More than 80 representatives from various non-government organizations (NGOs) in Cotabato province recently signed a Manifesto of Support urging Congress and Senate to immediately pass “Children’s Emergency Relief & Protection Act”, which calls for a comprehensive plan to protect children’s rights before, during and after a disaster.
In the manifesto signed at the policy forum organized by child rights organization Save the Children, the NGOs said that “the bill will establish a national policy to improve the care and protection of children affected by disasters, calamities and other emergencies”.
![Cotabato NGOs, province push passage of bill to protect children during disasters]( "Cotabato NGOs, province push passage of bill to protect children during disasters")
The resolution pointed that “the trauma and suffering experienced by children affected by disasters can be avoided or lessened in future disasters by Congress acting now to establish clear policies regarding the welfare of children in situations of disaster and translate the lessons of Typhoon Yolanda and other disasters into specific measures for child protection.”
In June 2015, a resolution of support for the bill was unanimously approved by the South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council).
Once enacted into law, the bill would require DSWD and other national agencies to enhance services related to monitoring and protection of children vulnerable to and affected by disasters. These include improved family tracing for unaccompanied minors, separate data collection to identify children, child-focused emergency trainings and limiting use of schools as evacuation centers so that children could quickly resume their classes.
Save the Children, which has been pushing for the passage of the bill since 2014, welcomed expressions of support from Mindanao.
![Cotabato NGOs, province push passage of bill to protect children during disasters]( "Cotabato NGOs, province push passage of bill to protect children during disasters")
“Thousands of lives were lost in Mindanao in the wake of typhoons Pablo, Seniang and Yolanda. We know that children usually bear the brunt of the disaster’s impact. The support of the civil society and the local government shows how critical it is for Congress and Senate to pass the bill soon,” said Roy Bautista, Save the Children Advocacy Manager.
The children’s bill 5285 has been approved on Third Reading by the House of Representative and is now pending at the Philippine Senate. Legislators from Mindanao who authored the bill include Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona and House Chair of the Children’s Welfare Committee, Aurora Cerilles.
In the manifesto signed at the policy forum organized by child rights organization Save the Children, the NGOs said that “the bill will establish a national policy to improve the care and protection of children affected by disasters, calamities and other emergencies”.
In June 2015, a resolution of support for the bill was unanimously approved by the South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council).
Once enacted into law, the bill would require DSWD and other national agencies to enhance services related to monitoring and protection of children vulnerable to and affected by disasters. These include improved family tracing for unaccompanied minors, separate data collection to identify children, child-focused emergency trainings and limiting use of schools as evacuation centers so that children could quickly resume their classes.
Save the Children, which has been pushing for the passage of the bill since 2014, welcomed expressions of support from Mindanao.
The children’s bill 5285 has been approved on Third Reading by the House of Representative and is now pending at the Philippine Senate. Legislators from Mindanao who authored the bill include Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona and House Chair of the Children’s Welfare Committee, Aurora Cerilles.