ANGELES City—A P29.9-million center for child care, rehabilitation and reformation center designed to be a one-stop shop for youth custody will soon rise in this city.
Mayor Carmelo Lazatin will lead the groundbreaking ceremony set on May 3 in Barangay Sta. Teresita for the upcoming facility dubbed “Kanlungan ng Kabataan.”
“Kanlungan ng Kabataan” will also house wards of the Bahay Pag-asa, and Sagip Batang Solvent for eventual reformation and restoration to the mainstream of society.
The project will consist of four buildings to accommodate a training center, a classroom for the alternative learning system, a recreation area, mess halls, and dormitories.
Alongside the Kanlungan ng Kabataan is the home-for-the-aged facility of the city government.
The city will also establish a drop-in center for rescued street families and children.
Part of Lazatin’s inauguration speech last 2022 is the establishment of Kanlungan ng Kabataan which will accommodate and transform “Batang Solvent” to productive citizens.
“Our fight against illegal dangerous drugs, which includes solvent, will remain relentless,” Lazatin has said.
According to the mayor’s chief adviser IC Calaguas, this project was first conceptualized in 2019 but delayed due to the pandemic.
“We will tap the help of the Department of Education for the alternative learning system (ALS), TESDA for the training, and of course we will have an in-house licensed therapist for the mental well-being of children,” Calaguas said.
“Once in the city’s custody, children will go to school thru ALS, they will be taught skills and undergo counselling so we can reintegrate back to the community,” Calaguas said.
Calaguas added this is the first time the city will establish a reformation for youth sniffing solvent.
“This was actually patterned after to the Sagip Batang Solvent we hadin Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency — a brainchild of former PDEA chief retired Gen. Aaron Aquino,” Calaguas said.