Some of the children rescued from the New Life Baptist Church in Mexico, Pampanga on Aug. 15, 2025. The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Saturday (Aug. 16) said its field offices will strictly implement the regular monitoring of private care facilities across the country to guarantee the safety and welfare of its residents. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has vowed stricter oversight of private care facilities nationwide, following the shocking rescue of 160 children from a Pampanga-based institution accused of abuse and mismanagement.
DSWD Standards Bureau Director Megan Manahan said the agency’s field offices (FOs) have been directed to intensify their monitoring of residential care facilities, ensuring that children and residents are safe, properly cared for, and heard.
“Normally, facilities are visited twice a year, plus random spot checks,” Manahan explained in a weekend radio interview. “But given recent events, we have instructed our field staff to strengthen case management monitoring and conduct more thorough checks.”
The DSWD central office handles the registration, licensing, and accreditation of facilities through its HELPS (Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System) portal, while the field offices are tasked with compliance monitoring. This setup, Manahan said, allows FOs to focus closely on day-to-day standards because of their proximity to the facilities.
Monitoring covers areas such as physical safety, financial transparency, staffing, and—most critically—case management. Social workers interview children and hold focus group discussions to get firsthand accounts of their experiences.
“Case management means ensuring children’s voices are heard—whether their stay in the facility is positive or if there are concerns with the care they receive,” Manahan stressed.
The heightened scrutiny follows the arrest of Jeremy Ferguson, director of the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico, Pampanga, Inc., who was charged with violating the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (RA 7610). Authorities rescued 160 children from the facility amid allegations of physical and verbal abuse, psychological harm, fire hazards, financial mismanagement, and non-compliance with DSWD licensing and accreditation requirements.
With the Pampanga case as a wake-up call, the DSWD is pushing to ensure that every care facility meets the highest standards of safety, accountability, and respect for the children they are meant to protect.