Davao Teen Center, with the Ma-a National High School Supreme Student Government, celebrates the month of October as Children’s Month despite of the increase of children’s rights violation in the city, particularly the issue of Summary Execution and lacking of reproductive health services to children.
Jamail Lunar Macla, Youth Coordinator of Davao Teen Center, expresses its strong disappointment that the government still lacks in its priority to address the immediate concern of children most especially children in need of special protection (CNSP) in spite of its international commitment to United Nations through the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
“Even the government signed different treaties and convention to show their serious commitment to address the concerns and need of children, and even there are national laws protecting their rights, the violation of children’s rights in the country and even the city still exist and even unstoppable.” Macla said.
“One particular instance is the increasing number of minor victims of summary execution, as they were allegedly children involved in anti-social activities, which seemingly make a social condition that police, which was expected to do the investigations and already challenged by children related Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to act, were become useless and doing nothing with the situation.” Macla added.
James Phil Villaber, President of Ma-a National High School, conferred with this observation that it is indeed that the situation of children’s rights violation in the city is very rampant and urged the local government to immediately act on it.
“The government, as primary defender of the rights of its citizen, must be serious with this alarming scenario through strengthening the implementation of laws and ordinances for children, enhance the monitoring and evaluation of programs for children, review of ordinances which masked as child friendly policy however, studying it will proved that it is not, and creation of a special office that will really look into the best interest of the child.” Villaber contended.
Macla explained that for the students of secondary schools in Davao City to actively participate in the cause creating a child friendly community, there must also be intensive group discussions and forum relative to the issues and concerns of children and also the solicitation of their concrete recommendations for them to take part of the decision making and planning and that is why the Student Government of Ma-a National High School and Davao Teen Center will conduct its week long celebration of Children’s Month to answer this challenge.
“Starting October 15-19, 2007, DTC, together with James Phil Villaber and SSG Officers of Ma-a National High will celebrate our children’s month that will increase the awareness of students when it comes to children issues like child prostitution, child pornography, smoking and drugs and environmental issues, with a theme BRIGHT CHILD: Karapatan Nasa ‘yo, Isigaw mo sa buong mundo.” Macla said.
“The highlight of the activity is the poster-making contest this October 18 and the Forum of No to Prostitution this October 19 that will be participated by two hundred (200) students of Ma-a National High School with the aid from TALIKALA Inc. and LAWIG BUBAI.” Macla added.
They both pointed out that in part of the social responsibility of organizations and student governments in secondary schools, which is to increase the awareness of the children and youth with these current scenarios and mobilize them to take part of the campaign and advocacy, the government has a big responsibility to create a systematic policy program to hasten these efforts, in creating a child-friendly community.
“The efforts of the NGOs and Student Government will go into nowhere if the government will not make any systematic and programmatic child friendly policy since NGOs and SSG officers will not be always around to monitor the children and eventually meet different peers and “teachers” in the community that will again distort their framework in actively participating the campaign and leading them again to enter some of the anti-social activities.” Villaber concluded.
Reference:
JAMAIL LUNAR G. MACLA
Youth Coordinator
Davao Teen Center
+639184447267
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