Name of office: BALAY PAGLAUM
Contact number: (033) 530 90-07
“Balay Paglaum” is a Local Government Unit facility of the Municipality of Mina with two major program components: a Crisis Center for women, children, youth and men (family); and a Temporary (transitory) Home for children in conflict with the law (CICL). It shall provide relief and appropriate crisis intervention for victims of abuses and exploitation; and as well as extend as temporary (transitory) residential rehabilitation to children in conflict with the law.
The first program component is the Crisis Center for Women, children, youth and men. This is the Local Government Unit’s response to fight against violence on women, human rights abuses (family) and violence and abuses to children. It is a stark reality that child abuse cases are increasing and so are the struggles of women to deal with physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and economic abuses and on men severe physical violence and rape as well as human rights violation to any member of a family in general. Victims need a place to turn to for help, to temporarily avail of shelter, given counseling, and be provided with referral services for their legal, medical, psychiatric, and other needs.
The second program component is the Temporary (transitory) Home for Children in Conflict with the Law providing assistance to minors who have been found to commit behaviors violating the law. Offering them temporary (transitory) shelter while they are being assessed and their cases studied, providing them individual and group counseling, working with their families, and giving them activities that ensure rehabilitation so they can find hope for change, these are the programs and services the facility aims to extend. Not only that “Balay Paglaum” serves juvenile offenders but it is also a place where young boys and girls could seek counseling when they are troubled with problems at home and in the community. For instance, this school year 2012-2013 there are at present 1,545 children studying at Mina National High School and 1,188 numbers of pupils at the Mina Central School and not yet included are the school children coming from the barangays of the municipality. With the limited number of school guidance counselors, and the increasing incidents of behavioral problems of children in school (e.g. bullying, vandalism, drug use, gang related misdemeanors, absenteeism, etc.) there is need for program that can at least minimize, prevent, and assist children and their families cope with problems in their social functioning.
The convergence of efforts of the different municipal departments and units is significant to the over-all goals of “Balay Paglaum”. The Philippine National Police, through its Women’s and Children’s Desk, the Rural Health Unit, the Local School Board, the BJMP, Liga ng mga Barangay, Sanggunian Kabataan, —these are some units that can support and strengthen the programs and services of the facility. Moreover, linkages with other Non-Government Organizations, Universities or Colleges that offer Social Welfare Courses and religious organizations will also be necessary. The participation and coordination of the entire community- the stakeholders, concretize the local government’s commitment to deliver basic social services to promote and protect especially the vulnerable and high risk to exploitation, abuse, and neglect.