Bontoc, Mountain Province – The Provincial Government of Mountain Province has done its fair share in recognizing the rights of children. In his State of the Children Address, Governor Leonard G. Mayaen gave a vivid picture of children and the accomplishment of the provincial government and other stakeholders in addressing children concerns in the province.
This corresponds with the National Children’s Month celebrated every November pursuant to Republic Act 10611. This year’s theme “Komunidad at Pamahalaan Magkaisa, Pang-aabuso sa Bata Wakasan Na,” highlights the role of the community and the government in stopping all kinds of abuses towards children and emphasizing the importance of the role of the child in the society.
The celebration commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the child by the United Nations assembly on November 20, 1898; it aims to inculcate to the Filipinos its importance.
The report presents statistics on how the children are faring. It sets out the latest data on key indicators of health, well-being, development, learning and safety in childhood, as well as the presentation of factors affecting children vis-à-vis the Four Categories of Children’s Rights: Survival Rights, Development Rights, Protection Rights, and Participation Rights. By synthesizing the results of a comprehensive exploration of childhood outcomes in our province, the report tells a story of recent achievements and remaining challenges.
On Survival Rights:
Pursuant to the Provincial Ordinance No. 126, Mountain Province promotes the survival, development, protection and participation rights of children.
1. The province teamed up with the Department of Education and the Provincial Health Office through programs such as the health scouts and teen wellness centers. These programs were designed to increase awareness regarding teenage pregnancies, which often contribute on first-born baby deliveries data. It has decreased by 20.51%.
2. With the primary health care, a safe motherhood and nutrition program implemented by the provincial government, there has been a decrease of 20.59% in the number of fetal/birth deaths in the province.
3. Through POPCOM and its affiliates, 325 pregnant women were informed on healthy pregnancy and availed of professional consultation.
4. Improved primary health care, breastfeeding, immunization and nutrition resulted to 56% decrease in infant deaths.
5. Due to the efforts of the province in increasing the implementation of nutrition programs such as Garantisadong Pambata administered in communities, school-based deworming, immunizations as well as health education and training for health scouts; There has been a decrease in the number of underweight and severely underweight children from 4.18% to 3.94%, overweight and obese children from 0.87% to 0.49%, stunted and severely stunted children from 23.84% to 18.49% and, wasted and severely wasted children from 2.19% to 1.88%.
6. The Provincial Local Government Unit of Mountain Province passed the Provincial Ordinance No. 126, s. 2012 otherwise known as “AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CHILDREN’S CODE OF MOUNTAIN PROVINCE AS ENACTED UNDER PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 24, s. 2002 AND AMENDED BY PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 77, s. 2007.
7. Provincial Development Plan for Children, incorporated children’s concerns into the Annual Investment Plan and organized Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children pursuant to DILG guidelines has been approved.
8. The use of 30% Quick Response Fund from the Provincial Disaster Risk and Rescue Management Office’s (PDRRMO) for the purchase of drugs, medicines and medical supplies for the provincial hospitals has been authorized.
9. Php5M for the Point of Care (National Health Insurance Program/NHIP/ PHILHEALTH) was provided, whereby all indigent poor in dire need of quality health services are given the chance to avail of the benefits of Philhealth. As of September, 2015, there are 732 beneficiaries enrolled.
Development Rights of a Child
To be globally competitive, educating the children- rearing, development and equipping them; has become one of the province’s concerns.
1. The province has established two hundred eighty eight (288) day care centers around the province and stationed one (1) day care worker for each center.
2. To ensure the quality of the pupil’s education, a provision of aid to day care workers was approved with the aforementioned amount of Php 1.44M. They were provided trainings as well to promote early childhood development.
3. For the promotion of children’s health, 25,115 Kindergarten to grade 6 pupils were dewormed.
4. Through the Mountain Province Student Financial Assistance Program (MPSFAP), Five Hundred Thirty Eight (538) poor but deserving students studying in various colleges and universities within and outside the province enjoyed financial assistance in the amount of P3, 000 each every semester.
5. With the P5,970,000.00 that has been allocated to aid the Provincial School Board and Special Education Fund, financial assistance were given to volunteer teachers, school admin, aides such as clerks and utilities and watchmen. Early Child Development (ECD) services were also included in the budget, allocating financial assistance to ten (10) Day Care Workers, giving trainings and implementing other ECD programs. Also, financial assistance was given to tertiary education which promoted the EHELPING program and training of the Criminology interns of Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC).
It also funded the Senior High School (SH) Program which engaged in demo farm for organic agricultural farming and livelihood training to twenty four (24) learners. The province also financed livelihood trainings to Abot Alam learners and Alternative Learning System implementers and covered the construction of school perimeter of the Dalican Elementary School.
6. Apportioned P1.5M to the Alternative Learning System.
7. The province accorded employment last summer to one hundred forty five (145) interested applicants through the Special Program for the Employment of Students. They were each paid P230.00 per day for twenty (20) days, 60% of their salaries was given by the provincial government and 40% was the counterpart of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Protection Rights
The safety of the children are still threatened, there are 120 identified children who are at risk of child labor in the province and there were thirty nine (39) cases against children handled by the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) province-wide. The governor said that regardless of how minimal these cases may seem, it is still disturbing and further interventions should be intensified.
1. With the Philippine National Police, literacy trainings on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) were conducted, advocacies on Anti-Bullying Act.
2. Provision of educational assistance to 50 CNSP children.
3. Commitment by the provincial government of an amount of P11, 500,000.00 pesos for the construction of Provincial Rehabilitation Center.
4. Incorporation of an amount of P2, 000,000.00 pesos from this year’s provincial budget for social infrastructure such as water supply, day care centers, and clinics.
On Health
Health is wealth is a cliché, but it is extremely valuable to the whole province. With this belief the province collaborated with the Provincial Health Office and other concerned offices to advocate basic health practices in communities.
1. Community advocacy on basic health practices
2. Training of health workers on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), Electro-Cardio Gram (ECG), FFL and Medical Data Record (MDR).
3. Organization of Breastfeeding Support Groups in the municipalities of Bauko, Barlig, Sadanga, Besao and Tadian
4. Medical and dental mission spearheaded by the Provincial Peace and Order Council
5. Provision of micronutrient supplements
On Gender and Development (GAD) with Focus on Anti-VAWC
1. Conduct of GAD training and orientation to various group and sectors on mainstreaming GAD in development planning
2. General sensitivity training for couples at the different barangays of the province
3. Identification of GAD focal persons
On Communication
Continuous advocacy campaign on children’s rights on the three radio stations in the province and the Mountain Province Monitor
On Population and Development Integration
1. Conduct of Social Policy Dialogue
2. Conduct of capability building activities for Population, Health and Environment: Symposium for NSTP students of MPSPC
3. Population and Development Education Seminar
The governor closed his message by challenging everyone, “We, as a province should strive to protect every child. This should start in our homes and communities because our children will have no other better models but the very people they deal with every day. We should all seek to leave good prints in the minds of our children so that when their time will come to sit where we are today, they will think of us and say, ‘This is the good our fathers and mothers have done for us, the legacy we are supposed to carry on to the next generation,” he stressed. // Laycha K. Marra
