The Kean Gabriel Hotline, a child-abuse reporting hotline, established in 2016 has been recognized as one of the innovative services for child protection in the region.
Jinky Roncal, Head of the Quick Response Team for Children’s Concern (QRTCC), during the I-Speak Media Conference on Thursday, bared that the hotline won the 2026 Panata Awards by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) out of more than 30 contenders from the Davao Region.
“Ang iyahang criteria ana nga award is responsiveness and innovativeness in terms sa hotline na nahimo murag sa tibuok na Pilipinas ang Davao City palang ang naay anti-child abuse hotline na accessible gyud siya (The criteria for the award included responsiveness and innovativeness, particularly in terms of the hotline that was established. As of now, Davao City is the only place in the Philippines with an anti-child abuse hotline that is truly accessible),” she said.
Roncal said that the hotline, 0908-818-4444, is being accessed not only by Davao City residents but also by those from outside the city. She added that reports from outside Davao City are also catered to in order to guide callers on which agencies or authorities to approach.
In Davao City, Roncal reported that since 2016 up to the first quarter of 2026 they have recorded 1,739 clients served. The usual cases involved physical abuse or sexual abuse.
“Apart from these, there are also children in street situations, or those we refer to as being on the streets—such as those who beg or engage in caroling,” she said.
Roncal said that there is no specific age group for abuse cases, as victims range from infants to minors around 15 years old. However, cases of sexual abuse are more commonly reported in remote areas such as Paquibato and Marilog.
They address reported cases through strengthened information dissemination of the Kean Gabriel Hotline in daycare centers.
“Sa daycare centers part siya sa ilang routine na i-advocate to ang Kean Gabriel hotline para sa grassroots level kadtong pinakalayo na lugar para kung in kaso makahiagum sila og abuse or naa sila’y nahibal-an nga na abuse easy lang para sa ilaha maka access og tabang. Apart from that, naa kita’y social workers in every barangay nga pwede kaayo nila maduolan. Kung mas prefer nila pwede sila mutawag didto sa hotline para ang team sa QRTCC and Kean Gabriel makahatag og response automatically (In daycare centers, promoting the Kean Gabriel Hotline is part of their routine, especially at the grassroots level, including the most remote areas. This ensures that in case they experience abuse or know someone who has been abused, it is easy for them to access help. Aside from that, there are social workers in every barangay whom they can approach. If they prefer, they can also call the hotline so that the QRTCC and Kean Gabriel team can automatically provide a response),” she said.
At the QRTCC, they have in-house police officers and social workers who can immediately respond to validated reports.
She said that upon receiving a report, the validation team is immediately deployed to verify the situation and identify the victim’s family and household. The team determines whether extraction or pull-out of the victim is necessary and prepares a blotter indicating the nature of the incident.
An initial assessment is then conducted to determine the needs of the victims. In addition to this, they undergo psychological assessment and evaluation.
Roncal mentioned that the CSWDO, through its residential facilities, provides comprehensive programs for rescued children.
She encouraged Dabawenyos to report any violations or cases of child abuse through the hotline.
“Dili lang gyud mag worry kay tanan detalye sa report confidential siya (You should not worry because all the details of the report are confidential),” she said. CIO
Written by: K.Cañedo Edited by: A.Nawal