster strikes.
Day care workers, chaperones, child development workers and CSWDO staff are accompanying the children during the summer camp.
The Children’s Summer Camp activities reeled off with a motorcade around the city streets and a mass, with activities to include film showing, lectures, physical fitness (zumba), camp fire ceremony and presentation of talents, “amazing race”, and urban gardening using organic and recycled materials.
The 18th Children’s Summer Camp culminated Friday morning. (Judy Flores-Partlow/PNA)
