Quezon City mayoralty candidate Mike Defensor intends to take street children off the busy streets of the city and implement programs that will benefit these children’s families.

Defensor stressed that these efforts must focus on how to give street children the opportunity to become productive members of the community.

“We need to appropriate funds for the ‘zero street children’ program to improve the lot of street kids and make them stop living off the streets and grow up without any direction in life. It is the city government’s commitment to ensure that these children will not grow up to be liabilities to society,” Defensor stated.

Defensor cited the need to address the causes of poverty that drove these children to the streets. These include the lack of decent shelter, lack of education and unemployment.

“If we can provide the street children’s parents with decent shelter and a steady source of income, there would be no more need for the children to take to the streets and beg for food and money,” added Defensor.

Defensor will also push for the implementation of livelihood programs and parental education to teach parents about their responsibilities and obligations to their children.

He expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), non-government organizations o NGOs and the private sector to be the city government’s partners in the implementation of programs for street children.

“What we need is to work together with the private sector and a city government driven by the political will to eradicate poverty in the city,” said Defensor.

Defensor believes that true development is reflected not merely on the physical make-up of the city but should also be felt by each and every member of the community.