CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) assured the public of its strengthened monitoring and accreditation of child-caring agencies in Central Luzon to ensure the safety and welfare of children under their care.
RACCO Social Welfare Officer Gezelle Anne Garcia said their Standards Accreditation and Monitoring Section regularly visits both public and private centers to check compliance with standards on child protection and care.
“Sa kasalukuyan, mino-monitor namin ang 64 centers sa buong Region 3 by semester. Layunin naming matiyak na natutugunan ang pisikal, emosyonal, at pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga bata, at na walang bata ang permanenteng lalaki sa loob ng center,” Garcia explained.
For her part, RACCO Social Welfare Officer Kristene Joy Manlutac added that the section is guided by Memorandum Circular No. 3 series of 2024, which mandates that children should only stay in centers for three months before being reunited with their families or placed for adoption or foster care.
“Sa suporta ng aming officer-in-charge, mayroon na kaming karagdagang social welfare officers upang mas palakasin ang monitoring. Umaasa kami na ang mga batang natagpuan na inabandona o napabayaan ay magkakaroon ng mga pamilya sa pamamagitan ng adoption o foster care,” Manlutac said.
Meanwhile, Garcia emphasized that coordination with local social welfare and development offices and municipal social welfare offices is crucial in handling cases of abandoned or rescued children.
She noted that only 11 out of 137 local government units in Central Luzon currently operate their own centers, making private-run centers vital partners in child care.
Garcia also clarified that licensing and accreditation of centers remain under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), while National Alternative Child Care-RACCO focuses on certifying and assessing adoption and alternative child care implementation.
“Bago kami makapagpa-certify, dapat munang ma-accredit sa DSWD ang mga centers. Para matiyak na nasusunod ang tamang pamantayan at nabibigyan ng proteksyon ang buhay ng mga bata,” Garcia stressed.
She added that the goal of RACCO in Central Luzon is to ensure that every child is given the opportunity to grow up in a family environment and not in institutions.
RACCO is also seeking the help of the private sector in terms of donating diapers and clothes for the children.
The agency said that these simple acts of kindness can make a big difference in how children inside care facilities feel loved, cherished, and cared for. (MSJC/AJPM, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
