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UN Children and Armed Conflict report drops PH from 'concerns' list

Philippine News Agency

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor
June 23, 2025, 6:38 pm

MANILA -- The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General's 2024 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict has confirmed that the Philippines will be officially removed from the list of situations of concern in 2025.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's report was released on June 20.

It marked a major milestone in the country's transition from conflict to peace and its expanding leadership in child protection, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a news release on Monday.

The Philippines was first listed in the annual report in 2003, amid documented cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups in various parts of the country.

Consequently, the country implemented significant and sustained on-the-ground reforms to promote a safer society for every Filipino child. It also ramped up its cooperation with the UN starting November 2024.

Undersecretary Angelo Tapales of the Council for the Welfare of Children and UN Special Representative of Secretary General Virginia Gamba held a meeting in New York in March to present the Philippine roadmap and reaffirm the commitment to long-term child protection.

Key measures include the creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Children Involved in Armed Conflict (IAC-CIAC), adoption of the 4th National Plan of Action for Children, and implementation of Executive Order 79 institutionalizing the MAKABATA (Mahalin at Kalingain Ating mga Bata) program and Helpline 1383.

The MAKABATA is a comprehensive, one-stop system designed to address and monitor issues affecting children in need of special protection, with key responsibilities such as receiving all kinds of reports and referring them to relevant agencies like local government units and private sector partners; and provision of psychosocial, medical and legal assistance.

The Philippine plans entail developing critical protocols for the handling of CIAC cases, ensuring the continuous support of implementing agencies, and synchronizing the reporting and monitoring mechanisms available to the government to guarantee the protection of children in conflict situations.

The roadmap added that the Philippines will co-host an international event later this year to share lessons learned and best practices, positioning itself as a global model for child protection in post-conflict settings. (PNA)