Councilor Lorenzo Benjamin “Enzo” Villafuerte is optimistic that his proposed Anti-Bullying Ordinance will be approved before the full-blown face-to-face classes begin in November this year.
The measure was already passed on first reading.
In July this year, Villafuerte, chair of the Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights for the 20th City Council, proposed an anti-bullying ordinance. In a privileged speech, he said “the fact that bullying exists not just in the traditional school setting but has extended itself in the workplace and even in cyberspace suggests that there is nothing normal about it.”
“Before mag full blown na ug face-to-face classes, ma-approve na ni ug ma present na nako sa City Council para ma protektahan ang atong mga bata. With the collaboration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other agencies, we can make this ordinance the best as it can be and address the specific needs of Davao City as a whole,” he said.
Villafuerte said they already conducted a second committee hearing and that they learned a lot with regards to how to improve this anti-bullying ordinance.
The ordinance also aims to strengthen the already existing national law known as Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act, which aims to protect children enrolled in kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools and learning centers (collectively, “Schools”) from being bullied.
“Kani ang limitation ani kay ang apil lang sa anti-bullying act kay ang primary and secondary schools. Dili apil ang colleges, vocational schools, graduate schools, workplaces, and other workplaces and cyberbullying,” he said.
His proposed ordinance aims to include all of those mentioned above.
“Tanan apil ug this aims to protect our children, employees, and kabalo ta daghan gasulti mga bata nga naa man tay anti bullying policies in place sa school, naay lain bata mag abuso. Mao nang gibutang namo ang bullying in other places. The spirit of this ordinance is to punish the sin not the sinner. Dili nato aim na i-punish ang mga bullies, ang atong mabuhat hopefully nag counselling ta sa ilaha apil na ang victims, parents kay kabalo ta na education starts at home,” he said.
