Marcos forms presidential office for child protection

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Families bond during “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the song goes, at Rizal Park in Manila on Christmas Monday (Dec. 25, 2023). (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has created the Presidential Office for Child Protection (POCP) to address rising threats to the welfare of Filipino children.

The POCP, which will be under the Office of the President (OP) and headed by a Presidential Adviser for Child Protection (PACP), will be under the control and supervision of the Special Assistant to the President (SAP), according to Executive Order (EO) 67 signed by Marcos on Aug. 6 and published in a local newspaper on Friday.

The POCP is designated to monitor and harmonize government thrusts, policies, and programs on the protection of children and the promotion of their welfare, with special focus on anti-online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC), anti-child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM), and child trafficking matters.

EO 67 orders the POCP to submit policy recommendations to the President, as well as monitor the implementation of presidential directives or priority programs and projects on the welfare and protection of children.

The office is also directed to coordinate and collaborate with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and other relevant government agencies and bodies, as well as civil society groups, in formulating or updating the National Plan of Action for Children.

It is also tasked to identify and recommend urgent government interventions for child protection.

It is mandated to promote and monitor the harmonization, integration, and non-duplication of relevant government thrusts, policies, and programs.

According to EO 67, the POCP will represent the Philippines in relevant international fora and initiatives, as well as monitor the government’s compliance with its duties and obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, and similar international legal instruments.

The POCP may also convene technical working groups for the effective implementation of EO 67.

“In view of the increasing OSAEC cases and other threats to the welfare of children in the Philippines, and consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which provides that the protection of children from physical and mental distress is a key strategy to achieve transformative social system, it is imperative to ensure a whole-of-nation approach in strengthening existing institutional and legal framework on child protection,” the EO read.

Under EO 67, the POCP will be supported by a staff with background or expertise in child protection.

The PACP, representing the OP, will also be included as a member of the CWC, the National Coordination Center, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the National Council Against Child Labor, and the Committee for the Special Protection of Children.

The President or the Executive Secretary may, upon the recommendation of the SAP, designate the PACP as a member or an observer in other government agencies and bodies with functions related to child protection.

The funding requirements for the initial implementation of EO 67 will be taken from the current and available appropriation of the OP and other sources that may be determined by the budget department.

The budget for the continued implementation of the EO will be included in the budget proposal of the POCP, subject to the usual budget preparation process.

EO 67 takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.