MANILA — The wails of over a hundred children, many pleading not to be abandoned yet again, echoed in the covered court of Gentle Hands Inc., an orphanage in Quezon City, which only a day before was filled with the laughter of children.

On Tuesday Morning, May 23, the girls and boys of varying ages were about to be taken away from the first place some had learned to call home and ripped away from the only family most have had yet so far.

"Sabi mo hindi mo ako iiwan, nag promise ka," a girl cried to her caregiver. "Bakit mo ako iiwan."

Nizan Joy hugged two kids tightly as she attempted to calm them down. But she herself was unable to put a brave face on for long and soon burst into tears as she feared it would be the last time she would be able to hold the kids she had come to love as her own.

"Bilang single na walang anak, masaya ako na nakasama sila kahit wala akong sahod. Basta makasama ko sila araw-araw, masaya ako du'n," she lamented. "Masakit. Iba 'yung sakit if aampunin kasi alam mo may pupuntahan na pamilyang magmamahal na. Ito, 'di mawawala ang alala."

Charity Graff, executive director of the residential facility, tried her best to reassure both the children and staff that the move was temporary and that the little ones would be well taken care of by the government in the meantime.

"DSWD has deemed us unsafe. But we’re going to fix everything that they’ve asked us to fix. And [the attorneys] are going to do everything they can… And we are going to make sure that we can get you back," the Canadian director, whom the kids fondly call "Mom," gently explained during the briefing.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) issued a cease and desist order against Gentle Hands Inc. evening of May 22 after social workers who conducted a spot inspection over the weekend discovered it failed to comply with the department's minimum standards for residential facilities for children.

The orphanage was given 20 days to answer the alleged violations and was told they would transfer the children to their facilities in Mandaluyong City, Quezon City, and Muntinlupa City in the meantime.

But abruptly pulling out the kids, Graff asserted, is harmful to their well-being.

According to her, 95 percent of those in their care struggle with trauma.

"Separating them would absolutely be detrimental. It would cause a recurrence of former trauma. Some kids have PTSD. We have already damaged them," she noted.

She went on: "The number one thing to feel safe is attachment... In this kind of trauma, they are removed from safety. It is the felt safety. 'This is my home. This is where I belong. This is where I'm safe...' It will affect them for the rest of their life."

Graff was also worried DSWD would not be able to care for her children as they have specific needs adequately.

"When the children are here, they are processed, they have counselors, they meet with the counselors who are on call every week individually and in group sessions, and that's to process rape, child abuse, abandonment, being a foundling, those kinds of things," she explained.

"I respect the DSWD social workers. I know they are trained... But they do not know our kids. They don't have a relationship," she added.

DSWD, however, argued it is necessary to immediately remove the children from the facility as they are in "imminent danger."

"We have to make sure that children are protected, hindi na kami mag-aantay na may masaktan pa bago kami gagalaw," DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a press briefing in Malacanang.

Gatchalian personally headed the inspection after DSWD received a tip from a concerned citizen that the orphanage was committing several violations.

"One, the upkeep was not your ideal, nakakalat iyong basura. Two, ventilation was an issue, kasi ang nangyari dito, they over-capacitated the orphanage. It's a privately run orphanage, 80 lang ang rating (capacity) niya, but they are running at 149 or 150 plus, 149 actually to be exact," Gatchalian detailed.

The DSWD chief also noted that the hygiene or living standards of the orphanage were below the department's standards. He described the facility as a "walking firetrap," with the building's fire exits sealed with grills, and also noticed more than adult supervision was needed.

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“There should always be a social worker or houseparent inside. Now, you are running an overpopulated facility nang walang social worker on hand. Mayroon sila pero wala onsite, at the same time, iyong houseparent wala din doon. If I am not mistaken, kaya ayaw ako papasukin, they only have five kasambahay, who could barely answer,” he said.

Gentle Hands was also cited for "non-compliance" due to the use of triple-decker beds.

Graff, however, had a defense for the alleged violations DSWD reported.

For instance, the director denied the facility is not overcrowded and said she "never heard" of the "85 maximum capacity for children."

"I'm not sure where 85 came from. We have been submitting a caseload of 150 children for more than two years."

While Graff stated research suggests triple-decker beds are safe, they no longer assign the space to children.

"We had a meeting with DSWD in March. The end of the discussion was turning it into a storage space. We have complied," she shared.

The director also defended and clarified that there were social workers "on-call" and were "just about across the street" during their inspection.

According to Graff, had they been given a notice, they would have immediately complied. She insisted that Gentle Hands Inc. has "a reputation for strict and immediate compliance."

But DSWD argued the safety of children cannot be put off.

"We have to understand yung urgency and safety ng bata. Hindi natin pwede sabihin na kakausapin natin abo kung magkasunog. Hindi natin pwede kausapin [kung] malaglag bata isang araw. Ito ang pinagkakaiba ng DSWD ngayon — proactive tayo. Swift ang desisyon, swift ang action," Assistant Secretary Rommel Lopez said.

Thus, the plea of Gentle Hands Inc. to keep the children in their facility while they respond to the alleged violations was denied. DSWD, however, compromised and allowed several staff members to join some of the girls and boys.

One by one, the children boarded the bus, carrying the little belongings they had — with the uncertainty that it would be their last glimpse of "home" as their heaviest baggage.

"I'm sorry [my kids]. I am supposed to protect them. I told them they were safe. I told them I loved them. They are OK; they are safe. If you see the signs in the wall, you are in family, you are in a safe place," Graff said.

But the director clarified she would exhaust all efforts to bring the children back.

"I’m not anti-DSWD; I’ll comply. We are supposed to be partnering for the best interest and welfare of these children. I’m willing to do anything. I live in this country because I’ve dedicated my life to the children of the Philippines." Graff added.

The agency promised the children would be well taken care of in their respective facilities.

In a subsequent statement, the DSWD said they enforce measures that will guarantee the “safety, security, and well-being” of the children under their care.

While both camps insist they are certain they are doing what is best for the children, the circumstance has left the future of the hundred girls and boys uncertain.

As the bus pulled away, it is possible that some of the children are left wondering if they will ever be part of a family again — a notion they had likely been longing for all their life.

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