A TOTAL of 15 minors, including street children and “rugby boys,” were rescued by the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD)-Anti-Mendicancy Team, in coordination with Police Station 1, in various areas of Bacolod City from August 13 to 18, 2025.
This came after Mayor Greg Gasataya earlier ordered the DSSD-Anti-Mendicancy Team and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to enforce the curfew for minors and provide case management interventions, focusing on rescuing those loitering late at night.
DSSD head Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga said the team has been patrolling the city overnight to enforce the curfew for minors.
She said their first encounter involved several children seeking shelter outside a mall in Barangay Mandalagan.
Authorities rescued the children after discovering they were begging in the area, with some reportedly staying there for several years.
“We need to break the cycle of minors living on the streets. Let’s give them a future. They are still children, they have so much potential, and they still have many things they can do to transform their lives,” Verdeprado-Mangga said.
She said they want to intensify these efforts so that more children can be reached.
“The team is working with social workers who can assist in case management," Verdeprado-Mangga added.
The team also rescued some “rugby boys,” including a 17-year-old with a foot ailment who could barely walk at the Bacolod public plaza. The boy was brought to a hospital for treatment.
Of the 15 minors rescued, four were girls. All of them were brought to the Youth Home for necessary intervention.
“We cannot place all children in institutions. Sending them there should only be the last resort. What we want is to reintegrate them into their communities and bring them back to their families, because that is where the biggest role lies,” Verdeprado-Mangga said.
She emphasized that the primary responsibility rests with their parents, and that the involvement of the community through the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children is very important.
On August 13, 2025, a video surfaced online showing four boys allegedly threatening a student inside a fast-food chain near the Bacolod public plaza.
The incident was brought to the attention of Gasataya, who immediately referred it to the BCPO to rescue the children.
Three of the four minors involved were rescued, two of whom had previously run away from home.
Verdeprado-Mangga disclosed that they will strengthen their campaign for child protection, ensuring vulnerable children receive proper attention and are shielded from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence. (MAP)