The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has called for stronger support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law (CICLs) as the nation celebrates the 12th Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week (JJWeek) on November 19 to 25.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian stressed the need for a whole-of-nation collaboration to ensure that the needs of CICLs and children-at-risk (CAR) are provided with the necessary care and attention, including the need to support the operations of Bahay Pag-Asa (BPA) facilities around the country.
“We, as a whole nation, must work together to implement the necessary interventions to promote the welfare of CICLs and CARs by providing them with programs and services, especially access to justice and education,” Sec. Gatchalian said.
The JJWeek is an annual event held every 4th week of November in accordance with the annual celebration of the National Children’s Month (NCM).
The celebration aims to propagate awareness and consciousness among Filipinos regarding Republic Act (RA) 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), as amended, to emphasize the rights of every Filipino youth and child, including CARs and CICLs.
The JJWeek celebration’s theme “Nourishing Dreams, Shaping Futures: Ensuring the Right to Health and Well-being of All Children” advocates for the over-all health and nutrition of children.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), an attached agency of DSWD, spearheads the celebration through a series of activities that are designed to promote the JJWA, as amended.
Activities during the JJWeek can be found in the JJWC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JJWCOfficial/ and shared by the DSWD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dswdserves/.
