SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.B. No. 351 
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Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARD1,:\, 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish a National Missing Children Recovery Program which 
will aid in returning missing children to the care and protection of their parents 
or legal guardians. Children receive protection and care not only from their 
respective parents and families but most especially from the State, based on the 
concept of Parens Patriae. Article 14, Section 3, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution 
also states that Filipino children have the right to assistance, including proper 
care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, 
cruelty, exploitation and other conditions prejudicial to their development. 
Because of the ills' of the society, numerous children experience exploitation, 
violence and abuse. There are child laborers, street children and children who are 
victims of rape or sexual abuse. There are government agencies that specifically 
look into these cases. The Council for the Welfare of the Children is the agency 
that oversees children's protection, welfare and development in the Philippines. 
It has sectoral panels or task forces that focus on the five major areas of the 
Philippine Plan of Action for Children (PP AC) and the Convention on the Rights 
of the Child (CRC): 1) family care and alternative parental arrangements! 2) basic 
health, nutrition, social security and safe environment; 3) basic education, leisure, 
recreation and cultural activities; 4) protection of children in especially' difficult 
circumstances; and, 5) fundamental civil rights .. 
A significant number of children are separated from their families for reasons 
such as natural calamities as well as forced and involuntary disappearances. Yet, 
there is no specialized agency that oversees cases relating to missing children. 
This measure seeks to answer this need through the establishment of a missing 
children recovery program. The program will be under the Council for the 
Welfare of Missing Children with the creation of ·a sixth sectoral panel: the 
Sectoral Panel on Missing Children. The said Sectoral Panel shall establish and' 
operate a national reSOUl:ce center and information clearinghouse. Its functions· 
include coordinating public and private programs which will locate, recover and 
reunite missing children with their parents or legal guardians and establishing 
and operating a national missing children telephone hotline. 
To ensure that the provisions of the Act are properly carried out, five million 
pesos shall be allocated to the Sectoral Panel on Missing Children for the first, 
year of its implementation. After which, the Sectoral Panel shall be included in, 
the budget of the Council for the Welfare of Children in the Genetal. 
Appropriations Act. 


With the passage of this measure, more children will be reunited with their 
families where they can continue to grow under their protection and care. 
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passage of this bill is sought. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
) 
) 
) 
Sr'l~b 
'IOH,;y ~rl~. ~."".t"'V 
'13 JIll -3 P12 :48 
SENATE 
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S.B. No. 
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·Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA, 
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AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN 
RECOVERY PROGRAM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by. the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall known as the "National Missing Children 
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Recovery Program Act of2013." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Principle - The State reiterates its responsibility as 
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Parens Patriae to' protect the welfare of children especially in the wake of the following 
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developments, namely: 
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1. Each year, hundreds of children are abducted or removed from the protection 
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and care of their parents or legal guardians with such parents or legal guardians' 
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consent, under circumstances which place these children in grave danger; 
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2. Many of these children are never reunited with their families; 
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3. Often there are no clues to the whereabouts of these children; 
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. 4. Many missing children are at risk of both physical harm and sexual exploitation; 
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5. In many cases, parents and local law enforcement officials have neither the 
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expertise nor the resources to mount expanded search efforts; 
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6. Abducted children are frequently moved from one locality to another, requiring 
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the cooperation and coordination of both local and national law enforcement 
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efforts; and 
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7. On frequent occasions, law enforcement authorities quickly exhaust all leads in 
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missing children cases, and require assistance from distant communities where 
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the child may be located. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms - Forthe purpose of this Act, 
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1. The term "missing child" shall refer to any individual below 18 years of age whose 
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whereabouts are unknown to such individual's parents or legal guardian if; 
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a) the circumstances surrounding such individual's disappearance indicate that 
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such individual may possibly have been removed by another from the 
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protection and care of such individual's parents or legal guardian without 
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such parents or legal guardia~'s consent; or 
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b) the circumstances of the case strongly indicate that such individual is likely to 
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be abused or sexmllly exploited; 
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2. The term "Council" shall refer to the Council for the Welfare of Children; 
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3. The term "Chairperson" shall refer to the Chairperson of the Sectoral Panel on 
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Missing Children of the Council for the Welfare of Children of the Department of Social 
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Welfare an Development; and 
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4. The term "Sectoral Panel" shall refer to the Sectoral Panel on Missing Children. 
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SECTION 4. Creation of the Sectoral Panel on Missing Children. - A sixth 
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sectoral panel, the Sectoral Panel on Missing Children, shall be established at the 
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Council for the Welfare of Children. The Sectoral panel shall be the primary unit in the 
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Council that shall assist law enforcement agencies in the prompt resolution of cases 
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involvIng missing children. 
