On November 23, 1990, The Government of the Philippines approved Republic Act No. 6972 which calls for the establishment of a day care center in every barangay and of the Total Development and Protection of Children Program. The Act directs the government to defend the children’s right to proper care and nutrition and to protect them from neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions detrimental to development. The national budget appropriates funds for the creation, maintenance, and operation of barangay day care centers. Parents must consent to sending their <6-year old children to the day care centers unless a child has been abused, neglected, or exploited. The barangay is the implementing agency. Day care centers shall monitor birth registration, completion of immunization series, growth, and nutrition and provide supplementary nutritional food. Staff at the centers shall not receive <500 pesos/month. They either care for or arrange comparable care for children of working mothers whether the mothers work during the day or night. The Department of Social Welfare and Development shall provide adequate supervision of the centers, network of homes, and private caretakers including paid domestics, elderly relatives, or older children. Surrogate mothers-teachers shall provide intellectual and mental stimulation and supervised wholesome recreation. An institution in each barangay and/or a network of homes shall serve as a sanctuary for abused, neglected, or exploited children. Each day care center shall also act as a referral and support system for pregnant mothers for prenatal and neonatal care and for delivery. It also needs to be aware of illegal abortions and inept and untrained traditional birth attendants. The program must develop a support system and network of assistance from barangay members to develop and protect children.
UNICEF-supported Early Childhood Care and Development programs promote play-based learning and seek to enhance the curriculum and the capacity of parent/community volunteers, day care workers and kindergarten teachers to create a stimulating learning environment for children. This approach encourages children’s natural curiosity to explore, develops creativity and most importantly, provides a positive learning experience through storytelling, role-play, active play, and use of manipulative toys and learning materials. It gives them a solid foundation in basic literacy and numeracy and teaches them to develop focus, learn group dynamics, and share with others. This produces children who are eager to learn and because they are ready for school and able to handle their social interactions with other children, they are less likely to drop out.
Studies in the Philippines show that only 3 out of 10 children aged 0-6 years old have access to day care or any form of early learning. The numbers are much lower in remote and conflict–affected areas where access to early learning is more challenging due to inadequate resources, difficult terrain and low awareness on the importance of early childhood education.
In many rural, remote and disadvantaged areas in our country, parents are generally unaware that various forms of play actually keep children healthy and sharpen a child’s skills in listening, self-expression, observation and other skills for beginning literacy. Play-based learning could be the key to develop an early love of learning, which can improve school attendance, creativity and ultimately, spell the difference between the success and failure of a child when he starts formal school.
Children can someday change the world. Let us do our best to provide a better environment that would shape them.
By: Ellen Baluyot | Teacher II | Bataan National HighSchool| Balanga, Bataan
