The Quick Response Team for Children’s Concern (QRTCC) continues its rescue operations and surveillance of abused kids in Davao City.
The QRTCC is an inter-agency team conceived and developed to protect children against mistreatment. It was created through Executive No. 24, which was issued on October 2, 2001.
Jinky Roncal, the Center Manager of QRTCC and the Kean Gabriel Hotline, said they are open 24 hours a day to serve the public.
The QRTCC’s staff is composed of three call takers, nine social workers, and three in-house police personnel.
She said that through the Kean Gabriel Hotline, they receive complaints about physical and sexual abuse, and negligence.
She, however, clarified that their coverage is limited within Davao City.
“Actually, as per report sa amoang call taker, naa’y mga callers outside Davao City, pagtuo nila nga covered gihapon [sila], ang uban nagapangayo og help. Gina inform lang namo [sila] nga ang coverage ni Kean Gabriel Hotline ug QRTCC is within Davao City. However, ginahatagan namo [sila] og advice og unsa ang angay nila’ng buhaton [ug] asa sila angay muadto sa mga ing-ana nga mga situation (According to our call taker’s report, some callers are from outside Davao City and think they are still covered, while others are asking for help. We just informed them that the coverage of Kean Gabriel Hotline and QRTCC is within Davao City. However, we provide guidance on what to do and where to go in those circumstances),” she said in an interview with the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio.
Roncal said they make sure to respond to every call, especially those made at night.
After receiving a call, Roncal, the social worker and the in-house police, convene to plan the steps that they should do.
She said if it is confirmed that the child is being abused, they check if a family member can take care of the child. If there’s none, the child is rescued and sent to a residential care facility.
“If ever ang case kay physical abuse, ginadala namo sa police station for blotter purposes, next kay padad-on namo sa hospital para ma-check siya kung unsa to iyang nahiaguman nga mga abuso, then after ana ginadala sa QRTCC for processing. Kami pud to’ng mag-assess para sa psychological evaluation, para holistic gyud ang package bago namo na sya i-transfer sa residential care facility kung asa ha-um gyud siya (If it’s a case of physical abuse, the victim is taken to the police station for blotter purposes. After that, the victim is sent to the hospital to determine the type of abuse, and, finally, the victim is taken to the QRTCC for processing. We are the ones who also do psychological evaluation so that the package is really holistic before we transfer them to the residential care facility where they are really suitable),” she said.
She added that after the intervention, and if the child no longer faces any threat, the victims are sent back to their respective families.
“Ginabalik gyud na namo sa family kay we always believe na mas mahatag gyud sa pamilya ang pagmahal ug pagpangga (We send children back to their families because we think they can provide the love and care they require),” she said. CIO
