Province
launches Bantay Pamilya Program
The Provincial Government has established a program that
would help enhance and improve the promotion of the principle of peace
and stability in every home. Through the leadership of Misamis Occidental
Governor Loreto Leo Ocampos, the Bantay Pamilya Program was institutionalized.
Launched last March 2003 at the Capitol, the Program will therefore
promote peace and sustainable development in the communities, and in
turn would echo throughout the whole province. It is tucked under the
Gender and Development Program (GAD) of the Ocampos administration.
This program was conceptualized after the series of trainings, workshops,
and conferences on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC). A coordination
of groups composed of the Provincial Women’s Health Coordinating
Team; the representations from the Core Field Workers Team from the
Women’s Health and Safe Motherhood Project of the five municipality-beneficiaries
of Jimenez, Don Victoriano, Lopez Jaena, Plaridel, Sinacaban; and the
Local Government Units’ Social Welfare Officers and PNP women
have been working together to come up with a strategic mechanism to
improve the delivery of integrated services to the women and children
who are the most vulnerable group to be victims of any form of violence.
The Bantay Pamilya is a barangay-based organization of community volunteer
workers, barangay officials, men and women alike, who have the commitment
to respond directly to actual cases of domestic violence, sexual abuse
and illegal drugs. They have promoted special relations among each other
in order to make their homes and communities more safe, and peaceful
and progressive.
The Program encourages every citizen to join in, and extend their hands
and expertise in helping achieve the aims, and goals in safe-guarding
the peace and sustainability of every home and community. Professionals
and non-professionals, lay and church workers, men and women in uniform,
farmers, peacekeepers and all other groups are welcome to participate
in the program.
With the Program’s implementation, the Gender and Development
Center, whose staff is tasked to spearhead the Program, will be conducting
capability building, and community organizing for this purpose. The
commitment of local officials and residents of each of the barangays
are therefore needed because they necessarily need to work hand in hand
with the Local Government Units and the Provincial Government for this
program to gain its headway, and eventually its success.
Provincial Information Office
Capitol, Oroquieta City
