The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its attached agency, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) have vowed to continue promoting and upholding the welfare and rights of the children at all times.

The DSWD and JJWC made the commitment, a day before the nation marks the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) on Thursday, May 20. This year’s JJWA anniversary theme is “JJWA: Patuloy sa Pagtataguyod sa Karapatan ng mga Bata sa Bagong Normal!”.

"Since the enactment of JJWA in 2006 and the passage of Republic Act (RA) 10630 in 2013 which amended and strengthened RA 9344, DSWD and JJWC have persevered to ensure the full implementation of the law,” they said in a statement.

They recalled that prior to the enactment of the law, children committing petty crimes or status offenses were treated similarly as adult offenders.

With the enactment of JJWA, "children at risk (CAR) and children in conflict with the law (CICL) are given hope and a second chance to restore their lives and dignity, and to start anew and create a better future for themselves."

"From 1995 to 2000, a total of 52,576 children were in detention or under custodial setting while an average of 10,515 children were being arrested every year with few cases being resolved,” the DSWD said.

Considering that majority of jails all over the country do not have a separate detention facility for children, the CICL then suffered from different kinds of abuses especially under custody or detention, it laments.

“But, the enactment of JJWA have altered this picture, reaching a landmark on child protection law,” it said.

JJWA mandates the adoption of the principle of restorative justice. It prohibits the detention of children in jails, provides juvenile offenders prevention programs at the local level, introduces diversion, and strengthens rehabilitation, reintegration, and aftercare programs.

"JJWA also seeks to establish a protective environment for children, so that they will not commit crimes or be victims of crimes,” the DSWD said.

It noted that last year, a total of 1,079 children from Bahay Pag-Asa (BPAs) and other youth care facilities were monitored by the JJWC.

"The DSWD, JJWC, and child protection advocates strongly encourage the local government units to continue to uphold children’s rights through appropriate interventions, and ensure the full implementation of the law, especially in the new normal.”

The JJWC reported that it has stepped up efforts to ensure the full implementation of the JJWA. These include enhancement in various aspects of its mandate focusing on Policy Formulation and Program Development, Research and Information Management, Advocacy and Social Mobilization, Technical Assistance to Stakeholders, and Monitoring and Evaluation.

"The DSWD and JJWC remain committed in promoting and protecting the rights of CAR and CICL under a restorative justice and welfare system.”