Manila, Philippines – A bill promoting positive parenting across various settings has cleared the House of Representatives’ Committee on Welfare of Children. On Monday, the committee, chaired by BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, approved the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills 8306 and 1269. The bill emphasizes the promotion of positive and non-violent discipline of children in diverse environments, including homes, schools, institutions, alternative care systems, workplaces, and other settings. Co, who authored the bill, stressed the importance of abolishing corporal punishment in all settings, viewing it not only as a governmental obligation but also as a strategic approach to reducing and preventing violence against children (VAC) in the Philippines.
According to Philippines News Agency, Co highlighted that the bill aims to equip parents and legal guardians with affable and non-violent parenting tools, which are crucial in nurturing a child’s self-esteem, self-discipline, and essential life skills. The proposed legislation seeks to protect children from physical, humiliating, or degrading acts as forms of punishment in all possible settings. It includes provisions for reporting mechanisms, local-level intervention mechanisms, immunity for qualified intervening persons, and penalties against individuals who cause a child to lie or fabricate incidents of physical, humiliating, and degrading acts.
Additionally, the committee resolved to create a technical working group (TWG) to consolidate and harmonize the provisions of House Bills 4591 and 5577, aimed at strengthening the Council for the Welfare of Children, and House Bills 7196 and 8163, which propose establishing the Philippine Commission on Children as an independent agency under the Office of the President. Co emphasized the necessity of an adaptable and sustainable agency that can meet the evolving needs of children in a progressing society.
