'. 
,~!J f'nJ' 1 r 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
) 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'14 
DEC -9 P 4 :1f! 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 
2502 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT PROVIDING EMERGENCY RELIEF AND PROTECTION 
FOR CHILDREN DURING DISASTERS, CALAMITIES AND OTHER 
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Apart from women, children are one of the highly exposed sectors 
during the onset and aftermath of humanitarian emergencies. Partly due 
to their natural dependence on adults-whether parents, relatives or 
other guardians, and their youth, children constitute a big percentage of 
victims of natural and man-made disasters. In 2013 for example when 
the country was hit by several crisis namely Typhoon Haiyan, a 7.2 
magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu, and Zamboanga City siege, 
the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 41.5% or 
7.4 million out of the 17.8 million total affected population were children. 
While international aid agencies and their local partners have recognized 
this issue and prioritized the establishment of child-friendly spaces and 
provision of qualified caregivers for psychosocial services, there is a lot 
more that can be done on the part of the government. 
This measure aims to improve. the provision of emergency relief 
and protection for children during humanitarian emergencies by 
directing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 
coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to formulate a 
Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children upon the declaration of 
a national or a local state of calamity. In order to support the immediate 
recovery of the children, the said program shall have the following 
components: 
• 
Establishment of shelter for displaced children 
• 
Assurance for immediate delivery of basic necessities and 
services 
• 
Measures to ensure safety and security of the affected 
children 
• 
Timely delivery of health and medical services 
• 
Plan of action for prompt resumption of educational services 
for children 
• 
Establishment of emergency center 


• 
Promotion of children's rights 
For these abovementioned reasons, passage of the measure is 
earnestly sought. 
==--= 
LO~~-::;:::' 
Senator 


• 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 2502 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
"I 4 DEC -9 P 4 :1 8 
AN ACT PROVIDING EMERGENCY RELIEF AND PROTECTION 
FOR CHILDREN DURING DISASTERS, CALAMITIES AND 
OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the Philippines in Congress assembled 
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the 
2 
"Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act of 20 14." 
3 
4 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the 
5 
policy of the State to protect the fundamental rights of children 
6 
during a disaster, calamity or other emergency situation when 
7 
children are gravely threatened or endangered by circumstances 
8 
that will affect their survival and normal development. Towards 
9 
this end, the State shall establish and implement a comprehensive 
10 
and strategic program of action to provide the children affected by 
11 
disaster, calamities and other emergency situations with utmost 
12 
support and assistance necessary for their immediate recovery and 
13 
protect them against all forms of neglect, abuse, exploitation and 
14 
other acts prejudicial to their interest and well-being. 
15 
1 


1 
Section 3. Comprehensive 
Emergency Program 
for 
2 
Children. - The Department of Social Welfare and Development 
3 
(DSWD), in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), 
4 
shall formulate a Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children 
5 
which shall be implemented immediately after the declaration of a 
6 
national or local state of calamity to protect the children and 
7 
support their immediate recovery. 
8 
The Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children, 
9 
hereinafter referred to as Program, shall have the following 
10 
components: 
11 
a) 
Establishment of Shelter for Displaced Children. - The 
12 
Program shall prioritize and provide housing options for displaced 
13 
children, families with children and of children separated from 
14 
their families or relatives. The DWSD shall, in coordination with 
15 
the local government units of the areas declared under the state of 
16 
calamity, immediately establish an option for shelter or permanent 
17 
housing. 
The shelter shall have emergency latrines, bathing 
18 
cubicles and hand washing facilities and shall provide child-
19 
friendly spaces where children can take part in child activities. It 
20 
shall also have provisions for maternal and baby care and rooms to 
21 
protect and ensure the right to privacy. 
22 
b) 
Assurance for Immediate Delivery of Basic Necessities 
23 
and Services. -
The Program shall facilitate and ensure the 
24 
immediate delivery of basic necessities and services specifically 
25 
needed by the affected children and youth in different stages of 
26 
development. It shall provide the affected children with basic 
27 
necessities for survival which include food, water, nutrition, 
28 
medicines, 
clothing, 
sanitary and hygiene kits and other 
2 


1 
emergency needs such as blankets, mosquito nets, cooking ware 
2 
and flashlights. 
The Program shall give priority to the specific 
3 
needs and nutrition of pregnant women, lactating mothers, 
4 
newborn babies and children under two years old. 
5 
c) 
Stronger Measures to Ensure the Safety and Security of 
6 
the Affected Children. - Under the Program, the DSWD shall, in 
7 
coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and 
8 
Philippine National Police (PNP), monitor and ensure the safety and 
9 
the security of the affected children in the areas declared under the 
10 
state of calamity and shall protect them against all forms of abuse 
11 
and exploitation. 
12 
d) 
Timely Delivery of Health and Medical Services. -
13 
Under the Program, the DSWD shall, in coordination with the 
14 
Department of Health (DOH), immediately provide the health and 
15 
medical needs of children in the areas declared under the state of 
16 
calamity including psychosocial interventions for children and 
17 
youth in different stages of development. 
The DOH shall g1ve 
18 
highest priority to the treatment and rehabilitation of pregnant 
19 
mothers and babies. 
20 
e) 
Plan of Action for Prompt Resumption of Educational 
21 
Services for Children. - The DSWD shall, in coordination with the 
22 
Department of Education (DepEd), ensure the prompt resumption 
23 
of educational services for children. 
24 
f) 
Establishment of Emergency Center. - Within five (5) 
25 
days from the declaration of a national or local state of calamity, 
26 
the DSWD shall set-up a Children's Emergency Center in every city 
27 
or municipality declared under the state of calamity which shall 
28 
provide the necessary child care services and shall coordinate with 
3 


