DSWD-7’s Home for Girls Celebrates Silver Anniversary, Recognizes Partners

The Home for Girls (HFG) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – 7 recently marked its 25th year of providing shelter and nurturing environment to girls who are survivors of violence and exploitation.

The anniversary celebration of the HFG served as a venue for the department to recognize its partner stakeholders through giving of certificates of appreciation for their active and continued partnership with the department in helping the center put forward its mission and goals which is to support the center’s clients while they are healing inside the facility and as they reintegrate back to their families and to the society.

As of November 2019, the HFG in Labangon, Cebu City houses 93 girls who are victims and survivors of different forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation who undergo holistic restoration and recovery from their varied experiences and trauma with the help of the registered social workers and staff in the center.

In her speech as the event keynote speaker, Paglaum Training International (PTI) Director Jonna P. Eleccion shared how the Home for Girls also helped them in many ways in planning and crafting the services of their organization.
“With the technical staff of the Home for Girls we were able to operationalize a reintegration support program that offers economic empowerment services to girls and women who are reintegrated back to their communities after a period of time in shelters,” Ms. Eleccion expressed.

She also happily expressed about the continued support of PTI in doing its part to help the children and girls in their journey towards freedom from their dire past.

“We partake in the shared dream of contributing to the recovery process of the children that the HFG serves,” PTI Director Eleccion added.

She also said that it is not just the role of the government to affect change and help the girls and children in the center achieve their hopes for the future but also of all sectors in the community.

In the short program held during the anniversary celebration, Mary (not her real name), a former resident of the HFG also shared an inspirational message to the attendees of the event. She was a victim and survivor of a cybercrime and was rescued in her school in 2018. In April 2019 she reintegrated back to the community and is now a regular employee of Data Motivate.

“E-treasure inyohang pag-stay diri. Pagtarong mo sa inyohang pagpuyo diri ug paminaw mo sa mga ate nato diri kay dili na makadaot ilahang mga advices. Mao nay makapalambo nato ug motabang nato nga ma-achieve nato atoang mga goals,” advised Mary, to the center residents.

The Home for Girls staff and its recovering children also showed off varied presentations like the jazz, hiphop, and contemporary dances during the anniversary celebration. The celebration was concluded with a community dance spearheaded by the HFG staff and children.