YOUTH REHAB CENTER. The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental province in this undated photo. The DSWD on Wednesday (Nov. 26, 2025) called for stricter implementation of the juvenile justice law to give children in conflict with the law a chance to rebuild their lives as responsible individuals. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday called on all stakeholders to enhance the implementation of Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), to give children in conflict with the law (CICL) a chance to rebuild their lives as responsible individuals.
In a statement, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the JJWA cannot serve its purpose if the policies, interventions, and systems meant to protect the children are not continuously improved and strengthened.
“We urge all duty bearers, from the national and local government officials, law enforcement agencies, social workers, and community leaders, to work together to properly implement the JJWA. By proper implementation, we mean providing adequate resources, sustained capacity-building for personnel, continuous coordination among agencies, and the active involvement of communities in creating a safe and supportive environment for CICL,” Dumlao said.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), an attached agency of the DSWD, has noted a decrease in the number of crimes involving CICL during the past eight years.
JJWC Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said the rate of involvement of minors in crimes declined to just more than 4,000 cases in 2024, from a high of 26,000 in 2017.
“Ngayon (2025) medyo tumaas ng bahagya, naging 5,000. Pero hopefully, hindi na siya tumaas (This year, it increased to 5,000. Hopefully it won’t increase anymore),” Oco said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon news forum on Tuesday.
Dumlao said the DSWD and the JJWC continue to support local government units (LGUs) in their operation of Bahay Pag-Asa (BPAs) by providing technical assistance to ensure that the youth care facilities are safe, well-managed, and equipped to cater to the needs of CICL.
The DSWD and its attached agency also implement the Buklod Paglaom para sa CICL: Holistic Psychosocial and Economic (HoPE) Interventions program.
The program provides a range of center- and community-based interventions for 12- to 15-year-old CICL alleged to have committed serious offenses or have committed crimes more than twice. The program is implemented within BPAs and handled by a multi-disciplinary team.
For minors with suspended cases, the DSWD’s Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) offers psychosocial support, education, skills training, and other necessary interventions to prepare the CICL for reintegration into their families and communities. (PNA)
