Republic of the Philippines. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMEN; REGIONAL OFFICE | MEMORANDUM To : ALL PROVINCIAL DIRECTORS SUBJECT : CELEBRATION OF THE 2021 NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MONTH DATE October 8, 2021 This pertains to the Memorandum Circular dated October 5, 2021 re: Celebration of the 2021 National Children's Month. Please cause the immediate and widest dissemination of the attached Memorandum Circular to all LGUs within your respective areas of jurisdiction. Moreover, post-activity reports shall be submitted/uploaded at https:/bit.ly/202incmpar not later than December 15, 2021. For information, guidance, and compliance of all concerned. AGNEG A. DE LEON, CESO V In-Charge of Office/Assistant Regional Director }, ORDIMADRGMEDRGSAmM “watino, Mahusay at Maaasahan” Tel. Nos. (072) 886 2108 + 888 2289 - 886 2294 - 886 3106, {888 7695 + 607 1245 + 607 1531 +607 4467 to 701 OF BOT OF ny, g Republic of the Philippines rats ~~, OFFICIAL 4, SRELEAS De ° 2 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT —& "meson — DILG-NAPOLCOM Center, EDSA comer Quezon Avenue, Quezon City %,feroR# secnong™ hhtto www. dig, gov ph “405 W9* MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2021-114 To ALL PROVINCIAL, CITY, MUNICIPAL AND BARANGAY GOVERNMENTS, DILG REGIONAL OFFICES, BARMM MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ALL OTHERS CONCERNED SUBJECT : CELEBRATION OF THE 2021 NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MONTH DATE OCT 05 2021 4. Background 1.1 Under Republic Act 10661, the National Children’s Month (NCM) in the 12 1.3 14 Philippines is annually celebrated every November, as it commemorates the adoption of the UN CRC on 20 November 1989. It seeks to instill its significance in the Filipino consciousness, as well as sustain the promotion and protection of children’s rights. The year 2021 pose greater challenges and continuously aggravates underlying issues on the realization of children’s rights as the country reels from the prolonged consequences of the pandemic. In this regard, the 20” NCM celebration in November will focus on children’s rights in the new normal, with the theme "NEW NORMAL NA WALANG IWANAN: KARAPATAN NG BAWAT BATA ATING TUTUKAN!” Since the global onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, environments where children thrive were disrupted and these affect the rights of the children to survive, develop, to be protected, and participate safely and fully. The 29" NCM focus and theme for this year will cover the myriad of issues on children rights to survival, development, protection, and participation in the new normal setting, and aims to ensure that no child will be left behind regardless of the situation. 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. “Matino, Mahusay at Maaasahan” ‘Trunkline No.: 8876-34-5415 1.6 17 18 19 With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NCM activities will still strictly comply with the minimum health standards, and shall utilize quad media (i.e. print media, broadcast media, outdoor media, and the social media) as a tool in educating Filipinos on children’s rights, parenting, and the concerns surrounding them. This year's celebration is still anchored on the 3rd National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) Goals to progressively realize the rights of children: Goal 4: Children have a better quality and improved way of life; Goal 2: Children are well nourished, have healthy lives and are active learners with good quality education; Goal 3: Children are safe and free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation; and Goal 4: Children are actively participating in decision-making processes affecting their lives according to their evolving capacities. The NCM celebration will be aligned to the key result areas of the Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children (PPAEVAC): a) Parents and caregivers are aware of and practicing evidence-based parenting skills and positive discipline towards building a safe, nurturing, and protective environment. b) Children and adolescent demonstrate personal skills in managing risks, protecting themselves from violence, reporting their experience of violence, and seeking professional help when needed. c) Allchildren in need of special protection have access to appropriate and quality protective, social, mental, health, legal, economic, and judicial services ensuring that violence and trauma are prevented from recurring. d) Well-developed and effectively managed monitoring and evaluation system is in-place. e) All VAC-related laws are in-place and are effectively enforced f) Multi-stakeholder child protection structures and systems at the national, provincial, municipal, city and barangay levels are operational and effectively functioning. The four categories of children’s rights will be covered per week of November, namely: survival rights for the 1st week, development rights for the 2nd week, participation rights for the 3rd week, and protection rights for the 4th week. Special observances on children will also be observed simultaneously: the 3rd week of November as the National Play Advocacy Week (NPAW) led by the Philippine Play Coalition, and the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week led by the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) every 4th week of November. Page 2 of 62. Purpose This Memorandum Circular is issued to enjoin all local government units to: 2.1 Support the observance of the 2021 National Children’s Month (NCM); 2.2 Address the persistent and emerging issues on the rights of the children to survival, development, protection, and participation since the onset of the COVID- 19 pandemic in 2020 and currently in the new normal setting this 2021; 2.3. Strengthen the implementation of child-led, child-friendly, and child sensitive activities; and 2.4 Empower the children as rights-holders to claim and protect their rights and equip the duty-bearers to deliver their commitment and fulfil their obligations towards children. 