Cagayan de Oro City opened a 60-bed shelter for children in conflict with the law (CICLs) on Thursday, October 1. The Oro Bahay Pag-asa (House of Hope) was built in partnership with the Region 10 Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee (RJJWC), which provided PHP5 million to complete the facility located in Maitum, Upper Puerto. RJJWC secretariat Ronnie Barros said the shelter would be dedicated to the rehabilitation of CICLs as a way to reintegrate into mainstream society. “Though they have violated laws, there is still a need to protect the rights of the children,” Barros said as he cited the significance of establishing the Bahay Pag-asa.

In partnership with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Barros said the RJJWC is tasked to create the Alternative Learning System (ALS) module for Bahay Pag-asa for the entire country. Bahay Pag-asa forms part of the city’s Oro Care Village, including a COVID-19 isolation facility, a “Boystown,” and a mental hospital for the abandoned and neglected. It would also house an administrative building, family kiosks for visiting families, a livelihood technical school, an automotive skills training center, a chapel, an infirmary, and a covered court.

Oliver Egypto, head of the city’s Office of Community Affairs, added that the facility could also house abused women and the elderly. “The pandemic we are experiencing now only tests the consistency of the LGU’s advocacy to nurture these people,” Egypto said.   —(Source: PNA)  

Read More Cagayan de Oro