Download PDF - Violence Against Children - East Asia and the ...

The Philippines
to detail special concerns which give greater
definition to prohibited acts where there are
child protection issues. For example:
“In addition to all acts defined and penalized
under Republic Act 7610 on Child Abuse and
Exploitation… the following acts shall likewise
be punishable:
A. Illegal Recruitment – Any person who
recruits other persons for work shall be required
to register and secure a permit… with an
undertaking not to recruit children.
There is a presumption of illegal trafficking
when a person is found together with three or
more minors not his or her relative at the pier
or port of exit for the purpose of transporting
the minors to another place without any permit
from the council captain.”
The Code includes mechanisms known as
Local Councils for the Welfare of Children to
coordinate implementation of all policies,
programs and projects relative to the
survival, development and protection of
children. These will be monitored by a
Provincial Council, which will have a
membership of 21 including three
representatives from NGOs; one child;
government departments; the provincial
attorney; and a representative of the business
sector. The Provincial Council will create a
desk for children’s concerns, which will assist
local government when it creates policy that
may affect children. The children’s desk will
provide child impact statements on the likely
repercussions of proposed legislation or
policy on children and assist the Philippines
Government to provide its CRC
implementation reports to the United
Nations.
The Code includes provision for remedy
and penalties where unlawful acts have been
committed against a child. This includes
mandatory reporting for doctors, hospitals
and government workers, and provisions for
failure to report.
The Code has 114 sections, is 35 pages
long, and was approved by the Bohol
Governor in November 2000. The initiative
has been shared with other provincial
authorities, and has so far been taken up by
three others.
The Children’s Code is a valuable local
resource that enhances child development and
protection by providing framework that makes
it everyone’s job to consider the best interests
of the child. Lessons can be learned from the
process as well as the outcome.
Community organising can be more
effective than casework
Work in partnership and coalitions, where
there is opportunity, can maximise results
and avoid duplication. Civil society networks
or bodies, such as the church, can be a
resource in running value-formation courses
with the community. World Vision seeks to
involve them as partners to advocate with
local authorities on issues of child labour (e.g.
on sugar plantations or deep-sea fishing in
Negros – see text box on a later page), or
children not going to school.
Demonstrated examples of good practice in
community organising and cooperation
between NGOs in the interests of children are
evident in Palawan. The “PIGLAS” (Pinag-isang
Lakas Alay sa Kabataan – United Force for
Children) network, also known as the
Provincial Taskforce on Child Labour in
Palawan, has 22 organisations as members and
a principal aim of addressing the issue of child
labour. The 22 members, including national and
local government departments, International
Organisations, NGOs and people’s
organisations, each bring areas of expertise and
efforts are made to avoid duplication.
The network engages government in
planning the provision of children/youth
services. It is unified and has a collective
strategy to take action on child protection
issues such as child labour. It is in the process
of being registered as a legal entity, which will
61