The 11th Lingap Pangkabataan National Children’s Congress officially opened last December 10, via Zoom with around 57 children representing various church and community-based children’s associations. After months of preparation thru face-to-face and online meetings beginning in August 2022, we had a fun-filled opening session with Shelter Park Youth and Children’s Organization [SPYCO], Children’s Association of Balangiga [CAB] and the Youth Supporting and Promoting Empathy, Action and Knowledge [Y-SPEAK] facilitating the opening praise and worship.
Ms. Fe Adul-Foronda as the keynote speaker challenged us to take care of our mental health, help report cases/stories of sexual abuse to trusted adults and authorities and build our ranks and capabilities by taking advantage of venues for children’s advocacy and participation like this Congress. Ate Fe shared about how she got involved in the child participation work, she being a Ka-Lingap beginning November 2000 and her continuous work up to now with PCMN and her battle against online child sexual abuse and exploitation or OSAEC. Ate Fe explained that OSAEC is an alarming concern with an almost 300% increase in cases in 2020 alone and that children themselves can do something to prevent and respond to it.
After the inspiring keynote message of Ate Fe, Charlie, our host for the opening session shared about the critical role also of law enforcement/uniformed personnel in addressing OSAEC.
Children participants proceeded on the workshop to identify concerns experienced by children during the past two years of this COVID-19 pandemic. They shared them after lunch which included concerns about access to education, especially since they have limited access to gadgets and the internet. They also need to study lessons independently with limited interaction with classmates and teachers. Some expressed concerns about their parents losing their jobs, while some shared about not being able to see their relatives and loved ones because of the strict lockdowns.
All these concerns impact our mental health and Kuya Ram Mangubat oriented us on what activities we may do in our respective communities to facilitate interventions among our peers.
One of our child representatives to the Board of Trustees gave the closing remarks to signal the recess of our 11th Children’s Congress.
We designed the 11th National Children’s Congress to be a venue for fellow children leaders and child advocates to learn and discuss ways how to move forward in our child participation and advocacy work and identify key steps to respond to the situation mentioned above.
Specifically, the 11th NCC aims to (1) Enhance our awareness of various child protection issues, affecting our socio-emotional well-being, and explore what we can do as children to contribute to addressing these issues; (2) Strengthen children’s advocacies on mindfulness, psychosocial, and other child protection concerns; and (3) Select a new set of children leaders and representatives to the Lingap General Assembly, Board of Trustees, and other child-focused networks at local child-focused levels.
Overall, the opening session was an eye-opener for all of us and provided the Advocacy agenda we will need to lobby thru the next Congress sessions before Lingap’s General Assembly on May 18.
In the coming weeks, we will conduct the following activities:
- Assessment, planning, and preparation for the next activities, local and national face-to-face culminating activity in May 2023.
- Continue with the resource mobilization to support local transportation, food and accommodation, kits, and materials. Strengthen the partnership with Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health for the Enhancing Children’s Capacities for Advocacy and Participation strategic management plan.
- Encourage more children’s associations and local churches to support and participate in the 11th National Children’s Congress.
On behalf of my fellow children partners,
Chynie Saguban
Child Representative to the Lingap Board of Trustees