A federation of 61 non-government organizations (NGOs) nationwide gave its full cooperation and support to form a Special Unit or Task Force from existing school personnel, student leaders and PTA officials.
The Unit shall be shall be organized in every school and trained to assist in the apprehension or arrest of violators of Article II of the Act within their areas of Jurisdiction.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. assured Radhika Coomaraswamy, special representative for Children and Armed Conflict of the UN Secretary General that the Philippines has put in place an extensive program to protect children in conflict-affected areas in the country.
Accodring to Esperon, the protection of children, especially in conflict-affected areas are clearly embodied in the Philippine Constitution and in 5 landmark legislations namely Presidential Decree 603 (Child and Youth Welfare Code) and Republic Act 7610 (providing for special protection of children against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination).
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will leave for Qatar this weekend with a mission to end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao and invite Middle East businessmen to invest in the Philippines.
According to the President, the Philippines must seek out investments from countries with no liquidity problem in the midst of the global financial crisis. The President pointed out that because of its oil revenue, Middle East countries, particularly Qatar could very well help the country.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is asking Congress for an additional P24 million in order to avoid the disruption of the mandatory training and career advancement of police officers up for promotion next year.
The additional fund request was necessary for leasing facilities that will be used by the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) for its temporary transfer on Feb. 4 next year from its location in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig to an educational institution in Laguna.
The Department of Education (DEPED) recently launched Project REACH (Reaching all Children) with its goal to bring back children to school.
According to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, despite Philippine public education being free and compulsory, there are still so many school-age children and youth who are out in the streets, vulnerable to exploitation. Records from DepEd showed that there are about 5.6 million children and youth who are not in school.