3. Scope/Coverage All provincial, City, Municipal and Barangay Governments, DILG Regional Offices, BARMM Ministry of the Interior and Local Government and all other concerned. 4. Policy Content and Guidelines 4.1 All provinces, cities, and municipalities, in coordination with its respective Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs), are hereby enjoined to spearhead and support the 2021 NCM celebration in their respective jurisdiction by conducting different activities aligned with this year’s overall focus and theme, and with strict observance of minimum public health standards, such as but not limited to: 4.4.1 Recite the “Panatang Makabata’ a solemn oath on the promotion and protection of the rights of a child, during your virtual or face-to-face flag ceremonies. 4.1.2. Upload the NCM banner design/ cover photo on your website and social media accounts and share all National Children’s Month ~ related posts from the CWC Facebook Page to your Facebook and Twitter Pages. 4.1.3. Organize relevant activities relative to the overall NCM focus and theme, and as well in the observance of the National Play Advocacy Week (NPAW) on the 3 Week of November led by the Philippine Play Coalition (PPC) and the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week led by the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) on the 4th week of November. 4.1.4. Participate in the national online activities on the following schedules: Page 3 of 6THEMATIC SCHEDULE | ACTIVITY WHERE TO VIEW/ FOCUS suet ‘ACCESS Preliminary Until Submission of | Facebook Page: Council | Activity September 26 | entries for the | for the Welfare of Children (Sunday) NCM Logo | - Official Making Contest Link: fb.com/CWCgovph Preliminary | October 26 Talakayang | Facebook Page: Council Activity | (Tuesday) |Makabata: | for the Welfare of Children | 10:00AM— | The Virtual | — Official | 12:00 NN | NCM Press | Conference Link: fb.com/CWCgovph "Week: November 03 | NCM Kick-Off | Facebook Page: Council Survival Rights | (Wednesday) | Ceremony _| for the Welfare of Children 09:00 AM — | — Official 11:00 AM Link: fb.com/CWCgovph 24 Week: November 13 |Webinaron | Facebook Page: Council Development (Saturday) Media for the Welfare of Children | Rights 01:00 PM — Literacy — Official 03:00 PM Link: fb.com/CWCgovph ‘3 Week: November 15 - | Play activities | Facebook Page: Participation 20 (Monday to Philippine Play Coalition Rights / National | Saturday) Play Advocacy Link: | Week Celebration fb.com/PhilippinePlayCo (NPAW) n 3 Week: November 15- | Activities on book Page: Council | Participation 20 (Monday to | child for the Welfare of Children Rights /NPAW | Saturday) participation | - Official Celebration | Link: fb.com/CWCaovph ‘4 Week: November 23- | Week-long Facebook Page: Juvenile | Protection Rights! | 27 celebration of | Justice and Welfare Juvenile Justice | (Monday to —_| the JJWC Council and Welfare Saturday) Week Consciousness Link: i | (JWG) Week fb.com/JJWC Official Page 4 of 6{4 Week: November 23 [4% Facebook Page: Council Protection Rights: | (Tuesday) Conference _| for the Welfare of Children JJWC Week =| 03:00 PM — ‘on Digital = Official | 05:00 PM Parenting: Webinar on | Link: fb.com/CWCgovph Digital Well- being (for parents, caregivers, and adults dealing with children) 4” Week: November 26 | NCM Facebook Pag Council Protection Rights: | (Friday) Culminating _| for the Welfare of Children JJWC Week 03:00 PM — Ceremony — Official 05:00 PM and Awarding of the Link: fb.com/CWCgovph 42 43 44 To access and download 2021 NCM reference materials/ collaterals (e.9. banner design/ cover photo template, shirt design, Philippine native language translations of the Panatang Makabata), please visit the following: it.1y/2024NCMcollateral: Twitter Page: @CWC_covel YouTube channel: CWChildren Official Submit post-activity narrative report not later than 17 December 2021 (Friday) to CWC through the email address: paio@cwe.qov.ph. All DILG Regional Directors and the BARMM Minister of the Interior and Local Government are hereby directed to cause the immediate and widest dissemination of this Memorandum Circular to all LGUs within their respective regional jurisdictions. Page 5 of65. Feedback For other concems or queries, please address them to Mr. Elino L, Bardillon, Unit Head of the Council for the Welfare of Children Public Affairs and Information Office, thru elbardillon@cwe. gov.ph and paio@cwe.gov.ph or call (02) 8461-65-53. 6. Effectivity This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately. 7. Approving Authority NBOOMOVIDTURCR/Ime Page 6 of 6