Scope and Coverage of Protection
- Provides legal protection to various categories of children including:
- Physically abused children (including those subjected to cruelty and corporal punishment)
- Sexually abused children and victims of sexual offenses
- Children involved in prostitution, obscene exhibitions, and indecent shows
- Trafficked children as defined under RA 7610 and RA 9208
- Children engaged in child labor, including worst forms
- Indigenous and Muslim children
- Children in or affected by armed conflict
- Abandoned and neglected children
- Other children subjected to abuse, exploitation, or discrimination
- Gives preferential attention to violent crimes against children, cases of national interest, and urgent referrals.
Committee Composition
- Chaired by the Secretary of Justice and co-chaired by the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.
- Members include key government officials such as Secretaries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, Tourism, Interior and Local Government, Health, Education, the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, heads of immigration, law enforcement, prosecution, and three representatives from child protection NGOs.
- NGO representatives are nominated by Committee members and appointed by the Chairperson for a renewable three-year term.
- The Secretariat of the Council for the Welfare of Children serves as the Secretariat of the CSPC.
Functions and Duties
- Establish a system to collect and monitor periodic case reports from member agencies.
- Address specific urgent issues requiring immediate government action.
- Coordinate and harmonize actions with other inter-agency councils and mechanisms related to child legal protection.
- Develop policies and guidelines to address gaps in investigation, prosecution, and child protection.
- Formulate uniform protocols for capacity building with a multi-disciplinary approach.
- Call upon non-members for assistance as needed.
- Submit an annual accomplishment report to the Office of the President.
- Perform other necessary functions to achieve the Order’s objectives.
Legal and Procedural Provisions
- Repeals inconsistent orders, circulars, memoranda, rules, regulations, or issuances to the extent of the inconsistency.
- Contains a separability clause ensuring the validity of unaffected provisions if any part is declared invalid or unconstitutional.
- Takes effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.