The Philippines is celebrating the 28th National Children’s Month with the theme, “Sama-samang Itaguyod ang Karapatan ng Bawat Bata sa Panahon ng Pandemya!” this month. By virtue of Republic Act 10661, the National Children’s Month (NCM) in the country commemorates the adoption of the UN CRC on 20 November 1989 and is annually celebrated every November. It seeks to instill its significance in the Filipino consciousness. This November 2020 marks the 28th anniversary of the NCM. 

The month-long celebration aims to promote the protection of all children and their rights, provide practical support to parents and caregivers on how to care for children and themselves during the pandemic, empower children to protect themselves and report experience of abuse, and guide LGUs to efficiently deliver their expected roles and functions. This year’s celebration shall continuously anchor on the 3rd National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) Goals to progressively realize the rights of children:

Goal 1            : Children have a better quality and improved way of life;

Goal 2            : Children are well nourished, have healthy lives and are active learners with good quality education;

Goal 3            : Children are safe and free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation; and

Goal 4            : Children are actively participating in decision-making processes affecting their lives according to their evolving capacities.

The 2020 National Children’s Month celebration aims to stimulate advocacy and public information on upholding child rights amid COVID-19. Specifically, it aims to:

• Intensify public awareness on children’s rights and knowledge, adequate care for children, and application of positive discipline in daily dealings with children;
• Promote further the institutionalization of a child-friendly environment and governance by promoting implementation and monitoring of child – related protocols at the sub-national levels;
• Provide a platform for discourse on persistent and arising issues pertaining to children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation during and post COVID -19;
• Empower the children as rights-holders to claim and protect their rights; and
• Equip the duty-bearers to deliver their commitment and fulfil their obligations to protect children and fulfill rights of children.

Every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition. Studies show that 27 out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday and a third of Filipino children are stunted, or short for their age. Stunting after 2 years of age can be permanent, irreversible, and even fatal. Apart from high rates of stunting and neonatal deaths, low routine immunization coverage and lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities also threaten children’s survival and development in the Philippines. This is further exacerbated by natural disasters and climate change that impact one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses recently brought unparalleled devastation in Luzon.

Nutrition is a key pillar of the global COVID-19 response, critical for the world to recover from the pandemic and become more resilient to future shocks. To accomplish this, it is important to assess current rates of hunger and malnutrition – where we were before the pandemic and what the situation is now. Proper nutrition is critical for building a strong immune system and helping the body fight off disease and infection. In the context of COVID-19, the World Health Organization has stressed the importance of good nutrition and healthy diets to promote health. It is important particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back.

Government, civil society, and private should come together to deliver services and systems that give every child a fair chance in life. From the first 1,000 days of a child’s life (from pregnancy to 2 years old) to their adolescence, we work with our partners to deliver inclusive access to age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, gender-responsive and disaster-resilient health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs and interventions, including in emergency situations, especially for the most vulnerable children, adolescents and women. #LeoChristianLauzon