By Asst. Prof. Sarex Dalida Dipol, Jr

Prof. Ella Jay G. Contreras, a social worker and faculty member of the Department of Social Work, served as a resource person in a selected Panay Iraynon-Bukidnon community.

On November 21, 2025 (Friday), the College of Arts and Sciences, through the Department of Social Work, conducted a seminar on children’s rights and welfare for a selected Panay Iraynon-Bukidnon community in San Remigio, Antique. This social development initiative is part of the CPU College of Arts and Sciences’ 100th anniversary celebration.

During the seminar, Prof. Ella G. Contreras discussed the fundamental rights of Filipino children, emphasizing their right to life and to be born well, to proper nutrition and food, and to basic access to healthcare. She also highlighted their right to education, as well as their right to play, leisure, and other recreational activities that support holistic growth. Prof. Contreras further underscored children’s rights to develop their skills, talents, and abilities, as well as to receive proper moral, spiritual, and social development. She stressed the importance of protecting children from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination, including safeguarding them from child trafficking and hazardous work. Additionally, she explained their right to assistance and intervention when involved in the justice system, as well as their right to express their thoughts and enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, among others.

The majority of the children in the indigenous peoples’ community face various challenges that the University is committed to addressing, such as malnutrition, poor health, lack of knowledge in sanitation and hygiene, illiteracy, discrimination, exploitation, human trafficking, involvement in insurgency, and other related concerns.

This initiative highlights the University’s continuing commitment to promoting child protection and development. Over the years, CPU has implemented various social development initiatives for children, including feeding programs, the provision of school supplies and uniforms, and activities related to mental and physical health, literacy, capacity building, spiritual development, and child empowerment, among others.

A total of 40 children from the community participated in the activity. This undertaking is anchored on the University’s outreach framework, Program ERNEST, where the letter “S” stands for Social Welfare.