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Gentle Hands wards give contradicting accounts on orphanage experience

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Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/05/24/20230523-dswd-gentle-hands-jvc-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Children are brought to buses as social workers take custody of 120 orphans housed at the Gentle Hands Orphanage in Quezon City on May 23, 2023 following a cease and desist order for alleged violations. Jire Carreon, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Children wards of Gentle Hands, Inc. (GHI) gave contradicting statements about their experiences while under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the orphanage.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/24/23/abrupt-transfer-of-orphans-traumatizing-gentle-hands-head">Abruptly pulling out children from Gentle Hands &#x27;traumatizing,&#x27; says orphanage director</a></li></ul>The children’s opposing versions were heard during Thursday’s Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing, which centered on the DSWD’s “Cease and Desist Order” issued against the GHI.GHI was accused of not complying with the government’s requirements and policies for orphanage, which include violation of children’s rights.At the hearing, Nayon ng Kabataan social worker Noemi Labaydan narrated the supposed changes in the children’s behavior and ways.“Ang ating mga bata sa ngayon nag-aaral na sila. Yung school na nasa loob ng center. Yung ibang mga bata sa ngayon pina-process sa ngayon ang Philippine Education Placement Test. May 10 na mga bata na nakapag-complete na ng training,” Labaydan said.National Authority for Child Care (NACC) Undersecretary Janella Estrada meanwhile played her recorded conversation with a group of former GHI wards, who all claimed to have experienced maltreatment from a certain “Kuya Eddie” while they were in the facility.Eighty of the 128 GHI wards are now under the DSWD custody.The GHI is still appealing the DSWD’s closure order.“Kuya Eddie,” according to GHI legal counsel Karina Gay Balajadia-Liggayu, was a former ward of the orphanage, who was able to finish his studies and is now working with the GHI.Balajadia-Liggayu belied the children’s claims that GHI Executive Director Charity Heppner-Graff knew of Eddie’s attitude towards their children-wards.“I know of one or two incidents where the boys got into a scuffle and they hurt each other so badly that they were punished by Kuya Eddie but only as far as probably a spank on the butt,” Balajadia-Liggayu saidIn the same hearing, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately took the cudgels for their social workers attending to the GHI wards’ needs.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/23/dswd-defends-orphanage-closure-facility-exec-denies-alleged-violations">DSWD defends QC orphanage closure; facility executive denies alleged violations</a></li></ul>The DSWD is now strengthening its policies with respect to orphanages and other child’s rights-based organizations in the country, the Secretary said.This time, aside from documentary requirements and the need to ensure a safe place and ample facilities for children, orphanages and other organizations designed for minors, must have the proper clearance and undergo regular monitoring of the NACC, Gatchalian said.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately took the cudgels for their social workers attending to the GHI wards’ needs.

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Gentle Hands wards give contradicting accounts on orphanage experience

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 26, 2023 06:22 PM PHT

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Senate

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Rex Gatchalian

Department of Social Welfare and Development

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