We join the country, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, in marking from November 21 to 27 the 10th Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week.
The celebration, under the theme “Batang Handa at May Alam, Kaisa sa Pagharap sa Bagong Normal,” focuses on the need to increase awareness on the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act and its implementation in the context of the new normal force on the people by the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected and killed adults and children alike.
Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, defines the Juvenile Justice and Welfare System as a system dealing with children at risk and children in conflict with the law, which provides child-appropriate proceedings, including programs and services for prevention, diversion, rehabilitation as well as re-integration.
The celebration aims to heighten awareness of stakeholders on the issue of children at risk and children in conflict with the law, and the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, engage the participation of children and youth to the lined-up activities, and to generate support for the well-being of children and their families.
The law has institutionalized the promotion of the well-being of the child and their families, involvement of parents and guardians, promotion of diversion, avoiding deprivation of liberty and protecting the privacy rights of children.
We agree that there is need to increase awareness of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and its implementation in the context of the new normal, and the need to raise public awareness on the issues faced by children at risk and children in conflict with the law.
Given health protocols that must be observed, even with the reduced levels of lockdown in different areas of the country, government agencies and non-government organizations must rightly lend a hand in conducting online activities to participate in and conduct their own online activities in line with the themed celebration to promote Juvenile Justice Week.
