DSWD issues cease and desist order vs. QC orphanage

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday that a cease and desist order has been issued against  an orphanage in Quezon City for various reasons, including overcapacity and hygiene concerns.

"We're referring to the account of Gentle Hands Inc. in Quezon City. We did issue a cease and desist order on the following grounds. Number one, as early as Friday, I personally got complaints on the living situation inside the orphanage," Gatchalian said.

"One, the upkeep was not your most ideal, nakakalat 'yung basura. Two, ventilation was an issue kasi ang nangyari dito, they over-capacitated the orphanage," he added.

"The worst part of it all is we saw the fire exits and they were sealed or may mga grills. That was not acceptable to us. That's a walking fire truck so those are the three things," he added.

Gatchalian also said the facility's hygiene was "not to the standards of the Department."

'Recipe for disaster'

Gatchalian, who visited the facility last Saturday, noted how the orphanage seemed to not have enough social workers or houseparents, as there were only the security guard and five housemaids when he went to Gentle Hands.

"Hindi pwede walang house parent, persons of authority, no social workers. Dapat at any given time, there should always be a social worker or houseparent inside. Now you're running an overpopulated facility nang walang social worker on hand. Mayroon sila pero wala on site at the same time 'yung house parent wala doon," Gatchalian said.

"It's a recipe for disaster. What if an accident happens and the fire exits are sealed? Right there and there mali na nga kasi the ratio of adult supervision or professional supervision to the population lagpas na eh," he pointed out.

Further, Gatchalian noticed an "unsupervised" Caucasian man who was walking out of the facility.

"What struck me as something peculiar was nasa door ako and ayaw ako papasukin, the social workers had to explain to the guard and to the kasambahays kung sino kami. An unsupervised white Caucasian, male, just walked out of the facility," Gatchalian said.

"So, ang point ko, if it's unsupervised kasi ang reason bakit daw bawal ako pumasok kasi wala daw doon 'yung mga houseparents, wala doon 'yung mga guardians, wala doon lahat. Eh bakit mayroong adult, male, Caucasian, just walking freely unsupervised?" he added.

(They said I was not allowed to go in because there were no houseparents and guardians. But why was there a Caucasian male walking freely unsupervised?)

The DSWD has given Gentle Hands 20 days to answer the issues that the agency has raised against them.

Gentle Hands

In an Unang Balita report by GMA Integrated News' Nico Waje, the orphanage's executive director, Charity Graff, said they were not initially notified about the concerns raised by the agency.

"We did not receive any notification, we did not receive any explanation for a letter dated May 22nd for two buses of DSWD and a lot of personnel and police with guns that showed up at 7 o'clock this evening," Graff said.

She also said they were not even asked by the agency about the fire concerns.

"We have fire certificate that is renewed every January. We have never not complied," she added. 

Meanwhile, Gatchalian said the children would immediately be removed from the facility as the main goal is to protect them. 

"Because nga may mga immediate imminent danger findings na kami. Kasi tinatanong daw sa amin, bakit ang bilis, precisely dapat mabilis, because there is imminent danger and we have to make sure that children are protected, hindi na kami mag-aantay na may masaktan pa bago kami gagalaw," he said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News