A relentless campaign against all forms of violence toward children will continue even beyond the National Children’s Month (NCM) celebration, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Friday.
In a news release, Gatchalian emphasized the need for collaboration among partners and stakeholders to advocate for more robust measures to protect children from all forms of abuse.
“Even as we conclude this monthlong celebration, our fight to end violence against children will continue,” he said.
The Council for the Welfare of Children, an attached agency of the DSWD, led the NCM and conducted various activities across four thematic areas: survival rights, development rights, participation rights, and protection rights that are designed to advocate for and strengthen preventive measures and programs to end all forms of violence against children.
Republic Act No. 10661 designates November as National Children’s Month to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 20, 1989.
The Philippines is a signatory to the CRC, the first binding universal treaty dedicated solely for the protection and promotion of children’s rights.
This year’s NCM celebration featured the theme “Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines.”
Child protection workers
Meanwhile, the second group of the post-graduate diploma on Child Protection cum Case Management (PGDCPCM) scholars, composed of 49 social workers, graduated on Friday.
Through the scholarship grants provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the social workers from the DSWD central office in Quezon City and its attached agencies took the PGDCPCM for eight months at Miriam College.
“Born from the shared vision of empowering our social workers with enhanced expertise to address the evolving challenges in the field, the post-graduate diploma course aligns with the DSWD’s efforts to strengthen child protection systems in our country,” Undersecretary for Standards and Capacity Building Group Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas said during the graduation ceremony.
Bragas said the scholarship enhanced the ability of agency personnel to provide technical assistance to local social welfare and development offices.
He said the partnership with UNICEF and Miriam College represents a significant step in enhancing the DSWD commitment to protecting children and helping them achieve their full potential.
The first group of 50 DSWD employees graduated on Sept. 30. (PNA)
