Aside from drugs, another serious problem involving Filipino youth is crime. There are children in conflict with the law (CICL) for various acts — including theft, arson, and even more serious crimes. Usually, the root cause of these acts are dysfunctional families, gang involvement, and drug use, among others.
To address this problem, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Social Technology Bureau (STB), has conceptualized the “Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL.” In this article, we shall learn more about this project — its objectives, target clients, components, pilot testing, and more.
Image Credit: Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee – NCR / Facebook
What is Buklod Paglaom?
The full name of the project is “Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL: Holistic Psychosocial and Economic (HOPE) Interventions for Children in Conflict with the Law.” It involves a range of services, combining both center and community-based interventions.
Through a holistic approach, the project aims to address the risk factors in the child, his/her family, and the community that caused him/her to offend and will more likely result in his/her re-offending, if not addressed.
Notably, the project highlights the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration, instead of retribution based on the principles of restorative justice.
Objectives of the Project
The “Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL” project aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Enable CICL who are highly at risk of re-offending to develop and maintain positive and acceptable behavior;
- Help dysfunctional families become responsive to the needs of their children for support and protection; and
- Make community members become responsible in preventing juvenile delinquency.
Target Clients
The target clients of the project include:
- Children aged between 12 to 15 years old who are alleged to have committed serious crimes;
- Children aged between 12 to 15 years old who are alleged to have committed an offense for the second time or more;
- Immediate family of the child; and
- Peers and community of the child.
NOTE: As per Section 20-A of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, serious crimes include: parricide, rape, murder, infanticide, kidnapping, robbery with homicide, and destructive arson.
Components of the Project
The “Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL” project consists of three main components:
1. Intensive Aftercare
This refers to the continuity of care to CICL who have completed their rehabilitation program.
2. Group Work
This component responds to the problem of negative influence and pressure pressure exerted on the child by gangs and/or peers to engage in drug abuse and other illegal activities.
3. Individual and Family Sessions
Individual sessions aim to address the child’s negative behavior brought about by his/her lack of ability to control aggression and incorrect understanding about right and wrong. Meanwhile, family sessions focus on the dynamics of family relationships, providing support to parents who are unable to give appropriate guidance.
Interestingly, many sessions and activities are conducted in the “Bahay Pag-Asa,” a facility that provides short-term residential care to CICL aged 15 to 18 years old. It also serves as a rehabilitation facility for children aged 12 to 15 years old who have committed serious offenses, and those who have made repeated offenses.
Pilot Areas
The pilot areas of the project are: Santiago City, Isabela (Region II); Caloocan City, Metro Manila (National Capital Region or NCR); Misamis Occidental (Region X); and Davao City (Region XI).
Pilot Implementation Stages
Here are the steps taken under the project’s pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation stages:
1. Pre-Implementation
- Forging of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
- Project Orientation and Planning Session with Partners
- Hiring of After Care Officers
- Creation of Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT)
- Identification and Organization of Volunteer Groups
- Development of Assessment Tools and Protocols
2. Implementation
- Development of Individual and Family Therapy Modules
- Capacity Building Activities
- Conduct of Individual and Family Therapy Sessions
- Conduct of Group Work
- Advocacy Sessions, Coordination, and Networking
- Skills Training of Bahay Pag-Asa Catered Children
- Provision of Livelihood Packages to CICL’s Families
- Case Conferencing
- Regular Home Visits
- Transitional Living
3. Post-Implementation
- Terminal Project Review and Evaluation Project
- Documentation
- Packaging, Promotions, and Marketing
Pilot Testing Results
After the pilot implementation, here are some key results of the project:
- 74% of identified beneficiaries increased their rating in the Social Functioning Indicators and improved in terms of emotion management, life skills, and moral reasoning;
- 74% families of identified beneficiaries increased their rating in the Family Functioning Checklist and parents have improved in terms of emotion management, parenting, and life skills;
- 100% of peers that participated in group work are not involved in any delinquent behavior; and
- 89% of barangays/municipalities had advocacy sessions.
These are just some of the results of the project’s pilot implementation. All in all, the project has: (a) met its objectives, intended outcomes, and output; (b) contributed positive changes to the lives of the target beneficiaries, their families, peers, and communities; and (c) ensured collaboration of efforts and partnerships of the Local Government Units (LGUs) and MDT members.
Latest Updates
After a successful pilot implementation, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) issued Resolution No. 4, Series of 2019, which adopted the Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL as the Bahay Pag-Asa intensive juvenile intervention for mandatory nationwide implementation.
In addition, as mandated by Republic Act 9344, every Bahay Pag-Asa should have a special program or unit called the Intensive Juvenile Intervention Support Center (IJISC) for CICL.
Video: Bahay Pag-Asa in Laguna
At the Bahay Pag-Asa in Laguna, “Tatay Manny” leads the center in providing proper care, guidance, and intervention for children in conflict with the law (CICL). Get to know more about him by watching this video shared by the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council on Facebook:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Meanwhile, here are some frequently asked questions about the project:
1. What is Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL?
“Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL” is a project that involves a range of services for children in conflict with the law.
2. What are its objectives?
Generally, the project seeks to address the risk factors in children, their families, and communities that caused them to commit crimes or offenses.
3. Who are its target clients?
The target clients of the project include children aged 12 to 15 years old who have committed serious crimes (including repeat offenders), their families, peers, and communities.
4. What are its components?
The components of the project are: (a) intensive aftercare; (b) group work; and (c) individual and family sessions.
5. How can I learn more about it?
To learn more about the project, you can contact the nearest DSWD Office in your area.
Contact Information: Social Technology Bureau
For residents within the NCR, you can address your inquiries and concerns about the project to the Social Technology Bureau (STB), which is located at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City. Its office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
Address: Social Technology Bureau, 3rd Floor, Matapat Building, Department of Social Welfare and Development – Central Office, IBP Road, Constitution Hills, Batasan Complex, Quezon City
Telephone: +632 8951 7124 / 8951 2802 / 8931 8144
Email: soctech@dswd.gov.ph
Website: https://stb.dswd.gov.ph/
Google Map:
Infographic About Project
Here is an infographic to provide you an overview of the Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL project:
Final Thoughts
When a minor commits a serious crime, it is important to implement the necessary interventions right away, so that he/she would eventually change his/her ways and become a responsible adult in the future. Fortunately, initiatives such as the “Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL” have been proven to be effective in addressing the needs and concerns of children in conflict with the law.
Aside from this program, there’s another program — or rather, a facility — that helps educate Filipino youth. Head to this article to learn more about the DSWD’s Special Drug Education Centers.