In partnership with the NGO coalition behind the #ChildrenNOTCriminals campaign to strengthen the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc. tapped different universities and organizations in Metro Manila, Region 1, Cagayan de Oro, Bicol, and Legaspi to conduct the video launching activity simultaneously last September 29.
Eight universities and partner organizations conducted the video launching activity in partnership with HLAF to extend their support to the advocacy campaign in strengthening the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. HLAF seized the chance to amplify the target audience of the campaign as well as to inform people about the importance of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
Last September 29, BALAOD Mindanaw facilitated the forum entitled: “Criminalizing the Child: a Forum on Lowering the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility” held in Cagayan de Oro. The one-day forum aimed to gather the stand of the participants from different organizations and government officials about the minimum age of criminal responsibility as well as the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act in the city which served as the platform of HLAF to also incorporate the video launching activity which was attended by over a hundred participants.
On the other hand, Bicol University, UST-Legazpi, Universidad de Manila, and Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee (RJJWC) Region I participated in the simultaneous launching of the videos on the same date in their respective universities and offices which were attended by students and government officials who are inclined with the implementation of JJWA.
Each of the participating universities expressed their involvement in the campaign by making support statements and posted them on their social media accounts with hashtags #ChildrenNotCriminals #muntingtiniginyongpakinggan #kahitbataako #anongmagagawamo? #PagtibayinagJJWA.
Other participating organizations and universities like Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and Ateneo Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) conducted the video launching activity on September 30 respectively. HLAF Communications Officer, Ma. Luisa Bautista together with Juanito VInluan, HLAF Paralegal officer facilitated the activity attended by the freshmen students from the College of Law.
OSCI has incorporated this video launching with the Focused Reintegration for Ex-Detainees (FRED) seminar of HLAF, which was one of the programs of the organization for ex-detainees. This was also attended by the law students of the same university.
The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) participated in the campaign by including the activity on their forum about disaster preparedness which was attended by the junior and senior social work students from PLM and UDM which was held on Sept. 20.
The video launching in different areas in the Philippines will proceed accordingly to disseminate the campaign to strengthen the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
