Magna Carta of Children bill progresses in Senate

The Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality finished its deliberations on the proposed Magna Carta of Children Act on Thursday.

This came after several stakeholders from the government and private organizations supported Senate Bill 2612.

In her opening statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the panel, said that the time has come to enact the measure, citing the cases of child abuse in Socorro, Surigao del Norte, and those that were allegedly perpetrated by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ's leader, Apollo Quiboloy.

"While many of our children’s laws are already based on the principles of human rights, this bill is the most comprehensive and cohesive rights-based piece of legislation that provides a legal framework for recognizing, protecting, and promoting the rights of children. It codifies existing legislation and harmonizes its provisions with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child," she added.

The proposed measure focuses on children’s rights to life and survival, the right to development, the right to be protected, and the right to participate, among others.

The senator said the bill will guide government policies and programs to ensure that our children’s human rights are constantly upheld.

During the hearing, Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna proposed that the measure should include children's access to justice so they "won't be afraid to report any injustice."

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment suggested the creation of a comprehensive package of services to be provided by government agencies to eliminate child labor in the Philippines.

In March, Hontiveros, along with members of the House of Representatives, presented to the media copies of the Magna Carta of Children bill, which was filed in their respective chambers.

The authors of the counterpart measure of SB 2612 include Speaker Martin Romualdez, who earlier called on his fellow lawmakers to support its passage.

Some of the highlights of the Magna Carta of Children bill are the following:

• creation of the Philippine Commission on Children that would abolish the Council for the Welfare of Children;
• the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to be designated as the Ombudsman for Children;
• establishment of a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives that shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, especially to the underprivileged;
• no restrictions shall be placed that curtail the children’s freedom of expression, except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health;
• protection of children seeking refugee status; and
• development of a National Parenting Framework by the DSWD

— VBL, GMA Integrated News