2013 National Childrens Month Celebration (NCM) Brief

Theme: Kahirapan Wakasan, Karapatan ng Bata Ipaglaban!

1. What is National Childrens Month?
The country celebrates the month of October of every year as National Childrens Month (NCM) pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 267, series of 1993 to emphasize the importance of the role of the child within the Filipino family and in nation building. The Council for the Welfare of Children has been spearheading the nationwide celebration of childrens month by virtue of Presidential Decree 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code.

2. What is the theme and objectives of NCM 2013?

The 21st National Childrens Month celebration focuses on poverty with the theme Kahirapan Wakasan, Karapatan ng Bata Ipaglaban! The theme highlights that poverty reduction starts with children. The participation and convergence of efforts at various levels is deemed necessary to address underlying causes of poverty. The primary objectives are to encourage stakeholders not only the duty holders to contribute to poverty reduction and to advocate for stronger holistic actions, particularly preventive measures to address problems on poverty.

3. Why focus on poverty?

The NCM theme for this year focused on poverty which is a result of a series of consultation with the approval of the Council Board as the governing policy body of the Council for the Welfare of Children. Poverty is common in the Philippines that brought Filipino children to become more susceptible to different problems such as mortality, health, education, violence, abuse, and labor. Child poverty is an outcome of deprivation in the family, thus, as poverty incidence in families rise, more and more children are deprived of their basic needs and are pushed to join the labor force at an early age, becoming exposed to exploitation and abuse (Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities). Deprivation of basic needs because of poverty affects the growth and development of the child.

Children are helpless, hence, being second to the fishermen with high poverty incidence for nine basic sectors in the Philippines is an alarming concern (2009 official poverty statistics). In 2009 Official Poverty Statistics of the Philippines, a family of five needed Php 231 daily income to stay out of poverty! Poverty incidence for children residing in urban areas increased between 2006 and 2009, with 0.3 percentage point increases. Among the regions, Caraga posted the highest poverty incidence at 57.3% followed by Region V at 54.7% and ARMM at 54.2% in 2009. The magnitude of poor population increased by almost 970,000 Filipinos from 22.2 million in 2006 to 23.1 in 2009 by 4.4%. Children sector is one of among the basic sectors residing in urban areas accounted for the largest number of poor population in the country at 12.4 million in 2009 from 12.3 million in 2006.

4. What are the 2013 NCM major activities of CWC?

In order to strengthen advocacy on poverty reduction, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) is spearheading the annual National Childrens Month Celebration with the following activities:

a. On-the-Spot Art Competition such as Poster-making and Modelling Clay Sculpture The competitive art was conducted last July 20, 2013 at the Council for the Welfare of Children grounds led by the CWC Exec. Dir. Brenda S. Vigo. The activity was in cooperation with the CWC SubCommittee on Children with Disabilities with the Chairmanship of Mr. Ranil Sorongon; and UST College of Fine Arts and Design students. The UST student facilitators went through an orientation session on the different types of disabilities and handling children with disabilities prior to the conduct of art competition on July 13, 2013 at the CWC conference room. The July 20 on-the-spot art competition was participated in by selected children with disabilities from partners of Sub-Committee members. One of the highlights of the activity is a lecturedemonstration on basic sketch/drawing and sculpture provided by Professor Danilo Santiago, Department Chair, UST College of Fine Arts and Design, Painting Department. The students from UST

served as coaches to children. UST Prof. Santiago, Mr. June de la Pena of Childrens Laboratory Foundation and Director Vigo served as members of the Board of Judges. The chosen winners will be awarded during the NCM Kick-Off activity in October 2013. Art works of the children with disabilities were displayed in the CWC Resource Center. b. Song Writing Contest which is open to Filipino male or female students ages 10-17 years old and currently enrolled at any public or private school, including the ALS learners within NCR; c. National Childrens Congress in partnership with DSWD Pantawid Pamilya; d. Forum on child rights with media practitioners; e. International celebration of the Girl-Child in partnership with Plan Philippines; f. Press conference/launching of the Child Protection Policy; g. Round table discussion on Poverty reduction starts with children; h. Liturgical celebration; and, i. Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week celebration as NCM culminating activity.

5. What are the structures behind the nationwide Childrens Month Celebration?
NATIONAL CHILDRENS MONTH (NCM) STAKEHOLDERS MEETING cum PLANNING was conducted on July 6, 2012 @Bay Leaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila which resulted to the organization of NCM Steering Committee and its core sub-group. Members of NCM Steering Committee are DOTC, DSWD, DOJ-JJWC, NNC, PIA, Philippine Childrens Ministries Network, DA, DOLE, VMLP, NYC, USTCFAD, UNICEF, VMLP, Plan Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, DOLE-BWSC, DOH, Philinc, MMDA, WVDF, LRTA, DOJ, DILG, LVGP, NCCP, ECOP, NCCT, Sun for All Children, Bantay Bata 163, UNTV, Lunduyan Foundation, Manila Times, Philippine Press Institute, RPN 9, Kaisaka Inc., DepEd, NEDA, and KBF. NCM Core Sub-groups: Group 1. Launches/Simultaneous/Programs/Big Events-- Chairman: Vice Mayors League of the Philippines; Co-chairman: NGO Child

Representative; Members: NYC, PCMN, Kaisaka Inc., KBF, DSWD, UNTV, WVDF, Sun for All Children Inc., and DOH. Group 2. Publicity and Promotions -- Chairman: Department of Social Welfare and Development; Co-chairman: National Nutrition Council; Members: DILG, LVGP, Lunduyan Foundation, Inc., PPI, DOJ-JJWC. Group 3. Technical Support-- Chairman: Philinc (faith-based organization); Co-chairman: Metro Manila Development Authority; Members: DOTC, LRTA, DepEd, DOLE, NEDA, and NCCT Group 4. Advocacy and Social Mobilization-- Chairman: Employers Confederation of the Philippines; Co-chairman: Manila Times (leading newspaper firm); Members: UST-College of Fine Arts & Design, NCCP, Philippine Red Cross Major outputs of NCM Committee and its sub-groups were last year NCM activities and 2 strategic planning workshops conducted last 18 & 25 July 2012 in partnership with UNICEF and with the assistance of the President of PROBE Foundation and CEO of Brandlab, Inc. that led to the formulation of purpose and vision for the national childrens month as follows: Visions for national childrens month Childrens month celebration in every Filipino community by 2032 Everyday is childrens day by 2025 A festive celebration of the childrens month, a by-word in every household Purpose of national childrens month celebration Basta Happy ang Batang Pilipino With this purpose, a true/tag line was identified as Bata, Bida Ka! Last year major NCM activities were PRESS CONFERENCE on 20th National Childrens Month; KICK OFF ACTIVITY: Childrens Festival of Songs on Child Rights; FORUM/DIALOGUE with Media Practitioners on the role of media in responsible reporting and writing issues on children; CULMINATING ACTIVITY WITH DSWDs PANTAWID PAMILYA Beneficiary: Childrens Congress; ART WORKSHOP in partnership with UST CFAD on Sept. 29 @CWC Office; and, Mural Painting @CWC Building facade.