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Reply of the Olongapo City Social Welfare and Development Office

Republic of the Philippines Olongapo City -oOo- CITY SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE TEL. NOS.: CITY HALL   SDC       OCARE  - 222-5201 - 222-9491 - 223-6773

July 21, 2003

‘Rivendell' High Street Shirrel Heath
SOUTHAMPTON S032 2JN 
United Kingdom 

Madam:,  

This is in response to your letter addressed to Olongapo City Mayor Kate H. Gordon in relation to the smear campaign being propagated through the Internet against the Olongapo Center for Assistance, Rehabilitation and Empowerment (OCARE).  

Allow us to clarify the issue raised against us, to wit:

OCARE was formerly housed at the out-patient building of the then Olongapo City General Hospital.  The center has undergone renovations, repairs and upgrading aimed at improving the facility.  It was officially inaugurated on May 17, 1997 with only four (4) staff members; two of whom are Social Workers who worked from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It was established to cater not only to street children but other cases as well like stranded, battered wives, psychotic vagrants, homeless/ abandoned/ neglected individuals and Child Minding Center that caters to children below 3 years old.  

In order to serve this clientele, the Center expanded its services on 24-hour basis as City Mayor, Kate H. Gordon provided additional personnel to further render social services.  Now, it has thirteen (13) personnel, two (2) are Social Workers, while the rest are house parents who are former Day Care Workers.  

Due to the growing number of clientele served, some of OCARE components were moved to other city facilities:  

Child Minding Center was transferred to a separate facility which offers a more conducive environment.  

Child abuse cases were later turned over to the Social Development Center, the other LGU-run children's institution.  

Despite its meager resources, OCARE ensures that food provided to the clients is cooked, nutritious, and adequate with no leftovers served as their health and nutrition are its utmost concern.  Personnel who manage the food subsistence were taught on how to ensure that foods that were provided are adequately served on time.  

There is no such secret cell as reported, and there were no clients who were detained for months or even a week.  The exclusive holding cell for psychotic vagrants is open as their families and relatives come and go for visitations.  Psychotic vagrants caught roaming around the city are turned over to OCARE to protect them from hard elements of society and to prevent them from hurting others.  Likewise, they are immediately referred to the National Center for Mental Health or Mariveles Mental Ward in Bataan.  

Beating our clients has never been and will never become a practice at OCARE. As committed social workers and public servants, they are championing/advocating children's rights.  They are guided by principles and professional ethics under oath in managing cases that are brought to their attention.  

Children were never denied any comfort; in fact they were required to take a bath regularly.  Their personal belongings were provided and their daily hygiene was assured.  

Additional services include:  

Temporary shelter and processing of stranded and homeless individuals, families and groups.

Para-legal assistance/case management (sexually abuse, physically abuse , marital conflicts and counseling and pre-marriage counseling)  

Temporary shelter and custody of street children.

Other LGUs and NGOs of Zambales and Bataan as well as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBMA) are referring their clients to OCARE attesting to the quality of services, assistance and reliability that the Center can ably provide.  

Though the national DSWD Office has a center for children, it also seeks the assistance of the center- the same is true with other GOs and NGos in the city.  

Some noted inadequacies of the facility can be attributed to the physical limitations of the building itself.  The Center's hardworking personnel, however, made up for these drawbacks by ensuring that all rooms of the clients were well-maintained, and sanitized. Likewise, routine clean-up of the psychotic vagrants' quarters including their respective toilet facilities is given utmost priority.  

The OCARE staff is not and will never be remiss and negligent of their duties.  In fact, they worked even beyond what is expected of them with sheer commitment and dedication.  It is just disheartening that this exemplary level of public service exhibited by them are besmirched by a baseless smear campaign waged by a self-proclaimed messenger of hope and goodwill at the expense of the OCARE and the people of Olongapo.  

Despite these, OCARE shall continue to be a sanctuary for all these social cases and concerns.  We shall endeavor to continue living up to our name as truly a caring center with caring people in a city that genuinely cares.  

 

	Very truly yours,
	Originally Signed GENIE R. ECLARINO, RSW Officer In-Charge

 Cc:

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