1 
the lead agencies to effectively respond to the needs of children in 
2 
the area. 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
g) 
Promotion of Children's Right. - The Program shall 
include activities and processes that will promote and uphold the 
rights of children by; 
i) 
Promoting child-centered training for all first 
responders; 
ii) 
Ensuring that children are 
provided with 
adequate access to age-appropriate information on the 
proper action, role, duties and responsibilities of vanous 
government agencies during calamities and other emergency 
situation:;;; 
iii) 
Consulting with the affected children on their 
needs and priorities for post-disaster relief and recovery; and 
iv) 
Providing for an effective mechanism for training 
and meaningful participation of children in community 
disaster risk reduction program. 
19 
Section 4. Evacuation Centers. - Only in cases where there 
20 
IS no other available place or structure which can be used as a 
21 
general evacuation center, that a school may be used as an 
22 
evacuation center .. 
23 
When a school is used as an evacuation center, the use shall 
24 
be limited to the areas or spaces in the school that are not used as 
25 
classrooms such as gymnasiums, auditoriums and other open 
26 
spaces. The use of the school premises shall not exceed thirty (30) 
27 
days after the declaration of a state of national or local calamity, 
28 
unless the extension is absolutely necessary. If the use exceeds 
4 


1 
thirty (30) days, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and 
2 
Management Council (NDRRMC) shall, in coordination with the 
3 
Local DRRMC, provide written documentation to the DepEd on the 
4 
following: 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
(a) 
the name and location of the school 
(b) 
all alternative sites and the rationale for final site 
selection; and 
(c) 
measures being implemented to prevent interference or 
disruption to the school and educational activities of 
children. 
When temporary learning spaces or other transitional and 
12 
semi-permanent structures are used as classrooms after a 
13 
disaster, the DepEd shall continuously monitor and assess the 
14 
condition of such structures in order to ensure the safety of the 
15 
children and provide optimal learning environments. Where 
16 
temporary learning spaces or other transitional and semi-
17 
permanent structures are used for more than six (6) months after 
18 
the declaration of a state of calamity, the regional DepEd office 
19 
shall conduct quarterly site inspections and shall certify to the 
20 
Secretary of Education that such spaces are in good physical 
21 
condition and sufficient to ensure the safety of the children and 
22 
their environment. 
23 
24 
Section 5. Unaccompanied or Separated Children. - In 
25 
case of children who lost their families or who are separated from 
26 
their families and relatives, the DSWD shall document and provide 
27 
adequate care, initiate tracing of immediate relatives and proceed 
28 
with reunification services. All appropriate steps shall be taken to 
5 


1 
ensure the early reunion of unaccompanied or separated children 
2 
with their families or immediate relatives. 
3 
4 
Section 6. Data Gathering and Reporting. - The collection 
5 
and reporting of data at all levels shall be disaggregated by age and 
6 
gender in the aftermath of a national or local state of calamity. 
7 
Such collected data shall be utilized to understand and respond 
8 
better to the needs of children affected by disasters and calamities. 
9 
10 
Section 
7. 
Heightened 
Surveillance 
against 
Child 
11 
Trafficking, Child Labor, Child Prostitution and Violence on 
12 
Children. - Upon the declaration of a national and local state of 
13 
calamity, the PNP and the DSWD shall immediately heighten 
14 
comprehensive surveillance and monitoring to prevent child 
15 
trafficking, labor, and prostitution including domestic and sexual 
16 
violence in the areas declared under the state of calamity. Within 
17 
three (3) days from the declaration of a local or national state of 
18 
calamity, the PNP Chief and the Secretary of Social Welfare and 
19 
Development shall jointly submit written documentation and report 
20 
on their surveillance and monitoring to the appropriate committees 
21 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
22 
23 
Section 8. System of Reporting of Legal Documents - In 
24 
case of destroyed or missing legal documents of children in areas 
25 
declared under the state of calamity, the Philippine Statistics 
26 
Authority (PSA) shall develop a system for the restoration and 
27 
reconstitution of the destroyed or missing legal documents within 
28 
two (2) weeks after the submission of the application for the 
6 


1 
reconstitution or replacement of the destroyed or mlssmg 
2 
document. 
The PSA shall submit copies of such reconstituted 
3 
documents to appropriate government agencies for effective 
4 
monitoring and reporting and to ensure the continued access of 
5 
the affected children to social services. 
6 
7 
Section 9. Training of First Responders. - The NDRRMC 
8 
shall promote and conduct child-centered trainings for all first 
9 
responders in the calamity area such as community and barangay 
10 
leaders, school personnel and other rescuers. The trainings shall 
11 
include the following: 
12 
(a) 
Proper procedures and measures to safeguard and 
13 
protect the affected children during and after emergencies and 
14 
disasters; and 
15 
(b) 
Appropriate training on psycho-social interventions for 
16 
children and youth in different stages of development who are 
17 
victims of calamities. 
18 
19 
Section 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations - Within 
20 
ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of 
21 
Social Welfare and Development, in consultation and coordination 
22 
with the Administrator of the OCD, Secretary of Health, Secretary 
23 
of Education, PNP Chief and AFP Chief of Staff, shall promulgate 
24 
the 
necessary 
rules 
and 
regulations 
for 
the 
effective 
25 
implementation of this Act. 
26 
27 
Section 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part 
28 
of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining 
7 


1 
parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 
2 
3 
Section 12. Repealing Clallse. - All laws, executive orders, 
4 
presidential decrees, rules and regulation or parts thereof 
5 
inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
6 
amended or modified accordingly. 
7 
8 
Section 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen 
9 
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a 
10 
newspaper of general circulation. 
11 
Approved. 
8