DSWD, LGU General Luna in Siargao craft juvenile intervention program
Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — In an effort for child safety and youth protection at the community level, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga, chair of the Caraga Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee (RJJWC), partnered with the local government of General Luna in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, to draft a multi-year Comprehensive Local Juvenile Intervention Program (CLJIP) tailored to the specific social realities of the LGU’s youth.
CLJIP is a strategic, multi-sectoral three-to five-year response plan mandated for all local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines, enacted under Republic Act 9344 (the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act) and strengthened by RA 10630. It will act as a guide for local communities, from the provincial level down to individual municipalities and barangays, to handle juvenile justice and welfare.
The said activity, held September 2–4 in General Luna, brought together participants across all 19 barangays of the town, including barangay officials, secretaries, personnel of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and inter-agency partners.
Secretariat Team Leader Dante S. Rosales introduced the framework of the Comprehensive National Juvenile Intervention Program, outlining national standards for prevention, diversion, and reintegration, while Vera Jean C. Angob facilitated barangay-level data mapping and conducted situational analyses and data-gathering sessions to construct individual barangay profiles, pinpointing localised risk factors like school dropout rates, family displacement, or substance exposure.
Participants established concrete local policies, early-intervention mechanisms, and community-led support programs designed to divert youth away from high-risk environments, such as the actionable three- to five-year roadmap.
Lovely, one of the participants from the MSWDO office, said, “Seeing everyone in the same room—from the field officers to the program leads—really puts into perspective how much ground we’re trying to cover. Sitting through the strategic planning exercises was intense, but it feels like we’re finally moving past high-level ideas and getting down to what actually works for these kids daily.”
She added, “The new tier system we drafted for early intervention feels much more realistic. It gives us a clear threshold for when to step in before a kid hits the court system, rather than reacting after the fact. It makes a massive difference for those of us working directly with the participants and their families.”
For DSWD Caraga, by equipping local officials with granular data and clear policy frameworks, General Luna shifts child welfare from reactive intervention to proactive prevention.
For the local government of General Luna, establishing local intervention pathways will ensure early identification of vulnerable youth, protect victims, and build a sustainable protective umbrella across all its 19 barangays. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from DSWD Caraga)