QUEZON CITY: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) emphasized the significance of preventive strategies to combat violence against children, underscoring the need for parental empowerment and education. The initiatives aim to tackle the complexities of childhood and adolescence to avert potential abuse.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, speaking at the “Talakayang Makabata” press conference held at the Philippine Information Agency in Diliman, Quezon City, stressed that prevention is key to safeguarding children. The Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program, institutionalized under Republic Act 11908 in 2022, is one of the initiatives designed to equip parents with the necessary skills to fulfill their parental responsibilities, ranging from early childhood development to preventing child abuse.
Dumlao highlighted a specific module within the PES Program focused on keeping children safe from abuse. This module provides parents with information a
nd guidance on addressing the unique challenges their children may face, thereby preventing various forms of child abuse. Additionally, the DSWD offers support to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) through family development sessions aimed at strengthening family bonds.
To aid victim-survivors of abuse, the DSWD offers comprehensive intervention packages at its centers and residential care facilities. These interventions include psychosocial care, counseling, medico-legal examinations, legal assistance, and psychological assessments. The department also runs the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons, ensuring recovery and reintegration services for trafficking victims.
The Talakayang Makabata media forum featured other panelists, including Council for the Welfare of Children Executive Director Undersecretary Angelo Tapales, National Youth Commission Assistant Secretary Michelle Mae Gonzales, and Major Meriel Editha Reyes from the Philippine National Police’s W
omen and Children Protection Center, among others. The forum precedes the 32nd National Children’s Month celebration in November, themed “Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines!”
In 2023, the PNP Women and Children Protection Center reported 18,756 cases of violence against children. Tapales reaffirmed the importance of a unified approach involving government, families, and communities to ensure children’s rights are upheld. He further noted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s signing of Executive Order 67, which established the Presidential Office for Child Protection to address threats to Filipino children’s welfare.
Tapales outlined key strategies by the CWC to ensure a violence-free environment for children, including plan realization, legislative strengthening, social behavior change promotion, and multi-sectoral partnerships.