Imagine a little girl named, “Neneng”.
Neneng starts to experience physical and sexual abuse at a very young age.
It starts with corporal punishments such as spanking, pulling of the hair and ear-twisting’ which seems normal at first. Doesn’t it always?
At 6 years old, instead of learning her ABCs, Neneng learns how to lie and hide from her parents because she is so afraid of being scolded, embarrassed, and worst - be physically hurt.
At 10 years old, instead of making friends and enjoying her childhood, Neneng feels like an outcast inside her own home. She begins to act aloof towards everyone—her parents, relatives, classmates, and teachers. For her, one thing’s for sure—her family is not her friends.
At 18 years old, instead of celebrating her debut, Neneng is violated and carries emotional stab wounds with her into adulthood.
“Learning begins at home” so they say, but for Neneng it is different. The only thing she is learning is to hide her physical destruction and emotional desolation.
Neneng is just 1 out of 1 billion children who have experienced severe physical violence, emotional violence, sexual violence, bullying, or have witnessed violence.
Of these, almost three quarters were in Asia. In the Philippines, the results of the 2015 National Baseline Study on Violence against Children (NBS VAC) showed that:
3 in 5 children are experiencing some form of physical violence.📷
3 in 5 children are experiencing some form of psychological violence.
1 in 5 children is suffering some form of sexual violence.
These alarming statistical findings lead to the increased desire of government agencies and organizations to promote and focus on the safety and protection of children.
Every November, the country celebrates National Children’s Month in recognition of Filipino children as members of society and hope of our nation. This annual event is declared by Republic Act No. 10661 with Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) as primary agencies. This declaration is made to honor the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly on the 20th of November, 1989.
Last February 2017, the Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children (PPAEVAC) 2017-2022 was launched as a result of the 2015 Philippine National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC) into action. Last 2018, the 26th year of celebrating National Children’s Month in the Philippines, the theme emphasized reliable parenting with the slogan, “Isulong: Tamang Pag-aaruga Para sa Lahat ng Bata.”
The theme promoted the creation of a safe and protective environment for children through effective guidance by the people surrounding them, including their parents, teachers, and guardians.
“Charity begins at home,” as the famous saying goes. But, doesn’t every virtue begin at home? From charity to patience and honesty to discipline, children tend to imitate or adjust according to the environment they are raised in. Children have the right to grow up in a home where they can feel love, belongingness, and safety. As valuable members of society and future leaders of the country, they have to be well-educated not just academically, but also holistically. However, this is not the case for a lot of Filipino children.
According to the 2016 National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children conducted by the Council for the Welfare of Children, UNICEF, along with other government agencies and civil society organizations, 3 out of 5 children experience violence, while more than half of these children experience violence in their respective homes.
The theme aims to advocate “positive parenting and positive discipline.” This message is not only limited to homes and parents, but also to learning institutions like schools, and teachers. This year is about providing awareness and knowledge on how to handle and educate the children.
It is OUR DUTY to raise awareness about the real situation of OUR CHILDREN everyday and not only during Children’s Month.
Imagine all the Nenengs out there being deprived of a happy and peaceful childhood. Imagine those children who cry more than they laugh, those kids who receive more bruises than kisses, those innocent children who can’t do anything to defend themselves.
What do we do when the hope of our nation feels so hopeless?
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