CENTER FOR THE VULNERABLE. Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Representative and House Committee of Appropriations chairperson Elizaldy Co leads the groundbreaking ceremony and capsule-laying for a PHP400-million facility for distressed women and children and home for the aged in Barangay Estanza, Legazpi City on Wednesday (July 17, 2024). Co said the haven will also have comprehensive facilities designed to cater to the specific needs of its residents. (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – A PHP400-million facility will soon rise in Barangay Estanza here to give better and quality care to distressed women, children, and senior citizens in the province of Albay.
During a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Representative and House Committee of Appropriations chairperson Elizaldy Co said the first-ever Haven for Distressed Women and Children and Home for the Aged will be a venue for empowerment and healing.
He said the facility will be facilitated and managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol, and will provide a sanctuary and hope among the most vulnerable sectors of the community.
“On this lot that I donated, there will be more than just a simple building. The facility that will rise here is a beacon of our collective resolve to support the most vulnerable among us. It will symbolize our commitment to provide a sanctuary where healing can begin, where dignity is restored, and where lives can be rebuilt," Co said.
The haven, with a PHP400 million fund from the government, will have comprehensive facilities designed to cater to the specific needs of its residents.
It will have a total floor area of 5,098 square meters and is expected to be completed by 2025.
"Magkakaroon ng therapy, observation, and psychologist rooms kung saan tatanggap ang mga inabusong babae at bata ng tamang support at counseling na kailangan para makabangon sila mula sa kanilang mga pinagdaanan (There will be therapy, observation, and psychologist rooms where abused women and children will get the proper support and counseling needed to rise above their challenges),” Co said.
"Magkakaroon ang ating mga senior citizens na iniwan at pinabayaan ng isang tahanan kung saan sila aalagaan. Deserve ng lahat ng tumatanda na mabuhay nang may dignidad sa huling bahagi ng kanilang buhay. Magkakaroon sila ng access sa medical area at treatment rooms para matiyak na sila'y malusog at maginhawa (Abandoned senior citizens will have a home where they will be taken care of. Aging people deserve to live with dignity during the last chapter of their lives. They will have access to a medical area and treatment rooms to ensure that they are healthy and comfortable),” the lawmaker added.
He also said that social service is just one of the many projects of government complementing the legacy projects of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Together, we're building more than just a shelter. We are creating a foundation for a brighter, more compassionate future. Let's continue to work together to ensure that every individual who steps through these doors finds the support and love they need to heal and thrive,” he said.
In his message, DSWD Regional Director Norman Laurio said the facility marks a significant step forward to uphold the dignity and well-being of every individual in the region.
"This facility is a pivotal milestone in our mission to provide sanctuary and support for those in need. Today we gather with deep gratitude and determination as we embark on the construction of the newest center under the DSWD through AKB Rep. Elizaldy Co. Together, we envision the center not just as a refuge but a source of resilience. It will cater not only to the immediate needs of women and children in distress but also the families under the DSWD Pag-Abot Program. This center will embrace all the families experiencing disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals living on the streets," he added. (PNA)
