READING

and
WRITING
SKILLS
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 PRAYER

CHECKING OF
PRELIMINARIES
ATTENDANCE

SHORT REVIEW
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 ▪ Identify the unique features
of and requirements in
composing a position
paper.

▪ Produce a position paper

following the properties of
well-written papers.
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 Let’s do
ACTIVITY
FAST
PRE-

TALK
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TALK
FAST
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POSITION
PAPER
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 POSITION PAPER
It is a composition in which
the writer takes a side on a
particular controversial topic
and defends his side by
presenting supports in the
form of facts, statistics, and
other evidence to convince
the reader to take his
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position.
 I. Introduction
A. Introduction of the
Topic COMPONENTS
OF A
B. Background of the
Topic POSITION
PAPER
C. Thesis Statement
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 COMPONENTS OF A POSITION PAPER

II. Body
A. Argument No. 1 C. Argument No. 3
1. Assertion 1. Assertion
2. Evidence 2. Evidence
3. Explanation 3. Explanation
B. Argument No. 2 D. The Counterclaim
1. Summary of the Counterclaim
1. Assertion 2. Supporting Information for the
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Counterclaim
2. Evidence 3. Refuting of the Counterclaim
3. Explanation 4. Giving Evidences for the Argument
 COMPONENTS OF A POSITION PAPER

III. Conclusion
A.Restating of Argument
B.Providing Plan of Action
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 COMPONENTS OF A POSITION PAPER
I. Introduction D. The Counterclaim
A. Introduction of the Topic
B. Background of the Topic 1. Summary of the Counterclaim
C. Thesis Statement 2. Supporting Information for
the Counterclaim
II. Body
3. Refuting of the Counterclaim
A. Argument No. 1 4. Giving Evidences for the
Argument
1. Assertion
2. Evidence
3. Explanation III. Conclusion

B. Argument No. 2 A. Restating of Argument

1. Assertion B. Providing Plan of Action
2. Evidence
3. Explanation
C. Argument No. 3
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1. Assertion
2. Evidence
3. Explanation
 GUIDELINES
IN WRITING A
POSITION PAPER.
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1. Explore
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2. Brainstorm
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 3. Create
Assertions
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 4. Gather the
Evidence
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 5. Have
Credible
Sources
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 6. Refine
the
Argument
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 7. Prepare
the
Opposition
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 GUIDELINES IN WRITING A POSITION PAPER

1. Explore 5. Have Credible Resources

2. Brainstorm 6. Refine the Argument
3. Create Assertions 7. Prepare for the Opposition
4. Gather the Evidence 8. Write the Position Paper
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 SAMPLE POSITION PAPER
State vs Child ‘Criminals’: Lowering Age of Criminal Liability
Poverty as a person could be languishing in jail in perpetuity: It has been blamed for
many social ills. One such ill is why many children commit crimes, especially street children.
Most street children have become juvenile delinquents either out of necessity (because they are
poor) or through force (because of the syndicates). Lately, videos involving minors while
committing crimes are going viral a 15-year-old beating to death another minor with a piece of
wood; a group of “street children” caught dragging an old man out of a public utility jeepney to
get his purse; and minors stealing jeepney driver’s income. Moreover, news headlines in the
recent years have the same tenor 14-year-old boy beats older sister to death (Inquirer, 2018);
youngest surrenderer started drugs at 8 (The Freeman, 2016); drug war lists 20,584 kids as ‘users,
pushers, runners’ (Abs-Cbn, 2016). Basically, poverty and environment are the main enablers of
children in conflict with the law (CICL). These current events put in the limelight the
implementation and effectivity of Republic Act No. 9344, as amended, otherwise known as “The
Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) of 2006.” In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte called on
Congress to lower age of criminal liability “to ensure that the Filipino youth would accept
responsibility for their actions and be subjected to government intervention programs.” (Abs-
Cbn, 2017) In consistency with President Duterte’s goal to curb criminality in the country, Senate
President Vicente Sotto III proposed the Senate Bill 2026 that seeks to lower the minimum age of
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criminal liability from the current 15 to 13 years old. The Bill ensures that those children in
conflict with the law who are currently exempted from criminal liability who take advantage of
the same must not be given the same privilege (Sotto, 2018).
 However, this amendment shows that the government was
effectively abandoning its responsibility to provide the youth with a
decent future and depriving juvenile offenders of an opportunity to
reform instead of realizing the root cause of why children are forced
into a life of crime. Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the
Philippines, once said that the youth are the nation’s future.
However, what future will these children have if they can be
arrested and detained like adult offenders at a young age? Therefore,
this paper opposes the proposal to lower the Minimum Age of Criminal
Responsibility (MACR) from 15 years old to 13 years old as this move
only damages the best interest of the child and will not solve the
problem of children committing crimes. It distracts us from the
real reasons why children offend such as poor parenting and
supervision, peer pressure, social isolation, family conflict, and poverty.
With the foresaid reasons, this paper stands by maintaining the MACR
at 15 years old, as amended by RA No. 10630, and the strengthening of
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our juvenile justice system by strict implementation of the existing laws

