Embassy of the Philippines-LONDON 
Philippine Embassy Statement re ITV's report on Filipino Children
The plight of some Filipino children, as depicted in ITV's news reports on 8 and 9 August, is understandably a cause for deep concern, but it is by no means indicative of how much Filipino society values its children, and the lengths to which we have gone to safeguard their welfare.
These unfortunate incidents are part of a bigger social problem that the Philippine government has been exerting great efforts to address for many years now - poverty alleviation, and with it the promotion of child and youth welfare. We share this problem with so many developing countries saddled with the lack of economic resources and development assistance, a lack often made worse by a foreign debt burden.
Immediately, the Embassy will bring this particular matter of juvenile maltreatment to the attention of our government authorities, particularly the Department of Justice and our Philippine National Police, so that they can take prompt action with regard to the specific situation portrayed in the news report. This situation is deplorable, but in fact our government agencies have taken measures to lessen the problem of homelessness, drug abuse, and sexual exploitation of young Filipinos.
We have agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development which has set up rehabilitation and therapy centers all over the country for street children and other minors who are victims of abuse and neglect. Despite limited resources, we are doing our best to bring help, and hope, to these children.
Working with government or on their own, we have so many NGOs or charities helping juvenile delinquents who are victims of homelessness ago poverty, to get a new start on life. Aside from PREDA, we have the ERDA Foundation, BANTAY-BATA or Child Watch which is a campaign by a big media group that is also active overseas, and Save the Children, among others. Business corporations and private individuals are also participating in these campaigns for the protection of children and the youth, and the government is extending all the help that it can give.
Aware of this social problem, our Department of Justice has come up with a comprehensive program for child protection, while pending in Congress tight now is the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Bill, which seeks to correct and punish the abusive treatment of children in police custody for misdemeanors.
Just like in any society, poverty, the lack of opportunities for education, and juvenile delinquency are all interlinked. It will take some time, and a big chunk of our national budget, to implement an overall poverty alleviation program, which we hope will take children off the streets, and give them the proper education and economic opportunities they need. But in the meantime, we shall make certain that the message in this news report is heard loud and clear by our national leaders, so that this grave abuse of authority and the plight of these children can be addressed as soon as possible.
We acknowledge the efforts of PREDA, Jubilee and agencies such as UNICEF-Philippines, in consistently expressing their concern about the welfare of Filipino children, and we hope that reports such as these will have the effect of generating not only sympathy but also development assistance from the British government and public, to complement our own programs at securing a better life for our children.
ESTRELLA A. BERENGUEL
Chargé d’ Affaires a.i.
9 August 2005
