Bahay Pag-asa turns 15

The City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) on August 11 celebrated the 15th year anniversary of the Children’s Village Bahay Pag-asa in Tugbok District.

Bahay Pag-asa houses Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and Children at Risk (CAR ‘s) and provide them with specialized custody as mandated by the Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

The Bahay Pag-asa, which currently houses 75 CICL and CAR, aims to reform troubled children 17 years and below and give them another chance of transforming into responsible adults.

In celebration of the institution’s 15th anniversary, the Bahay Pag-asa residents and staff conducted a Foundation Day program attended by Mayor Sebastian Duterte, CSWDO Head Julie Dayaday, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) representatives, Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) affiliates, other public officials, and stakeholders.

Dayaday said the “village” has seen many improvements with the addition of more classrooms, clinic, counselling rooms, and other amenities.

“Daghan kaayo’g improvements. At the same time, daghan para sa atong mga bata na nag-gikan diri naa na pu’y nabag-o na mga kinabuhi which is mao ra man gyud na siya ang atong trophy (There are a lot of improvements. At the same time, some of our children have their lives changed, which is our trophy,” she said.

The institution, Dayaday said, has adopted a therapeutic community system where each member of the village is responsible for each other. In this system, children are encouraged to be more conscious of their actions and their potential impact as well as the need to take accountability for them.

To create a therapeutic community, the village provides not just psychological counselling, case managing, and legal aid but focuses on specialized education and skills training to prepare them for reintegration into civil society.

“Of course, dili nato pasagdan ang pag-eskwela kay kinahanglan gyud magpadayon gihapon ilang eskwela. That’s why we partnered with DepEd. Nagpadala sila’g teachers diri aron mao sila ang mutudlo sa mga bata (Of course, we can’t neglect education as they must still go to school. That’s why we partnered with DepEd. They sent teachers to teach the children),” Dayaday said.

Mayor Sebastian Duterte, in his speech, asked the CICL currently enrolled in the program to learn to distinguish between right and wrong and remember to always act within the bounds of the law.

He said the government will always strive to protect the welfare of the youth and their future. CIO