San jose de buenavista: The provincial government of Antique is actively seeking a suitable property to establish a Bahay Pag-Asa, aimed at supporting children in conflict with the law (CICL) within the region.

According to Philippines News Agency, Careen Panaguiton, the officer-in-charge of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development, highlighted that Antique currently has 37 CICLs. Of these, two children have been referred to the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RRCY) in Guimaras due to their suspended sentences for murder. Suspended sentences are given to minors found guilty of offenses, allowing them to undergo rehabilitation instead of serving jail time. These minors are sent to centers managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Panaguiton emphasized the benefits of having a Bahay Pag-Asa facility in Antique, suggesting that it would eliminate the need to transfer children with suspended sentences to the DSWD-RRCY. This local facility would also allow social workers to manage the cases of CICLs and provide support to their families.

She noted that many CICLs come from dysfunctional families, which necessitates the case management of their parents as well. This approach could help address the root causes of the children's conflicts with the law.

In a related development, San Jose de Buenavista plans to renovate an old building and convert it into a Bahay Pag-Asa to accommodate CICLs with suspended sentences, further supporting the local initiative.