and supporting stakeholders in improving our facilities for children in
conflict with the law (CICL).
 To support this position, this paper presents the following
arguments:
Lowering the age of criminal responsibility will result to negative
consequences for children and the public. It will increase the number of
children detained for long periods of time, making them more likely to
become hardened offenders. Detention/Jail conditions in the Philippines
are not rehabilitative. They are harsh: children have been reported
to experience torture, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse while in
detention. Research also shows that detaining children is more
damaging to them than beneficial. It has a profoundly negative
impact on young people’s mental and physical well-being (i.e.,
depression and poor mental health), their education (i.e., learning
disabilities not recognized or addressed), and their future employment (i.e.,
reduces their ability to remain in the workforce) (Holman &
Ziedenberg, 2013).
In addition, imprisoning children go against the best interest of the
child and the rights of the child to maximum development. Lowering the
MACR further reinforces the existing situation of syndicates using
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younger children in their criminal activities. The focus of the duty bearers
should be on catching the adult syndicates instead of punishing the
children, who are clearly the victims in these unfortunate circumstances.
 Emerging knowledge about cognitive, psychosocial,
and neurobiological development in adolescence also provides
evidence that young people should not be held to the same
standards of criminal responsibility as adults. Steinberg, L., & Scott,
E. (2003)’s study argued that “Adolescents’ decision-making
capacities are diminished as they are less able to resist
coercive influence and their character is still undergoing change.”
Another study by Steinberg L. (2008) on adolescent risk-taking
found that risk-taking increases between childhood and
adolescence due to changes in the brain’s socio-
emotional system. The immaturity of young people due to
their brain underdevelopment influences their decision making
and susceptibility to perform risky activities. This, along with
the influence of criminogenic environments where children reside
(i.e., many CICL live in communities where crimes are rampant)
and the CICL’s personal circumstance (i.e., poor, lacking in
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education, neglect/abandonment, poor parental supervision) can

be considered mitigating factors in their criminal culpability.
 Here are further neurodevelopmental and psychological facts
according to Alampay (2006):
A. Neuroscience research has proven that the brain does not fully
develop until age 25. The prefrontal cortex of the frontal lobe which is
responsible for executive functions such as decision making, planning and
impulse control of the brain undergoes dramatic development only
during the adolescent years. While the developing system at this period helps
to process emotions, emotions are often left un-tempered and unregulated
because of the underdeveloped frontal lobe. As such, decision-making and
judgment are often compromised. This means that even if children have
adequate intelligence for their age, their judgment can lead to faulty decisions
as they may still often act in accordance with their impulse
and/or emotions rather than reasoned judgment. Therefore, children do
not yet have the ability to properly and independently regulate and control
their own thoughts and emotions, especially in highly complex, stressful,
and various situations. Discernment between right and wrong also requires
intellectual, emotional, and psychological maturity. Thus, this is a heavy
order for children who are still in the process of developing in all aspects, who
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still have limited life experiences and therefore limited worldview to learn
and apply what they are taught.
 B. As drawn from theories of cognitive and moral
development, children’s discernment of right and wrong matures
not only through education but also through the stages of their brain
development. A younger child, for example, would not be
able to fully anticipate all the possible consequences of their
actions for themselves and society as a whole. An older child of
16 years is able to consider rules based on intention and outcome
thus can make informed decisions especially when properly guided.
This older comprehension of morality is able to take into account
other groups of people and society as a whole. These stages of
development highlight that while children may appear to identify
right and wrong behavior, they lack an appreciation for why rules
exist and the implications of these rules in the society.
Younger children, therefore, need protection from the law and
should not be held criminally responsible for their actions.
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 C. Progress toward completion of cognitive and moral
developmental stages can be detoured or delayed by cultural, intellectual
and social disadvantage. Children in conflict with the law typically have risk
factors such as poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse,
exposure to crime and violence, homelessness, child abuse and neglect. It is
unreasonable to hold a child criminally responsible for actions made
when a child is exposed in an impoverished and brutal environment.
It is therefore unreasonable to expect a developing child to already
discern right from wrong when he or she grew up in an environment
and household where what is right may not be that different from what
is wrong. Therefore, to hold a child criminally responsible for such is
to put the entire community’s problems on the child’s shoulders.
Furthermore, research has identified how hardships early in life
such as experiences of child abuse and neglect can inhibit the
development, result in intense and cumulative harm, and have long term
impacts on health and social outcomes. In these settings, a child’s
ability to develop important emotional, social and cognitive skills that are
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necessary for criminal responsibility is diminished, leading the child to

