As the Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Filipino children are most vulnerable and are worst affected when disasters strike every year.
When Super Typhoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, an estimated 6 million children were affected last November 2013. The children who survived the onslaught lost their loved ones and some became orphans; most of them experienced psycho-social trauma, difficulties in evacuation centers, loss of classroom time and access to social protection, among others.
It is then imperative to revisit policies that better support and provide services to our Filipino children, specifically during disasters, calamities or in armed conflict areas, to lessen the experienced trauma and bring normalcy back quickly.
Thus, the bill proposes the creation of a national program for the protection of children, especially of displaced children. This is particularly crucial in the most vulnerable areas of the country, where the experience of prolonged displacement would have a profound impact on the children’s sense of security, physical and emotional well-being, long-term health and nutrition, and access to education.
Moreover, the bill advances the child-centered training to disaster first responders, teachers, psychologists and eventually, other volunteers in disaster recovery, relief and rehabilitation. Modules are to be crafted specifically for the different stages of children and youth development.
Providing the targeted needs of the Filipino children, specifically during times of distress, ensures the long-term security and health of our nation. It is then urgent and important that this proposal is realized into fruition.
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
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