By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has greenlit the establishment of a one-stop system intended for reporting incidents concerning violations of children’s rights.
Executive Order (EO) No. 79, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Dec. 6, establishes the Mahalin at Kalingain ating mga Bata (MAKABATA) Program and institutionalizes the MAKABATA Helpline 1383, a dedicated hotline number for the program operating round the clock.
The program will streamline the addressing and monitoring of all issues and concerns of children in need of special protection (CNSPs), with components including reporting, rescue and relief, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
The EO defines CNSPs as persons below 18 years old or those 18 years old and over but are unable to fully take care of themselves because of physical or mental disability or conditions, and are vulnerable to, or are victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation, cruelty, discrimination, violence, and other similar circumstances, including but not limited to child labor, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), child sexual abuse or exploitation of materials (CSAEM), child trafficking, and other circumstances which gravely threaten or endanger a child’s survival and normal development.
Moreover, children in conflict with the law, living in alternative care, and living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are also considered as CNSPs.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will lead the implementation of the MAKABATA program. The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), on the other hand, will serve as the overall coordinating and monitoring body for the implementation of the MAKABATA Program.
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