By Bong Pedalino

Maasin City (2 October) -- All national laws pertaining to the welfare of children will soon be made a handy tool based on the specific action coverage of various implementing agencies, either provincial, national, or local throughout the 18 towns and this city.

The resulting output would then be called Provincial Children's Code of Southern Leyte, or so hinted Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Jason Calva, the provincial official who was at the center of this dramatic undertaking.

And Board Member Calva was determined to make this happen and, in fact, this was to be functional and due for implementation early next year.

In the recent meeting of the Provincial Technical Working Group on this matter, a tentative schedule for a 3-day, stay-in seminar-workshop was already planned, and this would be on October 18-21 at the Ampil Pensionne here, barring any hitches.

Expected to come for this activity, which is seen as a brain-wracking type of action, are Police Officers in-charge of women's and children's desk, social workers of the DSWD, NGOs and socio-civic organizations whose work revolves around children's rights and protection, DepEd and other representatives of educational institutions, internet operators, in-school parents' associations, and other groups or individuals with known causes involving the youth and children.

Board Member Calva had said that deliberations for the Children's Code would have begun by the first quarter of this year, but was postponed indefinitely since everybody was busy with the Guinsaugon disaster.

The Children's Code of Bohol Province was taken as the model to create a Southern Leyte version, it was learned.

But Calva insisted that the province's own Code would be integrated with some detailed provisions applicable to the locality, and not just rely so much on general situations as what he observed with the Bohol Code.

During the initial discussions of the technical working group, the issue on harmful internet use by high school students after school hours came out, but no concrete solution was forwarded, other than a suggestion to call the attention of shop operators.