A CHILDCARE facility in Quezon City has been temporarily shut down by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) due to alleged child abuse and violation of the fire and building codes, among others.
DSWD assistant secretary and spokesman Romel Lopez said a cease-and-desist order (CDO) was issued against the Gentle Hands Inc. (GHI) last Monday for violation of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and following complaints of failure to comply with the minimum standards for residential facilities for children.
The CDO was served on GHI executive director Charity Graff at the facility’s location at F. Castillo Street in Barangay Bagumbuhay in Project 4, Quezon City.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said there were 149 kids cared for by GHI, which was originally built to house only 80 children.
DSWD Undersecretary Josefina “Pinky” Romualdez said GHI initially rejected the CDO on Monday night and refused to turn over the children to them, prompting a team of social workers to spend the night with the children, while another team camped outside the facility.
The children were eventually turned over to the DSWD on Tuesday afternoon.
The children, all minors, underwent debriefing before they were transferred by social workers to the Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang, Nayong Kabataan in Mandaluyong, and the Reception and Study Center for Children in Quezon City.
Gatchalian led an unannounced inspection of the orphanage last Saturday after the DSWD received numerous complaints about its operations.
During the inspection, Gatchalian was able to “confirm that the children in GHI are in imminent danger” and decided that it is in the best interest of the children to be transferred to a safer shelter.
In issuing the CDO, the GHI was given 20 days to fix policy violations, including overcrowding and the use of triple decks instead of the standard double decks, poor ventilation, poor hygiene with piles of garbage in the facility, and blocked fire exits and windows.
Other violations that Gatchalian observed were the absence of social workers and house parents during their surprise visit, with only a security guard and house helps overseeing the kids.
He also questioned the presence of a male Caucasian who was inside the facility with the kids while “unsupervised” or without the presence of social workers, when his team that was authorized to do spot checks were not given immediate entry to the establishment.
Gatchalian said the children under GHI’s care will be returned to the orphanage after it has corrected its violations and following a review of its license and permit to operate as a child care facility.
GHI is a duly registered and licensed Social Welfare and Development Agency (SWDA) of the DSWD with License No. DSWD-SB-L-000052-2021 issued on 12 August 2021 and valid until 13 August 2024.
GHI is also facing a possible violation for unauthorized operation of an educational facility after two classrooms that were only fit for about 20 kids were seen in the establishment.
The kids were doing some educational modules on their own and without the presence of social workers.
There was also a report on the multiple “escape” of children under GHI’s care that is currently being looked into by the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), which is likewise looking into complaints that the children under the facility’s care were “disturbed.”
Reports said at least three of the kids that GHI had put up for adoption abroad have pending complaints, including one that was even reported to the United States’ State Department after he reportedly blocked his adoptive father for at least two hours; while another reportedly chased someone with a knife five times, resulting in the child being brought to a mental institution abroad.
NACC undersecretary Janela Estrada said a team from their agency will fetch the kids from abroad after undergoing assessment to determine where they would be placed upon arrival in the country.
Gatchalian, meanwhile, said apart from GHI, the DSWD is currently re-auditing all its centers and residential care facilities as well as the SWDAs to guarantee the safety, security, and well-being of its clientele.
