1st facility for female CICLs inaugurated

CEBU, Philippines — For the first time in the country, female children in conflict with the law (CICLs) now have a safe haven and a dedicated place to heal and rebuild their lives, as Cebu officially opened the country’s first Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) for women.

Located in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu, the facility was inaugurated on Friday, June 20, through a ceremonial blessing and ribbon-cutting led by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Committee on Family Courts and Juvenile Concerns (CCFCJC) Vice Chairperson Associate Justice Geraldine Fiel-Macaraig, and DSWD Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Elaine Fallarcuna.

Joining them were outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia; re-elected Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado; Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) Executive Director Tricia Claire Oco; Rev. Fr. Eugenio Docoy Jr., former executive director of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC); and DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero.

The new RRCY addresses the insufficient facility for female child offenders by providing a secure and nurturing environment where court-referred residents can undergo rehabilitation instead of facing traditional incarceration.

The newly built center can accommodate 50 to 70 residents and will be managed by social workers and case managers who will oversee each child’s progress.

It offers services such as psycho-social interventions, a case monitoring hub, counseling, therapy, and educational support.

The facility’s dormitories, therapy rooms, and activity areas are all designed to deliver gender-sensitive and trauma-informed care.

Outgoing Governor Garcia hailed the project as proof of Cebu’s commitment to protecting vulnerable youth.

“There has never yet been a facility built to cater to female child offenders, and where else should it be built in this first-ever female child facility, where else but in the number one province in the country,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian emphasized how the new RRCY will change lives for generations.

“There has to be more of this regional rehabilitation for girls because 30 or 40 years from now, one of the clients of this facility will be something in our country, and that is because there was an intentional action to change children’s lives,” he said.

He also shared how this newly built facility will create a lasting impact for many more centers to come, citing that female CICLs are housed in the same facility with victims of abuse, which he described as disheartening.

“Ang pinaka masakit, dahil walang ganitong pasilidad sa buong bansa, hinahalo natin yung mga kabataan na gumawa ng krimen sa mga biktima so hindi tama yun,” he said.

He added that many offenses committed by minors stem from poor decision-making and the negative influence of their surroundings. Rather than punishment alone, he emphasized that these children deserve help and rehabilitation.

“This is not going to be the last,” Gatchalian emphasized, confirming that similar gender-responsive centers are already planned for other regions, as part of the government’s commitment to promoting restorative justice for children.

“Ideally kasi dapat bawat region kaya nga tawag sa kaniya regional, pero alam naman din natin na may limitasyon ang finances ng gobyerno so sana bawat major island groups magkakaroon ng centers. Ang target or ang challenge namin is magbukas pa sa Mindanao, more sa Northern Luzon at Southern Luzon,” he said, noting that they’re eyeing for each major zone in the country to have a gender-sensitive center.

DSWD-7 Director Lucero assured that the facility is a work in progress and that improvements will continue to ensure it remains a safe haven that provides “extra love and extra care” for girls who have experienced conflict with the law; many of whom are also victims of difficult life circumstances. (CEBU NEWS)