The Situation of Filipino Children

It is often said that the kind of society one lives in is mirrored in the lives of its children. Picture the following:

• There are 32,894,317 children (below 18 years of age) in the Philippines. They constitute nearly 45 per cent (44.98 per cent) of the total Philippine 1998 population of 73,130,985 (based on the medium growth projection of the NSO, 1995).
• Their age range distribution, proportions and absolute numbers are as follows: (based on the age range proportions of the 1995 NSO Census).

Age Range Age Proportions Absolute Numbers

0-4 years 13.85% 10,128,641 5-9 years 12.75% 9,324,202 10-14 years 11.64% 8,512,446 15-17 years 6.74% 4,929,028 0-17 years 44.98% 32,894,317

• Infant mortality rate is pegged at 42.73 per 1,000 live births (Department of Health, 1 September 1999).
• 28% of children under age 5 are severely and moderately underweight based on international standards (World Summit Goals for Children , 1998).
• 49% of the total population of infants and 26% of the total population of children with ages ranging from 1 - 6 years old suffer from iron-deficiency anemia
• There is one (1) hospital for every 113,040 people. There is only 1 doctor for every 24, 417 people; 1 nurse for every 22,309; 1 dentist for every 578,124; and, 1 midwife for every 722,654 people (Philippine Yearbook of Statistics).
• More than half of the over 42,000 barangays in the country do not have provisions for a pre-school. Only 19% of children aged 4 to 6 years old are able to go to public and private pre-schools.
• More than 1/3 of the more than 42,000 barangays in the country could not offer the required six years of elementary education.
• Sixty percent of the children drop out of school when they reach the second grade (PDI, 18 May 1997).
• Sixty-one towns in the country do not have a high school.
• It is estimated that there are about five million child laborers in the country (UNICEF 1995). Two-thirds of them are found in the rural areas.
• There are 1.5 million streetchildren. DSWD estimates that this number increases annually by 6,365.
• Of the 1.5 million streetchildren, 60,000 are prostituted (ECPAT 1996). The DSWD claims that the annual average increase of prostituted children is 3,266. The Philippines is the fourth country with the most number of prostituted children (Intersect, December 1995).
• Research studies conducted in schools show that for every 3 Filipino children, one child experiences abuse (Manila Bulletin, 11 February 1996). During the first semester of 1999 alone, there were 2,393 children who fell prey to rape, attempted rape, incest, acts of lasciviousness and prostitution (DSWD 1st semester, CY 1999).

The statistics are growing each day. These clearly depict the immense hardship which Filipino children are subjected to. Unfortunately, the family that is supposedly the primary source of the children's sense of trust and security is itself beleaguered. In most instances, it can no longer adequately provide even the children's most basic needs like food, education, housing, and an atmosphere of love, affection and nurturance. Its capacity to protect the children and enhance their development and participation rights is likewise affected.

CHILD ABUSE STATISTICS IN THE PHILIPPINES Of 32 million children1 17, 929 are abused2 60,000 are prostituted3 1.5 million are living on the streets4 5 million are child laborers5
DETAILED CHILD ABUSE STATISTICS CATEGORY DSWD (1997-1999) PNP (1998-1999) CPU (1997-1999) TOTAL NUMBER OF ABUSED CHILDREN 26,4466 10335 1575 SEXUALLY ABUSED7 11,262 71498 1033 PHYSICALLY ABUSED 4085 2072 211 PHYSICALLY AND SEXUALLY ABUSED - - 75 NEGLECTED 5331 124 46 UNABLE TO VALIDATE - - 210 1 UNICEF, "State of the World's Children 2001", http://www.unicef.org/sowc01/tables/# (1 February 2001). 2 DSWD and PNP statistics, 1999 3 ECPAT, 1996 4 DSWD, 1998 5 UNICEF, 1995 6 Includes abandoned children, child laborers, child trafficking and victims of armed conflict 7 Includes victims of pedophilia, pornography, and prostitution 8 Includes rape and acts of lasciviousness
UP-PGH CHILD PROTECTION UNIT 2000 STATISTICS
PATIENTS PER TYPE OF ABUSE TYPE OF ABUSE: 1997-2000 YEAR SEXUAL ABUSE PHYSICAL ABUSE SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL NEGLECT UNABLE TO VALIDATE TOTAL 1997 219 55 22 10 46 352 1998 362 90 33 10 72 567 1999 452 66 20 26 92 656 2000 474 62 27 8 97 668* * Direct Psychiatry Patients not Included
REFERRALS REFERRAL SOURCE REFERRAL SOURCE 1997 1998 1999 2000 PGH 44% 37% 30% 24% LGU SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICES 14% 18% 17% 12% OTHER GOVT OFFICES/UNITS 15% 7% 7% 5% POLICE 7% 16% 20% 19% NGOS/SHELTERS 10% 11% 12% 18% OTHERS 10% 11% 14% 22%
PSYCHIATRY TRENDS: 1997-2000 YEAR MAJOR DEPRESSION PTSD OTHER COMMON DIAGNOSES9 NO PSYCHO-PATHOLOGY TOTAL 1997 11 6 15 N/A 91 1998 38 13 24 137 234 1999 37 60 22 116 260 2000 35 62 58 160 36210 9 Other Common Diagnoses include the following: Parent/Child Relational Problems, Adjustment, Adjustment Disorder, Acute Stress, Acute Stress Disorder, Antisocial Behavior, Conduct Disorder 10 Excluding 321 follow-up sessions.
PERPETRATOR INFORMATION PERPETRATOR STATISTICS: 1997-2000 YEAR SEXUAL ABUSE PHYSICAL ABUSE   FAMILIAL NON-FAMILIAL FAMILIAL NON-FAMILIAL 1997 N/A N/A N/A N/A1 1998 41% 54%2 66% 34% 1999 41% 51%3 76% 24% 2000 44% 56% 76% 24% OBSERVATIONS - From 1998 to 2000, an average of 46% of sexual abuse cases had familial perpetrators - From 1998 to 2000, fathers were the mot common physical abusers, accounting for 35% of    physical abuse. 1 There are no data for 1997 in these categories. The data do show though that 65% of the perpetrators in ALL cases were family members, with 23% non-familial, 5% unknown and 7% other. 2 With 5% undisclosed. 3 8% undisclosed. COURT APPEARANCES: 1997-2000 YEAR NUMBER OF COURT APPEARANCES PERCENT CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS YEAR 1997 12 - 1998 43 +258% 1999 58 +34% 2000 76 +31%
COURT OUTCOMES A Grant from The Children's Hour allowed CPU to hire a social worker for the year to study the outcomes of CPU cases. The results of this research, below, show that of the 2311 patients CPU has seen, 148 cases were filed and had a resolution. SENTENCE 1997 1998 1999 Reclusion Perpetua (17-20 years) 3 8 7 Reclusion Temporal (8-14 years) 2 5 4 Acquitted 5 6 1 4 years 2 months to 6 years 0 2 1 Release on Recognizance 0 1 0 Transfer to National Training Schools 0 1 0 Death Penalty 5 1 1 2 years to 4 years 0 1 0 Affidavit of Desistance 2 3 2 Dismissed (lack of interest) 1 4 2 Dismissed provisionally (No appearance of complainant 2 4 2 Archived 0 8 3 On-going 8 24 19 Suspension of Sentence (Minor Perpetrator) 1 0 0 Submitted for Decision 0 2 0 Life Sentence 1 2 0 On Probation 0 0 0 Dismissed (Death of Accused) 0 1 2 Total 30 73 45