Protecting the rights of children in the Philippines

What’s the issue?

From large cities to small provinces, children across the Philippines are at risk of violence. According to a national baseline study on violence against children, 80% of children reported to have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, whether in the home, school, workplace or community.[1] This in turn can have negative impacts on children’s development and health, which can hinder their progress in school and society at large.

How are we addressing it?

In the Philippines, our teams are committed to making a lasting impact on children’s lives, which is why we have committed  to a long-term partnership with Bahay Tuluyan starting from 2023, a children’s rights organisation that works to prevent and respond to abuse and violence against children and ensure that their rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Taking a holistic approach, the NGO runs several different types of initiatives, including youth empowerment programmes. With education being one of the most important avenues to preventing the cycle of violence, we have launched an independent living skills programme at our firm, which is broken down into three main parts. First, we help conduct mock interviews for Bahay Tuluyan youth to prepare them for their future employment. Second, we focus on work placement immersion, allowing the youth to work on a several projects across different departments at our firm to develop a range of skills – from technical support, administration to soft skills and beyond.

Finally, we help give the youth in our programme the opportunity to lead community days sponsored by our firm at Bahay Tuluyan, where they put their skills to the test and manage activities for over 250 children in nearby communities.

What’s the lasting impact?

Our work with Bahay Tuluyan empowers children to prepare for their future by teaching them lifelong skills that will help them succeed in their future careers. Further, it offers our employees and children the power to volunteer and give back to their local communities and make their own lasting impact.

[1]National Baseline Study on Violence against Children and Youth (NBS-VAC) in the Philippines | Acta Medica Philippina (upm.edu.ph)