Social welfare officials are now providing direct support to children living in a Camarines Sur shelter after an 11-year-old’s letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. exposed alleged harassment by a local village official.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian confirmed Wednesday that he personally met with the girl at his office a day earlier, joined by the head of Redeemer Homeless Mission — the shelter where she lives — and two other children.
The shelter visit that preceded the meeting had a separate purpose. Village officials had filed complaints against Redeemer Homeless Mission over incomplete paperwork, prompting a DSWD inspection last week. Rather than shut it down, the department opted to provide technical assistance to help secure the required documents.
“Ang narration sa akin kahapon nung mga bata at ng kanila mga magulang at ng shelter head, eh, naha-harrass sila. Pinuputulan ng kuryente, tinatanggalan ng tubig,” Gatchalian said.
The shelter executive director brought the girl along to the DSWD meeting after learning that Marcos had ordered officials to locate her.
“Nung natuklasan ng Pangulo itong storya na ‘to, itong letter sa kanya, agad-agad niya akong inutusan na hanapin,” Gatchalian said.
The facility, he explained, serves families displaced by calamities or lacking permanent housing — not just unaccompanied minors.
“Yung families, because of poverty, napipilitan sila na makitulog doon sa shelter. Kasi mga bahay nila either nasira ng calamity or wala talaga silang titirhan. So the shelter became a shelter for an entire family. At doon, tinutulungan silang magbasa. Yung mga bata, tinuturuan silang magpunta sa school. Yung mga nanay tinuturuan din ng basic life skills,” he said.
Separately, DSWD has located a child with special needs who, according to the 11-year-old’s letter, was raped three times by the son and aide of the unnamed village official.
“Yung bata na na-rape three times is a special needs child. Nakasama nila doon sa shelter. So we’re now helping them, helping the shelter, but also helping the individual children. Nandoon na yung mga social worker namin from the regional office, actually,” Gatchalian said.
The rape victim and her mother move in and out of the shelter, he added, as the family also has a home nearby.
Financial and psycho-emotional assistance is being extended to both children and others in the facility.
Marcos has separately directed DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla to investigate the village official named in the allegations. Gatchalian said the DSWD would support case buildup efforts against those responsible.
“Ang unang instruction ng Pangulo, tulungan ‘tong shelter na to. Kasi ito yung naging refuge ng buong komunidad. So yun ang ginagawa namin,” Gatchalian said.
