THE United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to prioritize all the measures protecting Filipino children.
The Unicef Philippines team, led by its deputy representative Abdul Alim, in a statement after its recent meeting with the House leaders, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and members of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), said several laws are needed to protect children’s as well as women’s rights in the Philippines.
“The meeting offered an important opportunity to advocate for the passage of several child-related law. Within the context of a larger discussion to improve national and local legislation to promote child rights, the discussion centered on key legislative bills, including the far-reaching impact of child nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life; improving access to children in human immunodeficiency virus testing; and mainstreaming child rights in the Bangsamoro basic law [BBL],” the Unicef said.
Currently, there are six bills pending in the lower chamber addressing malnutrition among children. There are also 10 pending bills seeking to strengthen the Philippine comprehensive policy on HIV and acute immune deficiency syndrome prevention, treatment, care and support.
The lawmakers were receptive to the recommendations presented by the Unicef.
Joining the discussion were Liberal Party Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica of Bulacan, Committee on Women and Gender Equality chairman; and Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol, Committee on Climate Change chairman; Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin of Ammbis-Owa, Committee on Millennium Development Goals vice chairman; Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo of Aurora, PLCPD member; LP Rep. Salvio B. Fortuno of Camarines Sur, Committee on Poverty Alleviation chairman; and Nacionalista Party Rep. Henry Oaminal of Misamis Occidental, Ad Hoc Committee on the proposed BBL vice chairman.
“The fruitful exchange opened up avenues for continued high-level engagement in advancing and monitoring child rights in the Philippines,” he said.
Alongside many countries across the world, the Philippines celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2014.
In 1990, the Philippines ratified the CRC, the most widely endorsed international human-rights treaty in history.
The Convention establishes legally and morally binding obligations on every State Party which ratifies it to “undertake all appropriate and legislative, administrative and other measures to the implementation of the rights recognized” in the CRC.