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Republic Act No. 7610, "The Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse", directs the formulation of a "comprehensive program for the protection of children against child prostitution and other sexual abuse, child trafficking, obscene publications and indecent shows and other acts of abuse and circumstances which endanger child survival and normal development." The Special Committee for the Protection of Children headed by the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development has been tasked to initiate the preparation of this comprehensive program for the special protection of Filipino children.
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The State's policy to give protection to children is set forth in Section 13, Article 11 of the Philippine Constitution which provides that "the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs."
To give effect to the State's declared policy, legislative enactments were promulgated, notably Presidential Decree No. 603, as amended, "The Child and Youth Welfare Code" and the aforementioned R.A. No. 7610 and R.A 7658 (An Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children below 15 years of Age.) The Philippine Government also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is the landmark international legal instrument that codifies and enshrines the rights of children. The Philippines is also committed to implementing the Stockholm Declaration Agenda (World Conference Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 1996) for Action Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). A five-year planning framework: the Framework for Action Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (2000-2004) and a National Plan of Action that has been drafted in fulfillment of the Stockholm commitments is complementary to and consistent in its vision and approaches with this National Comprehensive Program for Child Protection.
The Philippine government has also ratified ILO Convention 138 and 182 which call for the strengthening of enforcement of existing Philippine Laws on child labor particularly in regard to the minimum age of employment and the protection of children against the worst forms of child labor.
Under the doctrine of parens patriae, the State has the duty to defend and care for its most vulnerable members, the children. In the performance of this duty, the State requires cooperation among law enforcement officers, social workers, prosecutors, medical practitioners, judges and other members of the community who are involved in the protection of children against abuse and exploitation.
The Philippine government in collaboration with child-focused NGOs, international agencies and intergovernmental agencies like UNICEF and the ILO has formulated a strategic programming framework that promotes and safeguards the rights of Filipino children: Child 21. This serves as a roadmap for the national government and local government, non-government organizations and the private sector in setting priorities for action and in allocating and utilizing resources to promote the rights of Filipino children. It puts greater emphasis on the needs of especially vulnerable children and puts into sharper focus the rights of all children to special protection.
The conceptual framework, strategies and tasks outlined in this Comprehensive Program for Child Protection are consistent with the aforementioned legal framework and strategic framework for programming for children.
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