The youth is the hope of the nation

    Each November, the Philippines celebrates National Children's Month-an avenue for promoting children's rights, welfare, and safety. The theme for 2024 resonates profoundly on "Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines," speaking to the urgent need to address violence against children so that they are protected. It's not just a slogan but one of the most important reminders of each of our responsibilities in creating a nation where every child feels safe, valued, and nurtured.

 

    Violence against children is a deep-rooted evil-psychological and physical affliction capable of destroying the life of any child. Spanning from abuse at home to school bullying, these circumstances often endure for a lifetime, and that innocence is stolen away. The Center's 2024 theme inspires all sectors-working government agencies, communities, schools, and families-to work together in breaking cycles of abuse. Education empowers families, community-based child protection programs are supported, and stringent laws against child abuse are enforced. These are the strides we make to finally end this epidemic.

 

    Fostering a child-friendly Philippines beyond violence comes in the form of nurturing environments of holistic development, quality education, access to healthcare, amplifying children's voices, and making sure they have a say in decisions made about their lives. It's not about reflection of what should be, but something to be done. Whether this will be through community activities, educational endeavors, or even just personal attention given to the needs of children, everybody has a part in it.

 

    Let this year's theme be a call for action, a movement that every one of us participates in, by giving the country a safer and nurturing venue where children could develop and grow with a healthy environment.

References:

https://childwin.org/understanding-navigating-and-addressing-social-determinants-of-health-for-children/