The 12 rights of the child

By virtue of Republic Act 10661, the National Children’s Month is an annual celebration that commemorates the significance of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 20, 1989.
We are celebrating the whole month of November this year as the 29th National Children’s Month with the theme “New normal na walang iwanan: Karapatan ng bawat bata ating tutukan!”
This 2021 poses greater challenges as the country reels from the prolonged consequences of the pandemic. These challenges continue to aggravate underlying issues on children and threaten to undermine the collective efforts of the civil society in handling the pandemic.
According to the data from the Philippine Pediatric Society, since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until February this year, 48,411 children aged 19 and below have contracted the respiratory illness. For the past months, the Department of Health observed the rise of positive cases among all age groups, including children. As of Aug. 8, positive cases among children have risen rapidly to 176,540, with 466 recorded deaths.
The National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline has recorded 347 percent increase in the number of calls from children, from 3,178 in 2019 to 11,016 in 2020. Alarmingly, 12.48 percent or 1,375 of the total number of calls in 2020 were classified as suicide-related.
Results of the Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey conducted in 2020 revealed that six in every 10 households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Food insecurity was reported highest during April and May 2020 where Luzon was under the enhanced community quarantine. Impact on food security was found to be highest in households with children (74.7 percent) and pregnant members (80.8 percent).
The Philippine National Police has recorded a total of 19,652 cases of violence in 2020 and 5,464 from January to May 2021. In 2020 and early 2021, majority of the victims are female (71 percent and 72 percent, respectively). Ages 10 to 17 (77 percent and 79 percent are significantly the ones who are often victimized.
In light of the National Children’s Month, let us be reminded of the 12 rights of the child and what adults can do to uphold them. Parents, guardians, and all adults should be vigilant in protecting and advocating for the rights of children. While the National Children’s Month is a gentle reminder for everyone to ensure they are creating a better world for young Filipinos to live in the future, the battle must not stop at the end of November.
The 12 rights of the child are:
First, every child has the right to be born well and must be cared and raised well, which means it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure they can provide a safe environment;
Second, every child has the right to a wholesome family life, which means that every child has the right to live with a family who loves, cares, and teaches good morals to him/her;
Third, every child has the right to be raised well and become contributing members of society;
The fourth right is every child has the right to basic needs like food, water, shelter, clothing and healthcare;
Fifth, every child has the right to access what they need to have a good life. This right goes beyond basic needs and focuses more on the place they will be raised for a better life.
The sixth right is that every child has the right to education;
Seventh, every child has the right to play and enjoy their youth, which means that children have the right to engage in wholesome recreational activities whenever they wish and not be exploited for events that are deemed only for adults to do, i.e., intensive manual labor;
The eighth right is that every child has the right to be protected from danger. This includes all hazards that could affect their physical, mental, and emotional states, such as removing them from dangerous living situations, preventing them from getting into accidents, or protecting them from the abuse of adults;
The ninth right is that every child has the right to live in a productive environment or simply children should be surrounded by safe communities that inspire them to give back when they are older. This means staying away from bad influences and situations that can cause harm to their health;
Tenth, every child has the right to be cared for in the absence of their parent or guardian. If the parent or guardian fails to fulfill their role, the State shall assume custody and care for the child, providing them with their fundamental needs for growth and development;
The 11th right is every child has the right to good governance. Children also have a right to be born under the presence of good governance that can inspire them to become a helpful and active citizen. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to get involved with politics but rather have an interest in being involved in political discussions for the betterment of their country;
The 12th right is that every child has the right to freedom and peace. Last but not the least, every child is entitled to do whatever they want in their lives, so long as it contributes to the peace and betterment of the communities they are a part of.
Let’s continue to be great examples to kids and be conscious of our actions in making our country a safe environment for them to take care of and pass on to future generations.
As Nelson Mandela said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”