Children and Armed Conflict in

the Philippines
An Overview
Situation of children and armed conflict in the Philippines
 As of October 2018, Civilians and children
are the main victims in
approximately 160,000 humanitarian crises

persons were displaced in

Mindanao due to armed

conflict, crime, and violence –

almost half of them are

children.
Source: UNHCR, Mindanao Displacement
Children continue to be affected by
armed conflict.

The Philippines has been plagued by decades of

armed conflict.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM) is the most affected region:

✦large-scale displacement
✦thousands traumatized, displaced and in need of shelter,
health, education and other basic services

✦related to killing, recruitment and use of children,

attacks on schools

Source: Situation Analysis of Children in the Philippines, NEDA & UNICEF, 2017
169 Reports received by CWC through the Monitoring,
Reporting and Response System on Grave Child Rights
Violations in Situations of Armed Conflict (MRRS-
GCRVSAC)

Source: CWC Monitoring, Reporting and Response System on Grave Child Rights Violations in Situations of Armed Conflict
(MRRS – GCRVSAC )

Out of the total, 104 were validated. The

remaining number are still subject for
validation and investigation.

89
 Listed Parties in the Philippines
Source: 2017 UN Secretary General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict

Abu Sayyaf Group Bangsamoro Islamic New People’s Army

Freedom Fighters
All parties in the conflict – armed forces and armed groups – are being a for
grave violations.
 CSAC Prevention Principles
• In the prevention of recruitment and other grave child rights violations,
the following principles shall be observed:
Based on Chapter III of Republic Act No. 11188

1 2
Holistic approach based on
peace-building and human
rights principles
Monitoring grave violations to hold
parties accountable, and engaging them
to respect the rights of children and
International Humanitarian Law

3 4
Invest in peacebuilding Improve access to and quality of public
services, particularly in remote and
conflict affected areas
 Principles to observe in Rehabilitation of Children
involved in Armed Conflict
1
Right-based and
holistic approach
2
Children involved in
armed conflict must be
treated as victims and not
as perpetrators

3 Case management of child

survivors must go hand-in-hand
with the strengthening of social
services for all children living in
conflict affected areas.
Timeline of Accomplishments
Philippine
Government
CWC-UNICEF Filing of CSAC
submitted its
Writeshop for Bill at 15th
1st Compliance
Report on OP
CSAC Bill Congress
CRC AC

Aug ‘03 Nov ‘07 Dec ‘08 Feb ‘09 2009 Jun ‘10 Aug ‘13

E.O. 138, s.
Philippine First Visit of CWC
2013 -
Government the UN SRSG Resolution No.
Adoption of
ratified the OP CAAC to the 2 Adopting the
the CIAC
CRC AC Philippines MRRS Protocol
Framework
Timeline of Accomplishments
DepEd Memo
TOR between No. 221 re:
GPH MRRS Guidelines on BiCam
the Protection endorsed
and UN
of Children CSAC Bill
CTFMR During Armed
Conflict

2013 Jun ‘13 Jul ‘13 Dec ‘13 Feb ‘16 Dec ‘18 Feb ‘19

AFP Directive
No. 25 re: DND Circular
Cascading No.1 on Child
workshops for Guidelines on CSAC Law /
Protection
the E.O. 138 AFP Activities RA 11188
inside of a During Armed
and the MRRS Conflict
enactment
School /
Protocol Situations
Hospital
Timeline of Accomplishments
Regional
Consultation Final Vetting of
Series on the the CSAC IRR
Development
of CSAC IRR

Feb ‘19 Mar-Apr ‘19 May 10, 2019 May 16-17, 2019 June 4, 2019

Drafting of the Consultation

CSAC IRR / with the Adoption of
Inception Family Court the CSAC IRR
Meeting Judges
2020 Developments
Publication of
CSAC IRR
30 June 2020
CSAC IRR Nationwide
Caravan &
Consultation on the
CSAC Handling
Protocol
August 2020
 Online
Ceremonial
Signing on the
Adoption of
CSAC
Handling
Protocol
29 September 2020
 CSAC
Compendium
December 2020

CSAC Coffee Table Book / November 2020

Development of Social Media Cards
 What’s Next?
Regional Rollouts on the
Dissemination of RA 11188, its IRR
and CSAC Handling Protocol
1 2
Updating of Agency-specific
Protocols in handling and
treatment of CSAC

Continuous monitoring, reporting

and response to Grave Child Rights
Violations in Situations of Armed
Conflict
3