The Mabalacat City Drop-In Center for Women and Children in Crisis Situation (MCDIC) located in Barangay Sapang Biabas here, recently received the accreditation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) making it the first and only LGU-run shelter facility in Pampanga to qualify, to date.
The accreditation was received by the Mabalacat City Government (MCG) through the Population, Gender Development (POPGAD) Office having satisfactorily complied with the first level standards in the implementation of center-based, non-residential programs, and services for women and children in crisis situations.
The parameters and guidelines in granting the said accreditation are stipulated under DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 17 Series of 2018 and Section 23 of Republic Act 4373 or “An Act to Regulate the Practice of Social Work and the Operation of Social Welfare Agencies in the Philippines and for Other Purposes”.
The accreditation certificate was formally received by POPGAD Officer Charlo Costales from DSWD- Central Office Standards Office Maria Aquilisa Mancile-Ongleo and DSWD Program Management Bureau Chief Miramel Garcia-Laxa.
“Tayo po ay nagagalak at isa na naman pong pagkilala ang ating natanggap mula sa pamahalaang nasyunal. Patuloy po ang MCG at ang POPGAD sa pagbuo ng mga programa na mapakikinabangan ng ating mga ka-Mabalaqueño sa pangmatagalang panahon,” said Costales.
The MCDIC, known to Mabalaqueños as the ‘Purple House’, is a flagship social protection program of Mayor Garbo which was established in July 2017 in Barangay Sapang Biabas to cater to children at risk, children in need of special protection, children in conflict with the law, and even to women in especially difficult circumstances.
Amid the pandemic, the facility has continuously provided a sundry of support services and temporary shelter to individuals, particularly those whose security and safety were compromised due to certain circumstances.
Furthermore, referrals and walk-in clients are being handled and undertaken by the Women and Children Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network (WCAPIN) of the Mabalacat City Government. The facility is also an affiliate of the Area-Based Standard Network (ABSNET), an organization of social welfare and development agencies (SWDA) whose purpose is to provide participative and consultative mechanisms in areas of social work standards development.
“Isang magandang pamasko po ito sa ating mga Mabalaqueño. Kami po sa Sangguniang Panlungsod ay patuloy na susuporta sa mga programa ni Mayor Garbo na tunay na makakatulong sa ating mga kabalen,” said Vice Mayor Gerald Aquino.
For his part, Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo vowed to expand the city’s health and social services to cover a wide range of support services dedicated especially to indigent Mabalaqueños and residents in crisis situations.
“This manifests our staunch pursuit in bringing a complete ‘womb to tomb’ services to every Mabalaqueño. Nananatili po tayong tapat sa ating panata na walang maiiwan sa ating pagbuo sa “Bayung Mabalacat”. Sa darating na mga taon ay mas palalawakin pa natin ang ating serbisyo lalo na at ngayon ay nararamdaman natin ang paunti-unting recovery mula sa pandemya”, said Mayor Crisostomo Garbo.
“Layunin natin na makabuo ng higit pang mga benchmark programs and services sa tulong ni Vice Mayor Aquino at ng ating mga konsehal. Tayo naman ay handang ibahagi ang mga best practices na ito upang mapakinabangan din ng ating mga karatig-bayan at siyudad,” the city mayor added.
