CHR Urges Action to Protect Internally Displaced Children

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has issued a sweeping advisory calling for urgent national and local action to protect children displaced by natural hazards and armed conflict across the Philippines.

In its May 26 advisory, the CHR identified internally displaced children (IDCs) as among the most vulnerable sectors in disaster and conflict zones, urging the institutionalization of child-centered policies and services at all levels of government.

“Such government response must protect the well-being and enjoyment of their rights as children,” said CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-Latoc.

The advisory defines IDPs as individuals forced to flee their homes due to violence, disaster, or human rights violations, without crossing national borders—a category that includes millions of Filipino children.

The global scale of the crisis is staggering, with 76 million internally displaced persons worldwide, including 19 million children affected by conflict alone as of 2019.

In the Philippines, displacement events such as Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the Marawi Siege in 2017, and the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020 have severely affected millions of children, disrupting their education, health, and basic needs.

Monitoring conducted by the CHR’s Child Rights Center in Batangas, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur uncovered numerous issues, including poor sanitation, lack of electricity, malnutrition, inaccessible roads, and unsafe temporary housing made of lightweight materials.

Some displaced children have been forced to work to support their families, while others lack access to education and basic documentation such as birth certificates, which are vital for receiving aid and enrolling in school.

“The concerns are worsened by the unsafe conditions in temporary shelters where they have lived for the past two to seven years,” the CHR reported.

The advisory references domestic laws such as Republic Acts 7610, 10121, 10821, and 11188, as well as international frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Under these statutes, children must be recognized as “Zones of Peace” and granted protection, even in conflict zones.

The CHR made specific recommendations for key agencies, including the Department of Education, which was urged to enhance the Alternative Learning System and incorporate life skills into its curriculum for displaced youth.

The national government was advised to construct resilient, child-friendly relocation sites and to allocate funding for trauma recovery, education infrastructure, and culturally sensitive resettlement programs.

The CHR also pressed Congress to pass laws that streamline the issuance of vital records and conduct oversight of the Marawi Compensation Board, which must complete its mandate by 2028.

For local governments, the Commission proposed offering livelihood training to parents, ensuring free access to vital documents, and engaging children in planning and decision-making processes.

“Internal conflict and natural hazards destroy the community and its residents, especially the most vulnerable children,” the advisory concluded.

“As duty-bearers, we are called to take decisive action to ensure that fundamental rights are upheld and guaranteed. It must be done now.”