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DSWD ‘reengineering’ licensing system as Senate inquiry bares multiple lapses from PH’s ‘top 1’ child care facility

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Infants and children are loaded onto buses as the Department of Social Welfare and Development social workers conduct a rescue operation and takes custody of 120 infants and children housed at the Gentle Hands Orphanage in Quezon City on May 23, 2023 following a cease and desist order for alleged violations of the poor facility management that endanger the safety of children under their care. Jire Carreon, ABS-CBN News/File." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/05/20230523-dswd-gentle-hands-jvc-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Infants and children are loaded onto buses as the Department of Social Welfare and Development social workers conduct a rescue operation and takes custody of 120 infants and children housed at the Gentle Hands Orphanage in Quezon City on May 23, 2023 following a cease and desist order for alleged violations of the poor facility management that endanger the safety of children under their care. Jire Carreon, ABS-CBN News/File.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is reviewing the licenses and permits of orphanages, foundations and non-government organizations, especially after a Senate hearing bared that several cases administrative and criminal cases have been filed against Gentle Hands Inc. (GHI), a facility hailed as the Philippines’ “top 1 child care facility since 2014.”While the fire safety and inspection code (FSIC) of the GHI has already been revoked due to multiple violations of the fire code, a Senate inquiry also found that the child care facility was still able to renew its permit in recent years despite multiple lapses, including the non-release of children to their biological parents.“We might have to look at how the department might strengthen its own capacities… We’re really reengineering it, making it more streamlined pero may proteksyon pa rin dapat,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing.“Let’s not single out lang mga care facilities. Let us also look at the accreditation ng mga NGO and foundations. Though they are partners in development, we have to make sure there are still safeguards,” he said.“NGOs and foundations do fund raising. We don&#x27;t want to be called here again in the future na naabuso dahil masyado kaming maluwag. We have to make sure we have the right balance,” he added.<div> ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATIONS</div>In 2017, the Quezon City Department of the Building Official (DBO) filed a case against GHI after the institution extended their building up to the 4th floor, when their building permit only allowed a 3-story structure, said Freddie Lilagan, chief of QC-DBO’s Investigation and Adjudication Division.“If you do that, you compromise the entire structure, the safety of the entire building,” he said.“Dumating sa point na nasampahan namin sila ng kaso. Umabot din po sa point na dumating na… DOTR sent a letter to tell us that the entire area is kukunin na daw po,” he said, referring to the transportation department’s notice that the Gentle Hands’ building would be demolished to make way for the Philippines’ first subway. “We withdrew our case kasi nagcommit naman po ang DOTr na they will demolish , but legally speaking, they are in violation of the building code and the fire code,” he said.Gatchalian added that Gentle Hands’ FSIC was revoked as the facility housed 127 children and several helpers, even if their permit only allowed them to have a maximum of 50 occupants.“Pag lumampas sa 50, kailangan mo na ng sprinkler, ng fire alarm, hindi na puwedeng mano-mano,” the DSWD chief said.Lilagan said once the FSIC is nullified, “by law, it follows that the permit is already revoked.”The DSWD chief also underscored that during their inspection, there were no house parents in the compound, which is among the requirements for child care facilities.“A hundred kids, no adults around… Isa lang maglaro ng apoy diyan, ang hearing na ito ibang iba na ang tono,” Gatchalian said.“That’s a recipe for disaster,” he said.GHI legal counsel Tina Balajadia argued that the fourth floor extension “is not being used by children” but is being purposed as “the residence of the executive director and her family.”“The executive director did not realize that the permit was secured without indicating the fourth floor,” she told the Senate Committee on Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality.“My only point earlier was had you told us about all these things that need to be repaired 2 years or 4 years ago, we would have done it,” she said.“Unfortunately, the issues just came recently so it’s difficult to do an instant repair of a facility that has existed and licensed for almost 17 years.”<div>CRIMINAL CASES</div>In June, 2 mothers filed kidnapping cases against Gentle Hands executive director Charity Graff for refusing to release children who were left in the institution’s care for the meantime.Monina Roxas told senators that she was unable to see her 3 children for 2 years after the GHI refused to release the minors even after their mother obtained a Parental Capability Assessment Report (PCAR), a government-issued certificate that proves that a parent has sufficient means to raise his or her child.“Expected ko po, ibabalik na sa akin yung anak ko pero iba po sinabi sa akin. Sabi ni Ma’am Charity hindi niya daw po sa akin ibabalik anak ko kahit okay naman yung PCAR,” Roxas said.“Sinabihan niya na po ako ng hindi maganda. Wala daw po akong kuwentang nanay, minaliit niya po ako.&quot;Marami po siyang sinabing masasakit sa akin,&quot; she said.Melanie Marzan also filed a similar case against Graff after the GHI initially refused to return her son who she left in their care in January 2023.“I really don&#x27;t want this to happen to any mother, to any child,” Marzan said.“She really needs to understand na instead of looking at my incapabilities and incompetencies, why did she not empower me or encourage me to uphold my responsibilities?”Balajadia denied the allegations, saying that it is unlikely for Graff to reprimand mothers who want to see their children.“It is uncharacteristic for them say that she is demeaning or that she said so many things to them that made them feel so little,” the legal counsel said.“I hope it’s just a failure of communication,” she said.Balajadia underscored that the rules for releasing a child that was left in their care was not crafted by GHI.“Gentle hands is not a daycare facility. You cannot just leave your child and take them back right away,” she said.“There is a specific regulation or rule which clearly identify… kung paano siya kukunin, paano siya ibibigay.”Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is looking at possible illegal adoptions being facilitated by GHI after a Filipino minor, who was supposedly adopted by foreign parents, was returned to the Philippines after being turned away by her supposed foster family.“It could fall under the expanded anti-trafficking law, which includes facilitation of illegal adoptions,” Justice Undersecretary Felix Ty said.“But for now that aspect is for further case build up, we still need to develop that theory,” he said.“The kidnapping and failure to return a minor, those cases are pending right now for preliminary investigation,” he added.The Senate investigation was suspended and another hearing is expected to be scheduled in the coming days.<div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2632695" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div> </div>

The DSWD is reviewing the licenses and permits of orphanages, foundations and non-government organizations.

DSWD ‘reengineering’ licensing system as Senate inquiry bares multiple lapses from PH’s ‘top 1’ child care facility

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DSWD ‘reengineering’ licensing system as Senate inquiry bares multiple lapses from PH’s ‘top 1’ child care facility

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 05, 2023 06:19 PM PHT

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DSWD

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Senate

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Rex Gatchalian

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