QUEZON CITY — The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) in the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to ending violence against children (VAC) as it prepares for the 32nd National Children’s Month in November 2024.
In 2023, the Philippine National Police (PNP-WCPC) reported 18,756 Violence Against Children cases. A National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children conducted by the CWC and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2015 indicated that about 80% of children in the Philippines had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, often facilitated by their parents and other members of the family. In 2016, UNICEF also reported that 43.7 percent of children aged thirteen to eighteen have experienced violence online, with a fourth of these children having experienced sexual violence online.
In response to the growing danger faced by children, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has initiated a multi-agency response to combat OSAEC and CSAEM. An Executive Order was signed last 6 August 2024, establishing the Presidential Office for Child Protection (POCP). On 16 September 2024 during “Iisang Nasyon, Iisang Aksyon: Tapusin ang OSAEC Ngayon” Summit 2024, the President mentioned the MAKABATA Helpline 1383 stating, “To our communities, this administration implores you to be suspicious, be watchful and report even the slightest inkling of abuse. I reiterate my message in the State of the Nation address, let us not be blind to wrongdoing because passivity enables evil to perpetuate. One call to MAKABATA Helpline 1383 can save one child. Let us make the Philippines the absolute worst place for those who abuse and exploit children. To victims and survivors, your stories continue to push us in the right direction.”
Launched in 2022 and relaunched in 2023, the MAhalin at KAlingain ang mga BATA (MAKABATA) Helpline 1383 is a service established and managed by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) in close coordination with various National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). This initiative aims to respond, monitor, and provide feedback through calls, emails, and multiple social media platforms for reporting any form of violence, abuse, exploitation, or psychosocial problems experienced by children.
The MAKABATA Helpline 1383 has handled more than 1,480 calls since its establishment in late 2022. With our consistent information dissemination and continued partnership with LGUs, and academic institutions, among other sectors, such as the issuance of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2024-143 encouraging all Local Government Units to Utilize MAKABATA Helpline 1383, we expect an increase in the awareness for the helpline.
With the President’s directive and through our collaboration with other government, law enforcement, civil society, and private partners – CWC is confident that we can help ensure the safety of our children both online and offline. As we prepare for the National Children’s Month 2024, themed “Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines,” we are reminded of the collective responsibility we share in protecting our youth. This observance not only highlights the pressing issues at hand but also serves as a rallying call for all Filipinos to unite in creating a safer environment for our children, ensuring they can grow and thrive without the threat of violence or exploitation. To fulfill the mission, the following are CWC’s key strategies:
Key Strategies
- Realizing plans for children: The 4th National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) 2024-2028 is expected to strengthen child protection systems, align with the local government units’ local development plans for children, local investment plan for children, local codes for children and local state of children’s reports. Central to this comprehensive plan is ensuring children’s active participation and integration of climate change resilience strategies, with CWC taking the lead role in realizing the 4th NPAC.
- Strengthening and enacting key legislations: The CWC, together with other stakeholders in the children’s sector, advocates for the passage of the Magna Carta of Children Bill as the single most comprehensive and cohesive legal framework for children’s development and protection. This reaffirms their inalienable rights to survival, development, protection, and participation.
- Promoting social behavior change: Prevailing social norms which perpetuate a culture of violence recognizes the need to advance the knowledge and protective behavior of children, parents, and caregivers online and offline. Among the endorsed activities for the 32nd National Children’s Month (NCM) celebration addresses parenting in the digital age, bullying, and positive discipline at home and in schools.
- Engaging with multi-sectoral partnerships: To ensure accessibility for children to report concerns on child protection, the CWC continuously forges partnerships with various national government agencies, LGUs, and non-government organizations to promote the CWC Makabata Helpline 1383 as the primary referral system for all incidents of violence against children.
A Unified Approach
“The children must always be at the core and the primary consideration in all the things we do and decide upon. The CWC continues to champion them as one of the country’s national priorities,” said Usec. Angelo M. Tapales, Executive Director V of the CWC. “A unified approach means that the government, parents, families, communities, and all other duty bearers – must work synchronously to ensure that children’s rights are respected and upheld at all times.”
About the National Children’s Month (NCM)
The National Children’s Month (NCM) in the Philippines is annually celebrated every November by virtue of Republic Act No. 10661 s. 2015 to commemorate the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). This month-long celebration aims to sustain the promotion and protection of children’s rights.
About CWC: The CWC is the focal government inter-agency body promoting and protecting children’s rights through Presidential Decree No. 603. It executes its coordinative function by formulating, advocating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of policies, programs and measures; undertaking child rights advocacy and mobilization of resources; building strong networks, partnerships and coordination mechanisms; and ensuring institution building of partners and stakeholders for a child-friendly Philippines.
To learn more about CWC’s plans, programs, and activities please visit cwc.gov.ph or contact them at [email protected]. (CWC)
