In a quiet hall inside the Children’s Village of Davao City Bahay Pag-asa, the young residents weave through threads of color, where each loop and knot is more than a craftwork, a lesson of patience and a bridge towards reintegration.
Bahay Pag-asa shelters Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and Children at Risk (CAR) and provides them with specialized custody under Republic Act 9344, also known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
Jeffrey John Sison, Center Manager of Bahay Pag-asa, told the City Information Office (CIO) that since 2018, the center has offered dreamcatcher-making as part of its practical skills development service where residents gather for sessions dedicated to weaving while balancing their school schedules.
“Naay pipila ka mga residents dria sulod sa center nga mao ilahang gusto. Tungod kay sailahang kaugalingon, wala naga define ang past nila. So, karon gi mugna nila ang dreamcatchers para pamatoud nga ang ilahang mga sala na gibuhat mamahimo nga way alang sa pag develop og mausab ang ilahang nabuhat nga sala sa una (There are some residents inside the center who want to make the dreamcatchers. Because for them, their past doesn’t define them. So, now they created dreamcatchers to prove that their past mistakes do not define them and that they can change their previous wrongdoings),” he said.
He also added that dreamcatchers were not only financially beneficial, but the delicate and repetitious process of weaving threads has evolved into a kind of therapy that teaches the residents the values of perseverance and concentration.
“Dako gyud og tabang ang livelihood dreamcatchers dili lang sa financially na aspect, also sa ilahang personality na makaingon ta nga dili gyud basta basta ang pagbuhat kay kinahanglan og pasensya og focus nga ilaha pod na adapt sailahang kaugalingon. Kay kung taason atung pasensya dili ta makabuhat og sala, dili ta makastorya og dili maayo (The livelihood dreamcatchers are a great help not only financially, but also in terms of their personalities. You could say it’s not just a simple craft because it requires patience and focus, which they also adapt to themselves. Because if we have long patience, we won’t make mistakes, we won’t say bad things),” he added.
Dreamcatchers are actively sold to guests visiting the center, through staff offices, and during youth-led events. Their sales is recorded by social workers to ensure that they have capital to help them launch a new livelihood projects once they return to their communities.
Last 2025, their sales reached Php90,000, including a single large dreamcatcher purchased for Php12,000.
“Puhon pag gawas nila, pag reintegrate nila sailahang pamilya og sa community, dala dala nila ang ilahang income sa ilahang dreamcatchers alang sa pagsugod sa ilahang livelihood pag gawas nila dinhi sa center (When they leave and reintegrate to their families and communities, they will bring their income with them in their dreamcatchers to start their livelihoods when they leave the center),” he said.
The Children’s Village offers CICL and CAR residential care including psychosocial care, self-help activities, health and nutrition services, group supervision, socio-cultural and recreational activities, spiritual and moral welfare, values education, family preservation and unification, case management, psychological evaluation, occupational therapy, and educational assistance.
The City Government of Davao continues to strengthen rehabilitation programs that protect the welfare of the youth and secure their future, reflecting its long standing commitment to give young people second chances and sustainable opportunities. CIO
