The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will soon come up with a more refined protocol on handling children in situations of armed conflict (CSAC) to enhance the agency’s capacity to protect them from all forms of abuse, violence, neglect, cruelty, discrimination, and other conditions prejudicial to their development.
“To be able not to compromise the quality of service we have for them, we ensure that protocols which guide our implementers in aiding people from different sectors are constantly revisited and enhanced,” according to Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay, who leads the DSWD’s Peace and Development Group (PDG).
Under Republic Act (RA) 11188 or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act of 2019, CSAC refers to children involved in armed conflict, children affected by armed conflict, and internally displaced children.
The PDG official said the draft CSAC protocol of the DSWD is aligned with its roles and responsibilities as part of the Inter-Agency Committee on Children in Situations of Armed Conflict (IAC-CSAC), which is responsible for the implementation of the said law.
“This is still under review by the DSWD’s Executive Committee, but we envision that once it has been officially approved, it will be of immense help to our social workers, local social welfare and development officers and allied professionals who are also identified as among the key implementers of RA 11188,” Tanjusay said.
He added that under the DSWD’s Peace and Development Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) Program, the agency has also established a Social Healing Unit that will be focused on various initiatives that promote the holistic welfare of CSAC.
This Social Healing Unit includes the development of pertinent policies and the integration of Restorative Justice principles in CSAC case management, ensuring that children who have been involved in armed conflict are able to get a new lease on life.
“These new initiatives will put a premium on the agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting children affected by armed conflict through its package of intensified initiatives and direct interventions,” Tanjusay said.