CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A group of social work students from a religious school here won the first Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee-10 (RJJWC-10) film festival, as part of their advocacy opposing the proposal to lower the minimum age requirement of criminal liability.
The students from Lourdes College bested two other entrants in the short film competition under the student category, with their “Selda Pagbabago” story depicting a troubled teen who had several run-ins with the law. The awarding ceremony was held last Friday (November 30).
The story revolves around “Loloy,” whose life took a turn for the worst when he associated himself with friends who introduced him to crime and drugs. Loloy, however, managed to transform himself through the intervention of concerned individuals, including his mother, a psychologist, and their village leader.
Interviewed on Monday, the film’s director, 19-year old Sweet Diane Mabaylan, a third year Social Work student at Lourdes College, said “Selda Pagbabago” "shows that young people who made mistakes can still turn their lives around.
Mabaylan underscored the role of the society in helping troubled teens instead of putting them in jail.
“Jail is not the solution to transform an erring youth but through proper education,” Mabaylan said.
The film festival was in line with the 7th Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week and Children’s Month celebration, spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the coordination of the Department of Justice, local government units, and nongovernmental organizations.
The other winners are short films created by teams from Kalilangan National High School, and Clarin National High School.
For the professional category, the only entry was “Pagbabago,” produced by the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) in Gingoog City.
According to Shaun Alejandre Uy, DSWD-10 social marketing officer, the agency is planning on showing the films to various schools and institutions in support of the agency’s #JailNoChild advocacy, and to oppose the proposal of top government officials to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility. (PNA)
