The rainy season now brings much apprehension to many. It can mean flooding, landslides, tornadoes and other related weather phenomena. Remember the children and their teachers entombed, among the reported 1126 deaths, in the deadly February, 2006 Guinsaugon landslides?
Are we still in the journey of learning the painful lessons of such a tragedy and many others?
With the onset of La Niña, after an extremely hot summer, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) calls for utmost preparations by all stakeholders and calls on local governments to “start preparing by checking on their anti-flood programs. For the people, it’s not too early to start checking for possible roof repairs, readying emergency kits and drawing up possible escape routes in case of a sudden flood.” https://www.mb.com.ph
The weather bureau also warned that between seven and 12 tropical cyclones (TCs) may either enter or develop in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during the May-October 2016 period. Yesterday, we read that two low pressure areas are affecting Cebu and the rest of the Visayas.
Supervising local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Interior and Local Government, for that matter, must ensure that the principal and primary responders, namely, the component LGUs fully implement the Climate Change Act, as amended, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, among a plethora of laws to protect and ensure the safety of their constituents, including especially the highly vulnerable sectors – the children, women, elderly and those with disabilities.
A few weeks before turning over the reins of government to the new administration, President Aquino signed into law a historic bill for the protection of children. Republic Act No. 10821, otherwise known as the “Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act“ established as a public policy “to protect the fundamental rights of children before, during, and after disasters and other emergency situations when children are gravely threatened or endangered by circumstances that affect their survival and normal development. Guided by the principles on survival and development, on child participation, and consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Children’s Charter for Disaster Risk and Reduction, and the minimum standards for children in humanitarian action, the State shall establish and implement a comprehensive and strategic program of action to provide the children and pregnant and lactating mothers affected by disasters and other emergency situations with utmost support and assistance necessary for their immediate recovery and protection against all forms of violence, cruelty, discrimination, neglect, abuse, exploitation and other acts prejudicial to their interest, survival, development and well-being.” (Section 2)
As we commit to protect the rights of children, the Philippines being a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of a Child and human rights instruments, apart from the fact that children are guaranteed the same rights as humans, the enactment of the statute is long-overdue. It is also perhaps the administration’s act of atonement for the disappointing vetoing of what could have been a landmark bill on protection of internally displaced persons.
It is high time that children, because of their tender age and high vulnerability, are given special protection and the highest priority by the State, in these times of disasters and climate aberration.
By definition, a child is “a person below eighteen (18) years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition as defined in Republic Act No. 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”
Disaster is defined as “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of: the exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being, together with damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic disruption, and environmental degradation.”
Without a doubt, we are seeing an increased incidence of people, including children, uprooted from their homes, schools and even countries as a result of natural and man-made disasters. We are obliged to take a serious look at how these are impacting on the children’s rights which are human rights as well: the rights to life, health, healthy environment, safe homes, education, participate in making decisions, among other equally important rights should not be taken for granted.
Under RA 10821, The Department of Social Welfare and Services is the prime agency to formulate, in collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders, including children, the Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children, “taking into consideration humanitarian standards for their protection.”
We want to see a children-centered program on disaster risk reduction and management – participated by them in the entire phases, including its implementation.