Recognizing the challenges brought by the pandemic on children, the Department of Education (DepEd) has lined up a series of activities in the celebration of the 29th National Children’s Month (NCM) this November.
With the national theme, “New Normal na Walang Iwanan: Karapatan ng Bawat Bata Ating Tutukan,” the various activities lined up by DepEd for this year’s NCM focus on championing children’s rights and welfare in the new normal.
Anchored on the domestic and international rights of the child, DepEd said that this year’s NCM celebration will cover the myriad of issues on children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation in the new normal setting.
“As the country gradually recovers from the pandemic, we will continuously champion the rights and welfare of our children,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.
“Particularly, the month-long celebration will take off from the previous and current challenges, and learnings of the Philippines in terms of promoting and upholding children's rights,” she added.
DepEd said that there are four categories of children’s rights that will be covered per week of November.
The first week tackled survival rights and development rights in the second week. Meanwhile, participation rights and protection rights will be covered in the third and fourth week, respectively.
To ensure everyone’s safety, Briones said that the NCM activities will “still strictly comply with the minimum health standards.”
“It shall utilize print, broadcast, outdoor, and social media as tools in educating Filipinos on children's rights, parenting, and the concerns surrounding them,” Briones explained.
Moreover, NCM activities supported by DepEd include a weekly screening of documentaries every Friday, play activities for children, 4th Conference on Digital Parenting: Webinar on Digital Well-being on Nov. 23.
DepEd will also spearhead the Third National Summit on the Rights of the Child in Education on Nov. 25 to 26 to focus on rights-based education in the department.
The NCM culminating ceremony and awarding for the NCM Logo Making Contest will be on Nov. 26. The agency issued DepEd Memorandum No. 075, s. 2021 on the celebration by DepEd of the NCM and in full support of the rights of the child.
DepEd said that the conduct of the 29th NCM is under Republic Act No. 10661 titled “An Act Declaring the Month of November of Every Year as the National Children’s Month.”
RA 10661 also mandates DepEd to facilitate and encourage the celebration of the NCM in all public and private schools in the country.