A Second Chance

Last Thursday, our class went to Operation Second Chance in Kalunasan. It's where children in conflict with the law are sent to. Offenders who are minors are called "children in conflict with the law". It's a mouthful but political correctness dictates. The place was a bit far from the city. It didn't have much road and you have to hitch rides on a motorcycle service but I live relatively close so I got there no problem.

We went for a tour of the place. The facilities were good and well-maintained. There was a library, a clinic, a classroom and a yard for sports activities. The place was clean and the children in conflict with the law had adequate living space. They were even practicing a dance for a local event.

Make no mistake though, this isn't some daycare facility. It's still a detention center. The children in conflict with the law looked like a pretty mean bunch to be honest. Some of them are there for rape and even murder. I swear one of them had like gang tattoos all over his arms. I didn't feel to good in that environment. It wasn't so much sympathy but rather intimidation. It's unsettling thinking about how society could produce such dangerous wayward youths. We can put them away but is that really the solution? One of the officers there lamented that if only their families weren't so broken and dysfunctional they wouldn't be there. It's true.

As cynical as I am about government, I couldn't help but feel grateful that the issue of detaining youth offenders has been adressed. I am proud that at least the government is doing something. The city officials in charge are involved and the facility is well supported. I watched a movie called Bunso. The movie was about a little boy called Bunso who was in jail. Years ago, children in conflict with the law were kept in the same detention facilities as the hardened adult criminals. Children like Bunso were pushed around and eventually taken advantage of by the older men and probably introduced to harder crime. Tragically, Bunso died but perhaps the film in his honor did some good. I'd like to think the facility I went to was built with children like Bunso in mind.

It's not fair also to credit everything to the government. The facility was constructed free of charge by businesses and philanthropic organizations. In fact, there are foreign interests who help the facility as well. There were Dutch and even Korean people who go there to help as well as doctors and other professionals. It's amazing what can be done with rich sponsors.

It was a very enlightening and thought-provoking trip.