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Senate resumes Gentle Hands Orphanage closure: Sen. Risa Hontiveros presides over the public hearing of the Committee on Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality on the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to Gentle Hands Orphanage, Inc. (GHI). The DSWD earlier ordered the closure of GHI, citing the reported failure of the orphanage to comply with the minimum standards for residential facilities for children. During the resumption of the hearing Thursday, October 26, 2023, Hontiveros sought an update from DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian on the condition of the children in their custody. She also asked Gatchalian on the number of social workers needed by the department to fulfill its mandate. Gatchalian told the Committee that the DSWD doesn’t need additional social workers for now but rather the department would like to focus their attention on the plight of the current social workers with contract of service status. He hoped they’d be given job security rather than hire more contractual social workers. (Voltaire F. Domingo / Senate PRIB)