Number of kids falling victims to abuses alarms CWC official

CEBU, Philippines – Reports on increasing number of children involved in child labor, sexual abuse and commercial exploitation, family violence, child trafficking, and armed conflicts have alarmed an official of a government group working for children.

Maria Elena Caraballo, deputy executive director of Council for the Welfare of Children said what is more alarming are reports on children infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Acute Immunodeficiency Virus with 2, 719 reported cases as of 2007. Worse, about 300 of these victims were less than ten years old.

Basing on the Labor Force Survey in January 2005, Caraballo said that of the 25.4M children aging from 5-17 years old, 2.1 million or 10.7 percent are working children. About 5,500 of them are elementary undergraduates.

She said that Mindanao recorded the highest number in working children next to Eastern Visayas.

The national estimate of street children in Metro Manila reached 11, 346 while there are 2, 556 in 22 major cities in the country, she added.

Caraballo also cited records of Academy for Educational Development which showed that there are estimated 20,000-50,000 Philippine and foreign child victims of child trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation.

As of 2007, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has recorded 7, 228 cases of child abuse which include rape, incest and acts of lasciviousness. There have recorded 37 victims of cyber pornography and pedophilia, among other cases of sexual exploitation.

Caraballo said that there are around 30,000 to 50,000 estimated number of children displaced by armed conflict especially in Mindanao every year during the last four years.

Because of these alarming information, the government has developed a scheme to counteract reported cases of child abuse, to develop special protection and promote well being among Filipino children.

Caraballo said that social protection, programs on education, and programs on health and nutrition have been formulated to promote the rights of the children.

The government, according to her, has plans for a supplementary feeding program and early identification of children’s diseases.

“Our government has also prepared for an alternative learning system and education for all program to lessen illiteracy among growing children,” she said.

She added that the government has set off policies and legislative initiatives like the Comprehensive Program for Child Protection (CPCP) and the framework of action against commercial sexual exploitation.

According to her, the Republic Act 9231 which seeks to provide for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and affording stronger protection for the working child and RA 7610 which gives special protection on children against child abuse will form bases for the full implementation of the law.

“Social protection includes construction of more day care centers, national project for street children, and reintegration and rehabilitation programs,” she cited. — Marjun A. Baguio/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)