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November 17, 2021 – Anchored on the domestic and international rights of the child, the Department of Education (DepEd) celebrates the 29th National Children’s Month (NCM) this November with various activities championing children’s rights and welfare in the new normal.

With the national theme, “New Normal na Walang Iwanan: Karapatan ng Bawat Bata Ating Tutukan,” this year’s celebration will cover the myriad of issues on children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation in the new normal setting.

“As the country gradually recovers from the pandemic, we will continuously champion the rights and welfare of our children. Particularly, the month-long celebration will take off from the previous and current challenges, and learnings of the Philippines in terms of promoting and upholding children’s rights,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

Four categories of children’s rights will be covered per week of November. The first week tackled survival rights and development rights on the 2nd week. Meanwhile, participation rights and protection rights will be covered on the 3rd and 4th week, respectively.

“The NCM activities will still strictly comply with the minimum health standards, and it shall utilize print, broadcast, outdoor, and social media as tools in educating Filipinos on children’s rights, parenting, and the concerns surrounding them,” Secretary Briones noted.

The DepEd Central Office, through the newly created Child Rights in Education Desk under the Office of the Undersecretary for Legal Affairs, will spearhead the Third National Summit on the Rights of the Child in Education on November 25 to 26 with the theme “Batang May K: Karapatan ng Bata sa Edukasyon, Katuwang ang Lahat sa Pagsulong!” focusing on rights-based education in the Department. Before this event, DepEd will conduct the Pre-Summit Conference with child participants to help them prepare and gather their suggestions regarding the conduct of the summit.

Furthermore, NCM activities supported by DepEd include a weekly screening of documentaries every Friday, play activities for children, 4th Conference on Digital Parenting: Webinar on Digital Well-being on November 23 (Tuesday), and NCM culminating ceremony and awarding for the NCM Logo Making Contest on November 26 (Friday).

The conduct of the 29th NCM is under Republic Act No. 10661, titled “An Act Declaring the Month of November of Every Year as the National Children’s Month,” which mandates DepEd to facilitate and encourage the celebration of the NCM in all public and private school nationwide.  In full support of the rights of the child, DepEd issued DepEd Memorandum No. 075, s. 2021, on the celebration by DepEd of the NCM in solidarity with the whole government and the country.

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