Illustrated Guidebook for Improving Child Rights Coordination through the Strengthening of the Council for the Welfare of Children Client: UNICEF Agency: Mehraki Concept, Design and Art direction: Rory Lakewalk Doodles: Ardie Aquino

1. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
1
Improving Child Rights Coordination
through the Strengthening of the
Council for the Welfare of Children
AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE

2. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
2
Children are one of the poorest
sectors in Philippine society.
Only 59% of elementary
3 out of 10
children live below
basic needs threshold.
33% of
children under
5 years old
are stunted
Routine immunization
rates have
declined from
89% to 62%
(in 2013-2015)
21.5% are
underweight
and 63% of secondary
teaching training institutes
passed the national passing rates

3. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
3
While families in BARM* experience
55 deaths per 1000 live births.
2/3 children experience
physical violence;
1/4 sexual violence;
2/5 psychological violence;
2/3 violence from peers.
With little access
to sexual health
information,
PH leads in
adolescent
pregnancies in
the Asia Pacific.
The country is known globally
as both transit and receiver of
commercial child sexual
exploitation and trafficking.
Mothers across the country experience
21 deaths per 1000 live births.

4. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
4
What is the CWC?
The CWC has been instrumental
in the formulation of legislations,
as well as implementing rules
and regulations. Considered a
major resource by Philippine
government bodies (such as the
Senate, HOR, and the DILG),
the CWC provides data and
information on children’s issues,
as well as recommendations for
these issues.
The Council for the Welfare of Children
(CWC) is an inter-agency organization
made of national implementing agencies.

5. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
5
CWC shares a productive and positive
relationship with child-focused CSOs, with
several CSO representatives participating in
interagency subcommittees.
The CWC also serves as a principal resource
institution for CSOs in building support for
children’s rights.

6. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
6
The CWC was designed
to do three things:
1. Coordinate the implementation
and enforcement of all laws
relating to child and youth welfare
2. Form an integrated national
policy and long-range programs,
and monitor and evaluate their
implementation
3. Advocate child welfare programs to the
President and other appropriate agencies
The Problem:
The CWC cannot
effectively do its job.

7. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
7
But instead of executing all its mandates,
the CWC is mostly occupied with:
• Extending secretariat support service
to interagency councils
• Preparing periodic reports

8. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
8
WHAT’S KEEPING THE CWC FROM DOING ITS JOB EFFECTIVELY?
1. Limitations in governance,
structure, and resources prevent
the CWC from being effective
• There is minimal if any) alignment
between the interagency councils and
member agencies of CWC. These IACs
act on their own, with little coordination
with each other and CWC, resulting in
overlaps in roles and functions. There are
no policies for how these IACs should
relate with CWC and vice-versa.
• The CWC’s Board has not exercised
dynamic leadership and instituted
processes to ensure timely and effective
performance of its core functions.
• This results in fragmentation,
slowing down long-term
plans and programs.

9. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
9
WHAT’S KEEPING THE CWC FROM DOING ITS JOB EFFECTIVELY?
2. While the CWC plays a crucial role in creating critical national
reports about long-term plans for children, it does not have the
capacity to monitor and evaluate these plans.
• There are no clear frameworks and system
for monitoring and evaluating the progress
of the two integrated national plans for
Filipino children: the National Plan of Action
for Children and the Philippine Plan to
eliminate Violence Against Children.
• Without a systematic and integrated data
and information system, the CWC is unable
to establish periodic baselines about the
situation of the Filipino child.
• With minimal evidence-based info from an
effective monitoring & evaluation system, the
enforcement and implementation of laws will
continuously experience gaps. Approaches
to address issues will remain reactive,
fragmented, and ridden with overlaps.

10. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
10
WHAT’S KEEPING THE CWC FROM DOING ITS JOB EFFECTIVELY?
However, these accomplishments
do not translate into
comprehensive reports that
can be disseminated to other
appropriate agencies.
The lack of data hinders all actors
from making strategic analyses
of current and emerging issues,
because decision-makers will
have limited reliable data to base
urgent solutions and proactive
approaches.
3. Due to the lack of resources, the CWC is unable to submit
timely and comprehensive periodic reports to the President and
other appropriate agencies.
The CWC is recognized as a resource institution that has been
instrumental in the formulation of national child-focused legislations.

11. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
11
4. CWC is perceived to be unable
to respond immediately to
complex children’s issues
This is due to a myriad of factors, such as:
WHAT’S KEEPING THE CWC FROM DOING ITS JOB EFFECTIVELY?
• The inability of the Council
leadership to provide
strategic guidance
• The lack of technical inputs
and complete staff work
from the Secretariat
• In addition, the CWC’s lack of funding
-- in spite of growing operational
expenses -- affects all of these issues.
• CWC’s present nature as an attached
agency to the DSWD, which minimizes
CWC’s public visibility and engagement.

12. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
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Bottom line:
CHANGE IS NEEDED.

13. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
13
1. The CWC needs
to be strengthened
RECOMMENDATIONS
• The CWC needs to assert its powers more
deliberately, consistently, and visibly.
• A strategic plan for governing and operating is needed,
as well as efficient support from the Secretariat,
and clear internal protocols among Board members.
• Oversight functions of the CWC must be explicitly stated.
• Communication strategies must shift from mere
awareness building to changing behaviors.
• A competency framework for CWC officers and key
program staff must be developed to ensure that the right
people with the right skills are in the organization.
• Adequate budgetary resources are needed for human,
financial, and technical needs.

14. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
14
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NETWORKS OF IACS
2. Improve coordination and collaboration
between the IACs and the CWC.
• Create a process for a
formal review, analysis,
and alignment of the
mandates of the various
IACs and CWC so that
they could agree on clear
procedures and protocols.
• Formally adopt the convergence approach
nationwide to foster coordination and collaboration.
The convergence approach
is a strategy that streamlines the
meetings of different subcommittees
into one larger discussion.

15. IMPROVING
CHILD
RIGHTS
COORDINATION
THROUGH
THE
STRENGTHENING
OF
THE
CWC
15
• A comprehensive policy framework
needs to be developed to guide
future national plans and actions for
children, as well as identify gaps and
challenges in the fulfillment of child’s
rights in the country. This framework
can serve as the Magna Carta for
Children so that all national bodies
will be aligned with this legislation.
• An active and dynamic data
management system must be
established for use in policy- and
decision-making.
RECOMMENDATIONS
3. Strengthen the country’s approach towards
the advancement of children’s rights

16. About the report
This report was funded by UNICEF to review and
assess the current coordination mechanisms in the
Philippines, particularly the CWC’s mandate regarding
the different national child-centered organizations.