Minutes of the Meeting

PHILIPPINE ACTION ON YOUTH OFFENDERS

Tenth Regular Meeting for 2008

October 15, 2008, from 2:00 to 4:30pm

CRADLE, Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City

 

 

ATTENDANCE:

           

            NAMES                              ORGANIZATION

 

1.      Rudy Diamante                   CBCP –ECPPC

2.      Gerry Bernabe                    Individual Member

3.   Mile Bartolome                   CBCP- ECPPC

4..  Ofemia Andres                    ERDA Foundation

5.   Virgie Bruce                        ACE International Phils.

6.   Tessie Gomez                      ACE International Phils.

7.   Myrna Heramis                   ACE International Phils.

8.   Robert Choy                       ACE International Phils.

9.   Fr. Ray Holscher S.J.          PRESO, Inc..

       10.   Henry Paul Amog                Virlanie Foundation

       11.   John Nelson Tan                 Bisig Ni Kristo Community

       12.   PJ San Felipe Jr.                 CFC-FFL

       13.   Myles Narrajos                   CFC-FFL

       14.   Verlan Rosales                    Open Heart Foundation

       15.   Brandy Valdes                    NCSD

       16.   Tomas Prado                      CFC-Isaiah 61:1

      

Noted:

Ø      CRADLE Warden Melanie Tumlos welcomed the group but no longer attended the meeting..

Ø      As agreed during the last meeting, Open Heart brought the snacks for the cicl.

 

I.     Invocation/Call to Order:

 

The gathering started at about 2:20 pm with an opening prayer from Gerry Bernabe.  Rudy D. then called the meeting to order.

 

II.   Introduction:  Each one present introduced him/herself to the group.

 

III. Brief Orientation from the Host Organization:

 

Some basic information on the Advocates for Children and Elders (ACE) International Philippines, Inc. was presented by Ms. Virgie Bruce, President.  She mentioned the following:

 

A.    ACE has been in operation for almost 3 years only. It has a mother organization based in Florida, USA and a Chapter also ( aside from NCR) in Cagayan de Oro City.

 

B.     Programs for the CICL at CRADLE:  Values Formation every Wednesday; Art/Painting Classes on Fridays; initially provided 3 computer sets for Basic Computer Education; provision of regular supply of toiletries, support of sports needs and skills trainings e.g. Basic Building Electricity Course; emergency medicines; conduct of family home visits and counseling.

 

C.     The Youth for Youth Program for indigent youth of Paranaque and Kalookan, areas, serves as ACE crime prevention project.  We also conduct Values Formation and Competency Development sessions.

 

 

IV. Reading and Approval of the Minutes, September 25, 2008

 

A.    Corrections:

Page 2:

ü      CFC-FFL  ….to “minister” to Molave, instead of “join”

ü      ACAY .. to read “Giving leadership training to those boys who are staying at NTSB for a long time.”

     Page 3:

ü      ACAY continuation of Report:

-          “Has 5 to 6 cottages, one of which will serve as reception for the newly admitted cicl.”

-          “…Ms. Mila(Head of MYRC)”, instead of “one of the employees.”

ü      ACE International:

-          should read…”possible transfer of CRADLE”

ü      CBCP-ECPPC:

-          should be “Prison Awareness Sunday activity” instead of  

      “NCCW”

-          Add the word ”materials” after “Alternatives to

       Imprisonment”

-          “Release on Recognizance” instead of “Non-

-            Recognizance”

-     The second to the last line should read as “Re the public   hearing on the Bill of Senator Pangilinan, amending JJWA on providing the creation of intervention centers for those cicl who would be diverted from the custody of institutions, Bro. Rudy did not attend the said hearing.

 

    B.  After considering all the corrections, the Minutes were henceforth approved.

 

 

 

 

V.  BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES:

 

Noted re Senate’s Public Hearing:  Rudy requested Norie Tabios of Open Heart to attend on his behalf.

 

 

VI. MEETING PROPER/REPORTS/UPDATES:

 

A.    CFC-FFL

 

·         Pursuing their plan to go on immersion in Molave Youth and Tuloy sa Pagunlad Centers.

 

B.     NCSD

 

·         Participated in the Cluster and Organizational level-initiatives on Children, e.g. Street Children Congress held last September and LifeSkills Training for At Risk and Vulnerable Behavior

 

C.    Open Heart

 

·         Participated in the celebration the Children’s Month

·         Attended the NCSD’s Street Children Congress and the Child Abuse Prevention Seminar in cooperation with the Consuelo Foundation.

