DEC 4, 2015

NR # 4038

Approval of Childrens Emergency Relief and Protection Act sought

A lady lawmaker has appealed to the Senate to calendar the approval of a measure
that will provide relief and protection for children in times of calamity, disaster and other
emergency situations.
Rep. Susan A. Yap (2nd District, Tarlac) said House Bill 5285 or the Childrens
Emergency Relief and Protection Act was already approved by the House of
Representatives, transmitted and received by the Senate in January 2015.
I am appealing to the Senate to consider the adoption and approval of House Bill
5285 to be signed by President Benigno Aquino, in time for the 21 st Conference of Parties
(COP21) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
in France starting November 30 to December 11, 2015, Yap said.
Yap, the principal author of the measure, cited a recent United Nations report that
nearly 690 million of the worlds 2.3 billion children live in areas most exposed to climate
change, facing higher rates of death, poverty and diseases from global warming.
According to the report of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) titled
Unless We Act Now additional 160 million children are growing up in areas suffering
severe droughts, mostly in Africa, she said.
The number of children exposed to climate risk is alarming, and the impact of
droughts on agriculture is leading to malnutrition and death among infants and young
children, Yap added.
Yap also emphasized the childrens exposure to diseases that could become deadlier
as a result of climate change and rising temperatures, such as malaria, pneumonia,
diarrhea and malnutrition.
Under HB5285, a comprehensive emergency program for children shall be
formulated and implemented including the establishment of a shelter for displaced
families.
The measure also requires concerned agency immediate delivery of basic
necessities and services, timely delivery of health and medical services, promotion of
childrens rights, and stronger measures to ensure safety and security of affected children.
The bill regulates the use of schools as evacuation centers to help ensure a prompt
resumption of educational services for children.

The bill provides rules on children separated from their families, data gathering and
reporting, system of restoring legal documents, training of first responders, and heightened
surveillance against child trafficking, child labor child prostitution and violence on
children, in times of emergencies and disasters.
The measure also mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Education (DepEd), Department
of Health (DOH), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police
(PNP), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Nutrition Council (NNC) and the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for
implementation of the proposed law.
In the Senate, bills on protecting children during emergencies have also been filed,
among others, Senate Bills 2446, 2448, 2487, 2502, 2718, and 2906. (30) jc