Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian leads the inauguration of new youth protection facilities in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte on December 5 (Friday) as part of improvements to the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RRCY).
As part of the department’s commitment to provide the right rehabilitation intervention to the CICL, the improved RRCY now includes a boy’s dormitory, livelihood center, and a warehouse.
In his message, the DSWD chief affirmed the Department’s continued commitment to providing safe, nurturing, and development-focused environments for children and youth under DSWD care.
The newly opened Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) will serve as a facility designed to provide intensive treatment in a residential setting for the rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law (CICL) whose sentences have been suspended.
A storage facility with an on-site clinic was also opened for Balay Dangpanan sa Kabataan (BDSK), a center catering to abused females and in difficult circumstances.
Joining the secretary in the inauguration were Zamboanga del Norte Governor Darel Uy, Polanco Mayor Shaia Ruth Uy, and DSWD FO 9 – Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Director Riduan P. Hadjimuddin. (CC)
DSWD chief inaugurates facilities for CICL, abused girls in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte
In line with the continuing commitment of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help lead the youth in nation-building, Secretary Rex Gatchalian spearheaded on Friday (December 5) the inauguration of four newly constructed and upgraded youth facilities at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) and Balay Dangpanan sa Kabataan (BDSK) in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte.
In his message, Secretary Gatchalian said the completion of the new structures reflect the government’s priority for youth protection and welfare.
“Whether it is education, second chances, shelter, that must be at the top of the list,” the DSWD chief said.
Three of the newly constructed facilities are improvements to the RRCY, a facility which serves as a residential rehabilitation facility for CICL with suspended sentences, offering intensive and structured interventions.
The DSWD chief emphasized that enhancing the RRCY is aligned with the firm belief of the Department on the power of restorative justice and rehabilitation interventions for the CICL.
“Sometimes we lose our way, but now we are being brought back, and when you leave this facility, I am sure you are ready and willing to be part of nation building,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The RRCY facilities include a two-story boys’ dormitory with nine resident rooms capable of accommodating 54 youth, a livelihood center featuring a stand-alone bakery and refilling station, and a warehouse intended to support the center’s daily operational needs.
The upgraded dormitory provides safer and more rehabilitative living conditions for residents, increasing the bed capacity to 110, while the new bakery offers expanded space for skills training, daily food production, and future income-generating projects.
The enhancements underscores the DSWD’s dedication to transforming the lives of the CICL, ensuring that they have the shelter and the support needed for successful reintegration.
The DSWD chief also expressed appreciation to local government units (LGUs) and partners working in child protection and rehabilitation for supporting the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA).
For the BDSK, the DSWD chief inaugurated a food and non-food storage facility to help improve the management of essential provisions such as food, hygiene products, and clothing.
The BDSK or the Home for the Girls is a residential center for girls in extremely difficult circumstances to include those who experienced abuse.
The upgraded system allows the staff to focus more on guidance, healing, and psychosocial support for the children under their care.
With these new youth facilities in place, Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that the inauguration marks another step in the Department’s effort to expand and strengthen youth facilities nationwide.
“These homes are where second chances abound and where hope springs eternal,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out. (CC)
