PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has approved the institutionalization of the Mahalin at Kalingain ating mga Bata (MAKABATA) Program and the Makabata Helpline 1383, a one-stop system for reporting incidents of child rights violations.
The Makabata Helpline 1383 was launched in 2022 by the DSWD and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as one of the government’s communication lines where the public can report violations of children’s rights and welfare, abuse, and connect them to appropriate government agency for support and assistance.
The President, in issuing Executive Order 79 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last December 6, recognized the need to enhance the reach and effectiveness of child protection initiatives in the country.
Marcos also approved the recommendations of the DSWD to establish a comprehensive and integrated national program that will serve as a centralized system where the public can report child rights violations and abuses among others, as well as establish a one-stop system for addressing and monitoring all issues and concerns of children in need of special protection (CNSPs), with components including reporting; rescue and relief; rehabilitation; and reintegration.
It also recognized the existing MAKABATA Helpline 1383 as a dedicated hotline number for the program operating round the clock.
“All concerns received through any of the communication platforms of the MAKABATA Helpline 1383 shall be immediately acted upon or referred, directly or indirectly, to concerned government agencies and instrumentalities, including LGUs and private sector partners, for appropriate action and/or intervention,” the EO read.
It added that the DSWD shall continue to lead the implementation of the MAKABATA program with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as the overall coordinating and monitoring body for the implementation of the program.
The CNSPs are defined as persons below 18 years old or those 18 years old and over but are unable to fully take care of themselves because of physical or mental disability or conditions, and are vulnerable to, or are victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation, cruelty, discrimination, violence, and other similar circumstances, including but not limited to child labor, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), child sexual abuse or exploitation of materials (CSAEM), child trafficking, and other circumstances which gravely threaten or endanger a child’s survival and normal development.
CNSPs also refer to children in conflict with the law, children living in alternative care, and children living with human immunodeficiency virus.
The CWC had asked the President to issue an executive order to institutionalize the Makabata Helpline 1383 which would enable them to hire more people, provide better 24/7 service and reach out to more children across the country who are suffering from bullying, violence, or mental health issues, among others.
