The Philippine government’s soon-to-rise agricultural camp in Palawan will set the blueprint for more transformative projects for children in conflict with the law (CICLs) in the country and even in the Asian Region, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Wednesday (May 7).
In an interview over Radyo Pilipinas-Palawan, the DSWD chief said he is honored to be part of the government team behind the first-ever agricamp in the country to be constructed at the Inagawan Sub-Colony in Puerto Princesa City.
“This is first in the country, first in Asia at palagay ko magiging modelo ito na pwedeng i-copy ng ibang bansa sa atin. Sa hanay ng DSWD, ‘yong mailagay ang isang bata sa institusyon masakit na ‘yon eh, pero kung ilalagay natin siya dahil court-mandated, ang gusto sana namin ay yung pasilidad ay kaaya-aya,” Secretary Gatchalian told Radyo Pilipinas in an interview after the project’s groundbreaking on Wednesday.
The DSWD chief said the 10-hectare agricamp will champion a forward-thinking rehabilitation and reintegration process for CICLs, under the collaborative effort of the DSWD and its attached agency, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC); the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor); Department of Justice (DOJ); and the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
This is in accordance with the 50-year-old Presidential Decree No. 603 of 1974 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code, which mandates the establishment of agriculture or forestry camps where CICLs can serve their sentence instead of confinement in a regular penal institution.
Secretary Gatchalian said the concept of agricamp, which was also later absorbed into Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), was the brainchild of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
For over five decades, however, the Philippines has trailed behind in realizing this law-mandated initiative.
“Kung matatandaan niyo ‘yong batas tungkol sa mga kabataan na in conflict with the law… dapat part ng kanilang rehabilitasyon ay ang mga pasilidad ay maaliwalas at magiging produktibo sila. At ‘yong batas na ito sa panahon pa ng ama ng ating Pangulo naitaguyod,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
Secretary Gatchalian said the first-ever agricamp in Palawan signifies the Marcos administration’s commitment to uphold a more restorative juvenile justice system.
Ensuring that CICLs are given holistic support so they can get a new lease on life, the initiative speaks volume of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s vision of a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ —- where every life matters and is being valued, according to Secretary Gatchalian.
“Imagine ninyo, ang tagal-tagal na hindi nagagawa pero ngayon sa panahon ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., maisasakatuparan na ‘yong nakasaad sa batas,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
Upon its targeted completion by the end of 2025, the agricamp is expected to provide a more nurturing and humane environment for CICLs, with programs focused on education, vocational training, psychosocial support, and agricultural work.
“Importante itong ganitong mga pasilidad dahil more than anything, palagay ko ang mga
kabataan at one point na sangkot sa mga hindi kaaya-aya na bagay or yung mga ‘children in conflict with the law’ they still have rights. May karapatan sila para ma-reform, ma-rehabilitate,” the DSWD chief pointed out.