The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) signed the Deed of Usufruct with the Provincial Government of Cebu for the use of the facility in Barangay Inayagan, Naga City to be the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) for Girls on July 3, 2024, in Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The Deed was signed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia and was witnessed by Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) Executive Director, Atty. Tricia Clare A. Oco, DSWD Field Office VII Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, Cebu Vice Governor Hilario P. Davide III, and Provincial Social Welfare and Development, Officer-in-Charge Mary Rose B. Vincoy.
The Deed of Usufruct authorizes the DSWD to utilize and convert the Bahay Pag-Asa building into an RRCY for Girls until 2034. JJWC assisted the Provincial Government in the construction of the facility as a residential facility for children in conflict with the law.
The first-ever RRCY for Girls in the Philippines is a two-storey building with a land area of 2,000 square meters. It aims to provide tailored rehabilitation services to meet the unique needs of female children in conflict with the law, facilitating their reintegration into society and reducing reoffending rates.
The center can accommodate 50 children from Cebu Province at any given time. Among its amenities are the admission room, staff rooms and offices, clinic, kitchen and mess hall, PWD-inclusive bedroom and bathroom, bedrooms, prayer room, isolation room, and Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center room.
This has been made possible through the joint efforts of DSWD, JJWC, and the Provincial Government of Cebu.“We see RRCY for Girls as more than a facility, it is a place of transformation, growth, and new beginnings. Together, we can help these young individuals to reintegrate into society, reducing cases of reoffending, and fostering a brighter future for all. Dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bata May Pag-Asa. Sa Juvenile Justice Law, Bawat Bata may Pagkakataong Magbago!,” said Atty. Oco.
