MARAWI CITY (PIA)--Bangsamoro lawmakers are sponsoring a measure that would institutionalize support for the welfare of orphans in the Bangsamoro region.
"For a child who has lost a parent, life is filled with hardships. In the absence of early child and development support, the orphaned child is one of those most vulnerable to poverty, radicalization, and criminality," said Members of the Parliament who authored Parliament Bill No. 112, also known as the Bangsamoro Orphanage Act of 2022.
To improve the living conditions of all orphans and give them a chance to live a "fulfilled life," PB No. 112 calls for the establishment of accredited Bangsamoro orphanages in each province.
The monitoring and evaluation system for orphaned minors is tasked with leading the creation of a credible mechanism for determining the eligible beneficiaries and creating the appropriate model for the orphanages in the community.
The system will be composed of the Ministry of Social Services and Development; provincial, municipal, and city social welfare development offices; the Ministry of Interior and Local Government; provincial, local, and barangay local government units; and a traditional leader and ulama or imam of each province in the region.
If approved, the Bangsamoro government will create orphanages in each of the region's provinces, with the MSSD serving as the implementing agency.
Through the proposed measure’s Comprehensive Support Program, orphanages will be provided with basic needs, physical safety and security, socio-economic needs, educational needs, emotional and spiritual needs, and access to justice.
Orphaned minors, as described in PB No. 122, are those who are under the age of 18, do not have a legal guardian, and have lost both biological parents.
Meanwhile, orphaned children who have attained the age of 18 or who have been adopted are no longer eligible for the program.
PB No. 112 was principally authored by MPs Diamila Disimban Ramos, Ali Solaiman, Marjanie Macasalong, Abdullah Macapaar, Basit Abbas, Said Sheik, Khalid Hadji Abdullah, Eddie Alih, Amilbahar Mawallil, Nabila Margarita Pangandaman, and Abdulazis Amenodin. (BTA/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
