A social worker from the Nayon ng Kabataan (NK) affirmed on Thursday (October 26) that the 86 children from the childcare facility Gentle Hands, Inc. (GHI) and who are now under the NK custody are well-cared and are already well-adjusted to the routine of the center.

It was Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian who told the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality that the social workers of NK can best respond to the query of committee chair Senator Risa Hontiveros on the status of the children in the center.

Noimee Labaydan, a social worker from the DSWD-managed NK, then rendered an update on the status of the children at the center during the resumption of the Senate hearing on the Gentle Hands orphanage.

“Based on our assessment, well-adjusted na sila sa routine na meron po kami sa center. Pag sinabi pong well-adjusted ay nakaka-adopt na po sila, senator, sa mga ginagawa naming sa center. Ang atin pong mga bata sa ngayon ay nag-aaral na po sila. Enrolled na po sila sa formal school, sa school na meron po kami sa center,” Labaydan told the Senate committee.

(Based on our assessment, the children are already well-adjusted to the routine of the center. When we say well-adjusted, they can already adopt to the activities of the center. The children are already going to school now. They are enrolled at the formal school that we have at the center.)

Labaydan pointed out that the children are also enrolled in various skills training activities that the Nayon ng Kabataan, located in Mandaluyong City, offers.

“May ibang mga bata din po na pina-process naming ang kanilang PEPT, ung kanilang Philippine Educational Placement Test. Mayroon din po kaming ten na bata na nakapag-complete ng kanilang skills training at nabigyan sila ng mga certificates. Baking, sewing, dressmaking, katulad po ng mga yan,” Labaydan explained.

(We are also processing the PEPT, Philippine Educational Placement Test of some children. We also have ten children who have completed their skills training and were given certificates. Baking, sewing, dressmaking, trainings like that.)

Labaydan narrated that at first, they used English as a medium of communication because the children, especially the small ones were talking to them in English. She also told the Senate committee how the children were not familiar with the flag raising and lowering ceremonies.

Labaydan disclosed that one of their observations was that the children were not particular about their hygiene.

“So challenge po sa amin talaga yung mapaligo sila, but now, it’s good to know that sila na mismo ang nagdadala ng kanilang mga sabon sa CR para linisin ang kanilang mga sarili,” Labaydan continued.

(It is a challenge for us to have them take a bath, but it’s good to know that they now bring their soaps to the CR to clean themselves.)

After Labaydan’s narration, Secretary Gatchalian told Sen. Hontiveros that the DSWD can provide the committee, for better appreciation of the status of the children, a matrix of the findings from where the children started up to where they are now.

“There are relevant nuances that they have seen and we pointed these as red flags in our last hearing, for instance, the detachment to the Filipino culture and the Filipino language. Furthermore the lack of space which we kept ventilating over and over again vis-à-vis what they have now, and the issue on hygiene,” Sec. Gatchalian said.

“We will make sure that our social workers will give the committee a good matrix so that you will get an idea of the case management per child,” the DSWD chief stressed.

Sen. Hontiveros also asked about the status of the case folders of the children which was a concern raised in the first Senate hearing.

According to Labaydan, they have so far received 56 case folders out of the 86 children transferred to NK. #