As part of its activities in this year’s celebration of National Children’s Month (NCM), the Department of Education (DepED) is set to launch a campaign that aims to strengthen the department’s campaign against bullying.
DepED, to be spearheaded by the Child Protection Unit (CPU), will launch the Bullying Prevention Advocacy Campaign during the observance of the 30th NCM this November.
With the theme #KasamaKa: BaLiK-Aral (Boses, Lakas ng Kabataan at Komunidad sa Balik-Aral), the said campaign will focus on three core aspects: KasamaAko (Adbokasiya Para sa Sarili), KasamaKayo (Adbokasiya para sa Kapwa), and KasamaTayo (Adbokasiya Tungo sa Pagbabago).
“This program aims to recognize schools that deliver positive results for the learners' well-being,” DepED said.
“Schools will be assessed based on criteria aligned with the Child Protection Policy Implementation Checklist, principles and objectives of a child-friendly school, focusing on child's rights, health, protection, and learners' participation,” it added.
Moreover, the anti-bullying advocacy aims to ensure the functionality of the child protection committees (CPC) and encourage schools to develop their localized child protection policies.
Through the advocacy, DepED hopes to inspire the members of the CPC and the teachers to know the Child Protection Policy and their role as guardians and partners towards its development.
DepED explained that the CPU initiated-program likewise aims to “raise teachers' morale and motivation, mobilize community support for education, and promote learner empowerment and youth participation in advocating for their rights and protection.”
Meanwhile, DepED will officially kick off the observance of this year’s NCM on Nov. 9 which will feature discussions on Understanding Learners’ Self-Concept: Me, Myself and I; Bullying Prevention and Safeguarding of Learners and Children; Safe Spaces in the School Setting in the Context of Learners; and Child Participation and Youth Concerns in Child Protection.
To conclude the month-long event, DepED said that a culminating program will be held on Nov. 25 to be hosted by the CPU in partnership with the Public Affairs Service. DepED explained that the 2022 celebration of NCM shall focus on “Kalusugan, Kaisipan, at Kapakanan ng Bawat Bata Ating Tutukan!”
It will cover four categories of children's rights: survival rights in the 1st week, development rights in the 2nd week, participation rights in the 3rd week, and protection rights in the final week.
Under Republic Act No. 10661, the Philippines has been celebrating the NCM in November of every year since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on Nov. 20, 1989.