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Introduction
Adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989 and coming
into force as an international treaty in September 1990 upon ratification by twenty
State-Parties, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by the
Philippines as the 31st country on the 26th of July 1990; the fifth in Asia. It is in this
light, that the work of SOS Childrens Villages in the Philippines, and the
implementation of its pedagogical precepts, is very much anchored on.
1
In SOS Childrens Village Manila, located in a highly urbanized area, only 35% of the
children in care are orphans; about 45 % of children are abandoned and neglected by
their parents, and 15% are born out of wedlock and their mothers are in their teen-age
years or unmarried and with no means of survival 6. From economic woes to outright
collapse of families, there is a worrying trend that more and more children are left to
governments social services and to non-governmental child-care agencies.
The high mark of child neglect and abandonment reflects the general economic
atmosphere of the country where poverty rate is increasing. By sheer poverty and lack
of permanent employment, more families fail to sustain their needs and the needs of
their children. In fact, thirty-three percent (33%) of the fifteen million Filipino
families are at risk or live below the poverty threshold. 7 Single orphans and children
of unmarried mothers face a similar dilemma; insufficient livelihood and care neglect
of a working parent are frequent. Out-of-home care placement is often perceived by
these families as a solution and way of survival for their children.
There is a need for more social support services provided by the state and
communities to families at risk so to prevent the abandonment of children.
Child abuse
Cases of emotional, physical and sexual abuse are a main underlying reason why
children are being removed by the state or its duly accredited agencies, and the same
are being referred to an SOS Childrens Village. Most of the child-abusers are person
known or being trusted by the child he can be a family member or a relative,
neighbor, friend, babysitter, teacher, a child-care professional or any adult that has a
moral ascendancy to the child. An abuser may also be a stranger to the child. 8 Study
shows that most child abusers have been victims of child abuse themselves. Other
factors why parents or adults abuse children are predisposition toward maltreatment,
emotional immaturity, economic and marital stresses, lack of constructive outlets for
tensions, result of mental disturbance, incest, and most common, when adults or
parents are under the influence of alcohol and prohibited drugs.
Better analysis of causes is needed and related prevention measures and legislation to
be developed.
Temporary care and serial placements
Most of the children experienced two or more temporary out-of-home care
placements before they were admitted to SOS Childrens Villages. Agencies that
provide temporary care usually advocate foster or adoptive family programs. Longterm placement is viewed a priori skeptical, in reality often due to lack of sufficient
and sustainable funding for out-of-home care. A child is often moved from one
6
Those children whose parents are unknown and no proper documentations have been presented and proved. A Foundling
Certificate is usually being issued by the Local Civil Registry.
10
Article 9 par. 3 UNCRC
enshrined by the UNCRC. Standards assure that these rights are not only respected,
but actually lived and experienced by them.
Mothers and Village staff in SOS Childrens Villages undergoes regular seminars and
trainings to ensure that they are competent and professionally responsive to the needs
of the children and also to provide the necessary protection to the children.
There is an apparent need for tackle the above mentioned issues in discussing and
establishing international guidelines and standards for out-of-home child care to
guarantee that all children in care are protected and supported as best as possible
according the UNCRC.
Project Director N. Leyson
With Pedagogical Team of SOS CV Manila