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More than a decade ago, the government adopted a Philippine Plan of Action for Children in order to realize a child-sensitive society. Congress recognized children as a basic sector distinct from youth and students.
There are numerous laws and programs that promote the welfare of children. But children remain the most vulnerable sector in Philippine society. They are the most affected during natural and man-made calamities. About 43.3 percent of the country's population are children.
More than 4 million families are subsisting below the poverty line. Almost 10 million children are undernourished. Most children are suffering from micronutrient malnutrition. Only 33 percent of children are enrolled in daycare and preschool institutions in the country. More than 1 million children of elementary school age are not enrolled.
Both national and local governments are responsible for crafting programs which seek to protect children in the country. But local governments have the responsibility to deliver basic social services and ensure sustainability of children's welfare programs. Unfortunately, children are not the top priority of many local governments.
This is the reason why advocacy groups are actively engaging local politicians to promote child-friendly governance in provinces and cities. The goal is to convince more local government units to adopt measures that strengthen compliance to the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Child-Friendly Movement developed a handbook to guide local leaders in mapping their strategies to enhance child-friendly local governance.
Each local government is asked to draft a local development plan for children that will "serve as a blueprint of actions and interventions for children's rights." Then a local investment plan identifies available resources which can be tapped to finance projects for children. A local code for children is important since there are provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child which have not yet been discussed by the Philippine Congress. Local governments can implement measures that provide sanctions for violations of children's rights.
If there is an annual State of the Nation Address delivered by the Philippine president, local leaders can give a local state of the children report. Local governments can highlight the accomplishments in advancing children's rights for the past year and the present situation of children in the locality.
As of 2005, almost 100 provinces and cities have adopted their own local development and investment plans for children. Seventy provinces and cities have enacted local codes for children and 74 local governments have already delivered their local state of the children reports.
According to the Council for the Welfare of Children, a city or municipality is child-friendly "if it is able to assure that all children possess survival, development, protection and participation rights and that their needs are realized." A total of 25 indicators have been identified to monitor the fulfillment of these rights.
Survival rights involve the inherent right to life, identity and nationality of children. These also refer to the government's obligations to provide adequate healthcare, social security and rehabilitation for children. Examples of indicators include registration at birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and full immunization.
Protecting children starts with addressing the health of pregnant mothers. Some indicators of maternal health include pre-natal check-ups, immunization against tetanus, birth spacing and presence of trained personnel during childbirth.
Development rights "refer to access to educational opportunities, leisure, cultural activities and freedom of religion." Indicators include attendance of children in early childhood education programs, completion of basic education and mastery of nationally defined skills and competencies.
Protection rights seek to guard children against all forms of abuses, discrimination and exploitation. Indicators highlight the need for the separation of detained children from adult prisoners, elimination of physical and sexual violence in the home and community and giving of functional literacy courses to illiterate parents. Indicators for safe homes include the number of families with access to safe drinking water, iodized salt and sanitary latrines. Both parents should also share responsibility in the care and rearing of children.
Participation rights ensure children's involvement in decision making in local governments. These also refer to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
Are local governments fulfilling these commitments? Do politicians appreciate or understand the importance of these obligations? Is the Philippines a child-friendly society?
Similar to its other international commitments, the Philippines can boast of fulfilling the paperwork and legal requirements in the promotion of children's welfare. But the government has failed to implement its own policies and programs because of lack of political will. The primary default is the consistent failure to enact a child-friendly budget that would sufficiently address education and health needs of children.
Politicians give little priority to children because they are not voters. An international backlash is sometimes needed to jolt politicians into action. When foreign media began to report the presence of children in adult prison cells, that was the only time politicians began to mount a serious campaign to protect juvenile delinquents.
Children's rights are the most important human rights. Children are among the most ignored and discriminated against sectors of Philippine society.
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(Mong Palatino is a Filipino youth activist, news editor of Yehey!, a Philippine-based web portal and a Global Voices correspondent. ©Copyright Mong Palatino.)
