SP pushes for ordinance professionalizing ECCD service providers

THE City Council Committees on Social Services, on Education, and on Barangay Affairs, respectively chaired by Councilors Joyleen Mercedes L. Balaba, Suzette Magtajas Daba, and Yan Lam S. Lim, in its joint meeting last week referred to the City Legal Office and the Local Finance Committee for further study the proposed ordinance professionalizing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) service providers.

This, after Councilor Suzette Magtajas Daba cited the need to ascertain if the 210 ECCD service providers in the city can be accommodated in relation to the personnel service’s limitation provided in the Local Government Code.

“We hope that we would be able to fast track this kay witness gyud ko as I have visited a lot of child development centers, intawon ang atong mga teachers ang uban nagdaut, ang uban nag-undang na after 30 plus years of service. Luoy gyud ang atong mga teachers who have sacrificed a lot sa ilang barangay and then gamay ra ang gakadawat na benepisyo, and they are not protected,” Daba lamented.

As drafted by the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWD) and authored by Councilor Balaba, the proposed ordinance is in accordance with the memorandum circular dated December 13, 2010, issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to consider the retention of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, and day care workers given their sufficient experience and training.

It also aims to promote, provide benefits, and improve the total well-being of the service providers, and to standardize ECCD programs and services and professionalize ECCD service providers in the city through program implementation and the hiring process, among others.