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The Sectoral Panel shall adhere to the rules and regulations governing the operation and 
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administration of the Council. 
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SECTION 5. Duties and Functions of the Sectoral Panel. - The Sect6ral Panel on 
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Missing Children shall: 
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1. Establish and operate a national resource center and information clearinghouse 
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designed to: 
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a. 
provide . technical 
assistance 
to 
national 
and 
local 
governments, 
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nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals in locating and 
recovering missing children; 
b. 
coordinate public and private programs which locate, recover, and reunite 
missing children with their parents or legal guardian; 
c. 
disseminate information about innovative programs, services, and legislation 
on missing children. 
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2. Establish and operate a national missing children telephone hotline by which 
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individuals may report information regarding the location of any missing child, or 
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request information pertaining to procedures necessary to reunite such child with the 
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child's parents or legal guardian; 
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3. Annually conduct· national incidence studies to determine the actual' number of 
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children reported missing, the number of children who are victims of abduction by 
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strangers and the number of children who are recovered each year. 
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4. Analyze, compile, publish, and disseminate an annual summary of recently 
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completed researches, as well as national and local demonstration projects relating to 
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missing children with particular emphasis on: 
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a. Effective models of national and local agencies for locating missing children; 
b. Effective educational methods designed to promote community awareness of 
the problem to prevent the abduction and sexual exploitation of children; and 
c. Effective programs which provide counseling and treatment to families of 
missing children or to children who have been victims of abduction or sexual 
exploitation; 
SECTION 6. Duties and Functions of the Chairperson. -
1. The Chairperson shall: 
a. issue such rules as the Chairperson considers necessary or appropriate to 
carry out the duties and functions of the Sectoral Panel on Missing Children; 
b. prepare, subject to the review and approval of tile Technical Management 
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Committee, 'an annual comprehensive plan for' facilitating cooperation and 
coordination among all agencies and organizations with responsibilities 
related to missing children; 
c. provide adequate staff and agency resources which are necessary to properly 
carry out the responsibilities of the Sectoral Panel; 
2, 
The Chairperson shall provide grants to or enter into contracts with other 
government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, private 
corporations, and NGOs, pursuant to the provisions of Section 8 of this Act. 
3. 
The Chairperson shall receive and manage funds from external resources 
induding donations, grants and endowments for the implementation of its 
programs pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of Act. 
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SECTION 7. Additional Members to the Council Board - The Council Board 
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shall have as additional members the Philippine National Police and the National 
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Bureau of Investigation or their duly authorized representatives. 
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SECTION 8. Grants - The Chairperson is hereby authorized to make grants to 
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private corporations, government agencies or NGOs, or combinations thereof for 
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research, demonstration projects or service programs designed to: 
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a. Educate parents, children, and local communities in ways to prevent the 
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abduction and sexual exploitation of children; 
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b: Provide information to assist in the locating the recovery of missil1g children; 
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c. Aid communities in the collection of materials which would be useful in the 
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identification of missing children; 
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d. Increase knowledge of and develop effective treatment pertaining to the 
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psychological consequences, on the family of the missing child; 
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e. Collect detailed date on the actual investigation practices utilized by law 
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enforcement agencies in missing childrensl cases. 
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In considering grant applications, the Executive Director shall give priority to applicants 
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who have a proven track record or experience in: 
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a. Locating missing children or locating and reuniting missing children; 
2 
b. Providing other services to missing children or their famili~s; or 
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c. Conducting research relating to missing children with their parents or legal 
4 
guardians. 
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SECTION 9. Criteria for Grants - Subject to the review and approval of the 
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Technical Management Committee, the Chairperson shall establish annual research, 
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demonstration, and service program priorities for making grants and contracts pursuant 
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to section 8 of this Act. 
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SECTION. 10. Appropriations - To carry out the provisions of this Act, Five 
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Million Pesos (P 5,000,000.00) shall be appropriated to the Sectoral Panel under the 
, 
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General Appropriations for the first year of implementation. Thereafter, such amount as 
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may be necessary to carry out this purpose shall be included in the budget of the 
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Council for the Welfare of Children in the General Appropriations Act. 
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SECTION. 11. Separability of Provisions - If any provision of this Act or the 
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application of such provision to any person or circumstances is declared 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the application of such provision to other 
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persons or circumstances shall not be affected by such declaration. 
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SECTION. 12. Repealing Clause - All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
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orders, rules and regulations that are contrary to the Provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed, amended and modified accordingly. 
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SECTION. 13. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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