VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon – One mistake can change a young life. But it does not have to
define it.

For 17-year-old ‘Bonoy’ (not his real name), the past year and five months at the Valencia City
Youth Home, or Bahay Pag-asa, have been a difficult chapter marked by uncertainty following a
drug-related case.
Yet behind the walls of the facility, a dream remains alive.
“I want to finish my studies and become an engineer,” Bonoy said.
It is a simple dream, but for a young person trying to move forward from a troubled past, holding
on to it can mean everything.
His story reminds us that children in conflict with the law are more than the cases filed against
them. They are young people capable of change, carrying hopes for themselves and their families
and, with the right support, able to build a bright future.
A place to begin again
For children like Bonoy, Bahay Pag-asa is not merely a place to stay while waiting for the next
step in their legal proceedings.
It gives them a space to pause, reflect, and reshape their lives.
Bahay Pag-asa provides temporary residential care and rehabilitation interventions for children
in conflict with the law. Its programs may include counseling, values formation, education, skills
development, psychosocial support, and other activities that help young residents understand
their actions, develop positive behavior, and prepare for their eventual return to their families and
communities.
The purpose is not simply to separate children from the circumstances that may have contributed
to their offenses. It is to help them recognize their potential and give them the tools and guidance
to make better choices.
For a young person who has stumbled, that opportunity can be the first step toward standing
again.
Inside the facility, rehabilitation is built on the belief that children can change when given
guidance, structure, patience, and opportunities to grow.
Bonoy’s dream of becoming an engineer may seem distant from where he stands today. But
dreams often begin with a decision to keep believing in a better tomorrow.
When a child needs a hand to find the way
Rehabilitation, however, does not end at the gates of Bahay Pag-asa.
A child’s return to the community also depends greatly on the people waiting at home.

Parents and families have an important role in helping children rebuild their lives. Their
presence, guidance, discipline, encouragement, and willingness to listen can help a young person
regain confidence and stay on the path toward positive change.
For parents, this means not giving up on their children while also teaching them to take
responsibility for their actions.
A child who has made a mistake needs boundaries, but also someone who says that there is still a
way forward.
The journey may not be easy. Rebuilding trust takes time, and changing old habits requires
patience and consistency. But when families work with social workers, communities, and
government institutions, a youth has a greater chance of returning home ready to make better
choices.
Bonoy’s story is, therefore, not only about a young man trying to reclaim his dream. It is also
about the people and institutions that can help make that dream possible.
Protecting the path to a better future
On August 20, the Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee (RJJWC) inspected youth
facilities in Bukidnon, including the Bahay Pag-asa in Maramag, the Valencia City Youth Home,
and the BJMP Valencia Male and Female Dormitories.
The RJJWC monitoring team was composed of representatives from the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD), a child representative, the Barangay Council for the
Protection of Children (BCPC) of FS Catanico in Cagayan de Oro, the Public Attorney’s Office
(PAO) Valencia City District, the Department of Justice through the Office of the City Prosecutor
of Valencia City, and the Philippine Information Agency.
Their participation reflects a shared responsibility among government agencies, local child-
protection bodies, legal service providers, child representatives, and other stakeholders in
ensuring that children in conflict with the law receive appropriate care, protection, legal
assistance, and rehabilitation.
The inspection checked whether facilities comply with standards for the care, protection,
rehabilitation, and development of children in conflict with the law.
The RJJWC plays an important role in strengthening the juvenile justice and welfare system in
the region by coordinating and monitoring the efforts of government agencies, local
governments, and other stakeholders working to protect and assist CICL.
By bringing together different agencies and sectors during monitoring visits, the RJJWC helps
assess how CICL are being handled, identify gaps in services and facility operations, and

encourage appropriate measures to strengthen their protection, rehabilitation, and eventual
reintegration into their families and communities.
The participation of legal, social welfare, child-protection, and information agencies also helps
ensure that the welfare of CICL is viewed from different perspectives—from their legal rights
and protection needs to their rehabilitation and return to the community.
By inspecting facilities, the committee helps address operational gaps and ensure youth get
proper protection from custody to community reintegration.
Its work reflects a broader understanding of juvenile justice: accountability must go hand in hand
with rehabilitation, protection, and the opportunity to change.
A dream worth holding on to
For Bonoy, the road ahead is still long. He still has a case to face, lessons to learn, and a future to
rebuild. But he said nothing can strip away his dream.
His determination to finish his studies and become an engineer offers a message to other young
people who may feel that their mistakes have already closed the door to their dreams.
They have not.
A difficult past can be part of a young person’s story without becoming the ending.
Sometimes, a second chance begins with a safe place, a helping hand, a family that refuses to
give up, and a young person brave enough to say, “I still have a dream.”
At Valencia’s Bahay Pag-asa, the goal is to help children like Bonoy find their way toward that
dream—not by erasing what happened, but by helping them learn from it, grow beyond it, and
believe that they can still become the person they hope to be.
Because beyond the case is a child.
And beyond the mistake may still be a future waiting to be built. (Bernadith G. Epan/PIA-
10/Bukidnon)