be behind his or her peers in a broad range of competencies.
 There are indeed challenges in implementing the
JJWA and these must be effectively addressed. However,
difficulties in implementing the law cannot be used to justify the
amendment; otherwise, the rights of children will be
compromised merely on the basis of expediency. This does not
mean ignoring the complaints of government and other duty
bearers tasked to implement the law. There are legitimate
concerns that must be attended to by means of thorough study of
processes to assist CICL and children at risk. What is controversial,
however, is the lack of evidence-based information to support the
moves to lower the MACR and the negative impact of
criminalizing children. Lowering MACR is a violation of the
right of the child to genuine protection.
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 The cases of juvenile delinquency or criminal offense by
children are increasing day by day and youth offenders are getting
younger and bolder. However, children in conflict with the law are
only victims of circumstances. While some of them may have,
after discernment, willingly committed criminal acts, a vast
majority of them are pushed to live a life that they did not choose.
As the adults may have also failed them, with the flawed policies
and decisions, it is plain cruelty to make them undergo a criminal
proceeding and suffer the stigma of being called convicts. Thus,
the legislation of this bill overlooks the real challenge which is
according to advocates, lies in the failure of the State to properly
deal with the so-called children in conflict with the law (CICL). Such
failure deprives children of the opportunity to better their lives or,
at the least, enjoy their childhood.
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 The solution to the growing problem in crime must target the
root cause. The problem of CICL is a manifestation or a consequence of
a dysfunctional society. The moral decadence in our society has
reached such a level that calls for concern. A child offending must
be seen as a product of a deteriorating values system and lack of role
models in a family unit. They are not the problem to be solved but a
resource to harness. The lowering of the MACR undermines all
evidences regarding a child’s moral, intellectual and emotional
development.
At this time, as youths of today, let’s use our voice to
encourage the duty bearers to focus their efforts on fully
implementing the JJWA, so they can effectively execute their
responsibilities under the law. Let us also join and/or support programs
that strengthen families and teaches parents on how to effectively
raise their children without the use of corporal punishment and
violence which have been found to increase delinquent
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behaviors in children. Moreover, effective programs and services to

prevent young people from offending or re-offending and to facilitate
diversion of CICLs must be established.
 This paper reiterates its opposition to bring down the
minimum age of criminal responsibility to 13 years old and
proposes to the duty bearers to direct their efforts in improving
the juvenile justice system by mobilizing local government units
to mandate provisions that support existing structures at the
community level. For the police to adopt structural changes in
their organization that will guarantee effective handling of cases of
CICL wherein focus is in catching adults that make use of
children to commit crimes more than punishing the children;
and upgrading detention facilities and rehabilitation centers
to more humane conditions, including minimizing abuse or
practices that impede a child’s development and training
personnel that will offer multi-disciplinary approach to
rehabilitation programs.
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 Although improving the legislative framework
of the juvenile justice system is imperative, prevention
offers long-term solutions. Alleviating conditions that
serve as foundation to delinquent behavior such as
disintegration of the family unit, lack of education and
poverty proves to be a protective strategy to prevent
children offending. Therefore, it is equally important to
focus on improving social systems by advocating family
stability and providing opportunities for quality
education that provides social and academic growth
that ensure successful development of children.
In the true spirit of our Constitution, the legislators
must recognize the vital role of the youth in nation-building
and promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual,
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intellectual, and social well-being.

 Position paper allows the writer/reader
to………….

Providing arguments and counterclaims are

important because………….
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GENERALIZATION
 Using the format
(components of position paper)
discussed, decide on your stand to
the chosen issue/topic and write an
effective position paper.
Suggested Topics:
WRITING
➢ In-person or Online/SLM-Based
➢ Artificial Intelligence
ACTIVITY
➢ Technology, for better or for
worse?
➢ Mandatory military service
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➢ Other approved topics

 Argument --------------10

Use of Evidence------10

Clarity and Style ------5 CRITERIA

Mechanics --------------5

TOTAL ----------------30
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THANK YOU
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