Philippines enacts law to aid parents provide quality care to their kids

A proposed legislation seeking the establishment of a Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) program in the country has lapsed into law, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

The new law mandates local government units (LGUs) to implement a PES program that will help parents and their substitutes strengthen their skills and knowledge on their parental duties and their role in protecting and promoting children’s rights.

Also part of the program is the parent's and their substitutes’ responsibilities in fostering positive early childhood development as well as advancing their children’s educational progress.

“The LGUs shall give priority to parents and/or parent substitutes with vulnerable children, such as but not limited to children at risk, children in conflict with the law, and children who have been exposed to and/or involved in violence in the homes and communities, solo parents and/or their parent substitutes, and adolescent parents and their parents, and/or parent-substitutes,” the law states.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will be the implementing agency of the law. Likewise, it will be mandated to develop a PES Module Manual in coordination with the Department of Education, the Early Childhood Care and Development Council, the School Governing Councils, the Department of Health, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Modifications on the PES module manuals will be subject to the LGUs but its core should be consistent with the existing laws and embody the following principles:

-Parents and Parent Substitutes and their Roles and Needs

-The Filipino Family

-Challenges of Parenting

-Child Development

-Keeping Children Safe from Abuse

-Building the Child’s Positive Behavior

-Health and Nutrition

-Home Management

-Keeping a Healthy Physical Environment for the Child

-Keeping Children Safe in Times of Disasters

-Investment in Adolescents

—LDF, GMA News