For the Future to Remain Bright, Care for Them with All Our Might
Life had taken a 360 degree turn when the world was
hit with the novel coronavirus. From school closures to devastated industries
and millions of jobs lost, the virus reshaped our lives drastically. Including
the lives of many children all over the globe, the disruption to routines,
education, recreation, as well as concern for family income and health, is
leaving many young people feeling afraid. The pandemic greatly affected their
mental health as well—their hearts are full of uncertainty and anxiety for
their futures.
As we celebrate National Children’s Month amidst
the pandemic, we hope for people to realize children's rights as individuals—to
have access to healthcare, education, and a healthy environment. We celebrate
the Children during this month with this year’s theme: “New Normal Na Walang
Iwanan: Karapatan ng Bawat Bata Ating Tutukan!” but despite that sentiment,
many children are deprived of their most basic rights more so during the
pandemic. The Convention on the Rights of the Child comprises four main
pillars- the right to survival, the right to protection, the right to
development, and the right to participation. Countless violations of children’s
rights have been reported during the pandemic, and it's disheartening to read
the news about children allegedly subjected to abuse such as shaving their hair,
shaming, and threatening with physical harm including threats of being shot. In
other incidents, several minors were detained in a dog cage, and others were
forced inside a coffin to deter them from further curfew violations. Moreover,
with the existing set-up of Modular Online Learning in the Philippines, the
privileged continue with their education while the less fortunate who have no
means to afford this “new normal” will continue to hope for this crisis to end.
We all must join hands to ensure that “New Normal
Na Walang Iwanan” is not just false hope and a promise that failed to keep. If
we do not care for the children of the world today, the future will remain
uncertain, and like any individual, children also matter.
https://www.omct.org/en/resources/statements/childrens-rights-must-be-respected-while-containing-the-covid-19-virus
https://www.unicef.org/thailand/what-is-crc
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