With the culmination of the 32nd National Children’s Month (NCM) celebration, the Department of Agriculture (DA) once more joined the call for “Bawat Bata, Dapat Happy!” by urging immediate action to end violence against Filipino children and promote their rights and welfare.
The DA family, led by the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), was among the roster of government agencies and civil society organizations that offered interactive booths and engaging sessions for children and families.
Raising the banner of the DA family during the event were the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), which distributed learning materials and starter kits for urban agriculture; the DA-National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), which handed out free milk packs to children; and the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), which provided entertainment to the participants through performances by mascots Super Pig and Dr. V.
Celebrated every November by virtue of the Republic Act No. 10661, the NCM endeavors to sustain the promotion and protection of children’s rights. It is annually led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Youth Commission (NYC), and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as lead agencies and is supported by all other government offices including the DA.
The month-long event also commemorates the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on November 20, 1989. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UNCRC is an international agreement that provides a clear definition of who children are along with a list of their rights and the governments’ responsibilities in safeguarding these rights. It is the world’s most widely ratified international human rights agreement with a total of 196 signatories.
With the theme, “Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines!,” this year’s NCM celebration emphasizes the critical need to protect children and foster a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment with the support of government agencies, institutional partners, the private sector, and the general public.
DA-GESI Director Annray Rivera assured that the agriculture department remains a strong advocate of children’s rights and welfare.
“Ang DA—kasama ang lahat ng attached agencies, bureaus, and corporations nito—ay nakikipagtulungan sa CWC at sa DSWD upang masigurong lahat ng mga bata ay mayroong safe at nutritious food sa kani-kanilang tahanan. Tinuturuan din natin sila kung paano magkaroon ng sariling garden sa bahay through urban gardening at mga Gulayan sa Paaralan. Sinusuportahan natin ang bawat karapatan ng mga bata sa survival, protection, participation, and development,” she expressed.
To help curb child labor and further improve the quality of life of children in the country, the DA official also shared the Department’s goal of encouraging Filipino families to engage in agricultural ventures.
“Ang ating agriculture sector kasi ay aging population, so the DA has been pushing for the promotion of family farming. We are partnering with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) na sana mabigyan ng special permit ang mga batang nagve-venture sa agripreneurship as long as nabibigay ang basic needs nila at nag-aaral sila,” Director Rivera explained. ### (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID)
