Philippine President calls on nation against child abuse

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday called on the nation to help prevent the abuse and maltreatment of children, saying it is time to take concrete steps to protect the health and welfare of children.

At the launch of Child Abuse Prevention Year, Arroyo said her administration's fight against poverty should go hand in hand with the campaign to protect the children from abuse and maltreatment since many of the victims are from poor families.

"I ask our partners to put the anti-child abuse campaign squarely in the context of our larger war against poverty," Arroyo said.

"Let us vow, not with words but with deeds, to serve our nation's future and therefore ensure the security of our children," she said.

On Sept. 8, President Arroyo signed Proclamation 1137 declaring October 2006 to 2007 as "Child Abuse Prevention Year."

The proclamation is part of the advocacy of the Child Protection Unit Network and the UP-PGH (University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital) Child Protection Unit.

Statistics from the Department of Social Welfare and Development show that from 1998 to 2002, more than 40,000 cases of child abuse have been registered.

Source: Xinhua