BY LINDON L. ABAPO/DSSC Intern
COUNCILOR Antoinette Principe, chairperson of the 21st City Council’s committee on education, is pushing for stronger anti-bullying measures and child protection programs in public schools.
Principe said that while the city already has a local ordinance protecting the well-being of children, she stressed that they do not want to treat child safety as an afterthought, especially after previous incidents involving kids.
“We have to be proactive when it comes to dealing with our children, our learners,” she said, adding that schools should remain a safe zone for both students and teachers.
The legislator also noted that teachers’ mental health is part of the conversation, since they are responsible for ensuring the safety of their students.
Principe said the city is also looking into possible additional ordinances if needed, though these are still under study.
According to Principe, the memorandum of agreement supporting these programs has already gone through public hearings and is now awaiting the mayor’s signature. Once signed, the Sangguniang Panlungsod will pass an ordinance granting the necessary authority to implement the program.
She added that preparations have been ongoing since late last year. The city benchmarked its approach from Venezuela’s child welfare model, which includes checks for severity, language development, and anxiety.
Coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and various city offices, including the City Planning Office, City Agriculture Office, City Cooperative Office, City Budget Office, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office, began as early as October and December last year, continuing into January this year.
Capacity training related to the program was completed in March, including planning for meal preparation and sourcing of raw materials. Principe said the city wants these materials to come from local cooperatives based in Davao City.
Principe acknowledged that banning online games among children is difficult to enforce, sharing that she herself has a 13-year-old daughter who plays online games.
While some studies suggest children below 16 should not have access to gadgets at all, she noted that many school requirements are now online, with some schools combining face-to-face and online classes.
She said addressing the issue requires a community approach rather than placing the burden solely on teachers. For instance, parents also need to monitor their children and teach them how to self-regulate and exercise good judgment on screen time and online activities.
Principe also raised concerns about school security, referencing discussions held last week with the City Council and DepEd regarding safety measures even before the recent incident in Tacloban.
She pointed out that some schools tend to keep incidents private to protect their reputation. At the same time, she noted that some children today are more aware of their actions and may act with discernment, similar to how the DSWD evaluates such cases.
Citing Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, Principe explained that the law currently sets the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15 years old, a shift from the previous threshold of 9 to 12 years old. She said the Philippines has one of the highest minimum ages of criminal responsibility in Asia, while some other countries set it as low as 9 years old.
Principe said the law was designed to give young offenders a chance for reform and restoration rather than punishment. In Davao City, she said local programs such as the Children’s Counseling Program aim to take a proactive approach, helping prevent children from reaching a point where they could be held criminally liable under the law, while also protecting the welfare of the city’s youth.