·         Will also join the NCSD’s Life Skills Training Trainers’ Team

·         Plans:  To participate in a Basic Family Therapy Training in November and the Street Children National Congress sponsored by UNICEF in December

 

D.    ERDA

 

·         Continued implementation of its programs in the different mission areas

·         An Education Forum was held in each of the 3 Barangays in Smokey Mountain area

·         There are various activities lined up late October and November, one of which is the JJWC Orientation.

·         Availed of the Case Management Training facilitated by CHILDHOPE.

·         Five CICL were provided with counseling services

·         Participated in the drafting of a specific Module on the Diversion program for CICL which is spearheaded by the Bureau on Social Technology of the DSWD.

·         Plan:  A Strategic Planning session for DSWDO and District I

·         Noted:  The District I SW Officers were not informed of the passage of an ordinance by the Manila City Council thru Vice Mayor Ishko Moreno re the sanctions to be imposed on parents and/or guardians who are found to have caused the abandonment and/or continued loitering and begging on the streets by their children.

(In this connection, it was further noted that Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed a Bill concerning Irresponsible Parents

 

E.     NTSB, Tanay (by Fr. Ray Holscher SJ)

 

·         Informed the body that the SM Foundation is sponsoring the construction of a Livelihood Building with some of the CICL as its workers who are receiving just wages for their labor.

·         Facilitated a friend’s donation of a TV Set and DVD Player for every cottage or dormitory; some sports paraphernalia were also given.

·         Some gay hairdressers also did some hair cutting but felt offended by the comments of some cicl.

·         To date, there are 130 cicl and about 20% of them come from areas outside of NCR.  Some of them had to be brought to Metro Manila for their court hearings.  Only one guard is assigned for every 4 cicl. In terms of distance, this scheme is costly and risky as well. 

 

  F.  Virlanie Foundation

 

·         Continued with its regular programs.

·         Legal Assistance was extended to 3 cicl whose cases eventually were provisionally dismissed

 

G.    CFC- Global

 

·         Saturday services at CRADLE rendered by their Handmaids, Singles and the Youth ministry groups.

·         A Youth Camp was also held.

·         Catered also to the cicl of Molave Youth Center, Q.C.

 

H.    ACE International

 

·         Will sponsor lunch, sports activities and distribute gift packages during the NCCW/PAW celebration in CRADLE.  The Jaycees Manila Chapter will be one of our partners.  The graduation of the second batch of the Basic Building Electricity Course will also be held during the Week.

 

·         Also showed some of the paper bags with Christmas artwork that are hand painted by the cicl who in turn are being paid for every bag- design.

                        

I.       ECPPC-CBCP

 

·         Rudy D. announced the following and invited also the interested PAYO members to join, to wit:

1.      Celebration of the Prison Awareness Week:

- Oct.20, Opening Activity:  Holy Mass at CBCP, 11:00 am

 

   - Oct. 21, Press Conference to be attended by Rep. Ted   

Casino who is espousing on the Recognizance Bill; a Petition on the Right of Suffrage of Detained Prisoners shall also be presented to COMELEC thru Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento.

-Oct. 22, Training for Parole and Probation Administration personnel on RJ and Non-Custodial Measures, the latter topic to be expounded by PPA Administrator Heradura.

 

-          Oct. 24, Solidarity Mass with inmates at the Maximum Security, NBP Muntinlupa at 9am and at the CIW at 3pm.

 

-          Highlight Activity on Oct.26, Sunday with Holy Mass by Bishop Arigo and “Gawad Paglilingkod” Awards for about 100 Prison Volunteers nationwide.

 

2.      The Steering Committee of the International Prison

Chaplains Association Worldwide will hold its Annual Meeting in Manila from Nov. 24 to 26, 2008 at the Manila Hotel.  Some selected prison/jail volunteer-leaders from the Phils will be invited to join a dinner-fellowship on Nov. 26th with the group of Pastors and Priests of different Faiths and who are coming from the 5 continents of Europe and Asia.  They will also visit Manila City Jail.

 

J.      Other Updates:  

 

1.      The PAYO Newsletter would be completed before Prison Awareness Sunday.

 

2.      Financial Report:  The Cash Position as of 15 October 2008 remains P46,403.70.  Gerry Bernabe noted that a total of 17 organizations and 2 individual members have already paid their annual membership dues for this year.

 

 

 

 

                          

VII.   ADJOURNMENT:

 

A.    The next meeting will be held on November 19, 2008, 2pm at the CBCP.

B.     The meeting ended at about 4:15 pm with a closing prayer by Rudy Diamante.

 

     Prepared and Submitted by:

 

 

TESSIE D. GOMEZ

    ACE International Philippines