Being confined in a facility for juvenile delinquents is not a reason to lose hope for a good future.
With the City Social Welfare and Development Office here boosting the skills of the Bahay Pag-asa “residents”, the youth offenders are being prepared to be integrated with the community.
“The youth residents of the City Social Welfare and Development Bahay Pag-asa have ventured into baking for their added livelihood program,” Florecita Tul-an, Social Welfare Officer III and the head of the Bahay Pag-asa, said during the recent selling of the residents’ products and art exhibit at the Porta Vaga Mall along Session Road.
Tul-an said they are helping market the products of the residents, including the Bahay Pag-asa Baguio pandesal and “Choc-oat-kies” cookies.
She said that with the help of the Baguio Country Club that donated a heavy-duty oven, and the PhilHealth Office which provided the supplies, the young reformists produced the baked goods, proceeds of which will be used to purchase more equipment that will allow them to continue their livelihood.
Tul-an said that more than the income, what matters most to the Bahay Pag-asa residents are the skills they are acquiring as these can help them prepare for life outside the reformation facility.
“The activities are more of providing them the capacity to survive when they reintegrated in the community, the skill to know that they can survive because they have knowledge and they know how to manage themselves well,” she added.
The center also ensures that residents engage in a variety of activities where they can learn socialization skills, hone their talents, express themselves, destress and unload their emotional burdens.
Meanwhile, the acrylic paintings produced by the wards with the help of artist Edsan Santiago are currently showcased at the art gallery on the third floor of the mall.
The artworks were made during a painting session for the youth residents at the center, Shirley Casallo, a social worker, said.
“The art paintings also served as a form of therapy that helped young people express themselves, reduce stress, and improve their social skills,” she added.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who graced the opening of the art exhibit last Feb. 8, encouraged the youth to find their passion and continually hone their talents by engaging in wholesome activities.
In his message, he endorsed the baked goods and appealed to residents to patronize these as a form of assistance and encouragement to the youth to persevere in finishing the program.
“Let us help them help themselves. Soon, they will go back to the community and it is important that they can manage themselves and survive by earning decent livelihood,” Magalong said.
He also encouraged art collectors to help by buying the works of the young residents who are cooperating with the authorities to become better citizens.
The Bahay Pag-asa is a local government facility that handles juvenile delinquents who were referred by the courts for their reformation.
There are currently nine residents in the center located in this city’s Barangay Irisan. (PNA)
