For the children

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas is the occasion that most children anticipate with great excitement, and most adults try their best to make Christmas special and joyous for children. On a day well into the holiday season, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) is also busy with children’s concerns, but theirs is a very different task – taking in abused children. Located at the Philippine General Hospital, the CPU’s main goal is to provide comprehensive service to abused children and their parents, offering them psychological, social, medical, and legal aid.

“We make sure that the patient goes through the system as painlessly as possible,” says Dr. Bernadette Madrid, director of the CPU, who has been with the unit since its inception in 1997. She notes that the children who find their way to the CPU have already been through so much, so the CPU tries to create a sense of safety and security for them. While the CPU is not a shelter for abused kids, it is able to give both immediate and long-term help. Madrid explains that a social worker assesses each child to find out his/her specific needs. “Some need everything – and more,” she says. “Services develop as we see the need.”

She adds that one of the constant and important needs of the child is long-term support from the community. At the CPU, children are given their immediate needs as well as weekly therapy sessions and regular assessments as needed. They also are given legal, livelihood, and educational assistance through tie-ups with different NGOs.The CPU sees as many as 90 new cases a month, who are victims of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect. Even at the height of tropical storm “Ondoy” children were not spared from abuse. Sometimes, as many as nine cases are referred to the center in one morning alone.

There are many factors that lead to abuse, says Madrid. “Poverty is a risk factor for all forms (of abuse),” she says. She adds that cultural practices involving corporal punishment and lack of parenting skills contribute to the occurrence of physical abuse.

For sexual abuse, media has a big role in changing the mindset of the people. “Notice the way media treats the sexualization of girls and how the sexualization of behavior has become a norm,” says Madrid. 

Other factors contributing to abuse include the size of the population itself. “The more children there are, the higher the probability of abuse,” she says, citing studies done by the CPU.

The lack of budget that the government invests in children is also an issue – whether for education, health, or social services. One glaring example of the government’s disregard for children is that the age limit for statutory rape is 12 years old; in America it is 16. “Thirteen-year-olds are so easily seduced and manipulated,” laments Madrid. “Once they are in a situation, they can no longer handle it.” She points out that statistics show that a large majority of the cases of reported sexual abuse and trafficking are in the 13- to 15-year-old age bracket.“Right now, the Philippines is still crisis-oriented,” explains Madrid. The next step would be to implement prevention so that the abuse will not happen in the first place. Parenting seminars, for example, may contribute to the prevention of child abuse. Madrid stresses that this is still being developed. “We are still looking at the whole process and assessing how ready each community is for prevention,” she says. “We’ll get there.”

So far, Madrid cannot say that the cases of child abuse have gone down since the founding of the CPU. However, she counts their triumphs by the number of children they are able to help. “That is why I stay long here,” Madrid reflects. “You know you can make a difference. They can get help and get on with their lives.” There have also been significant improvements in the way the police and judiciary handle child abuse cases. “Being child-sensitive is now the norm,” says Madrid.

They have also seen some of their charges graduate from college and many have been able to move on with their lives. “It is so important that they have hope,” says Madrid. Though the CPU sees so many cases of abuse, Madrid says that she also sees success stories every day. “The children have many strengths,” she says.

She also mentions the resilience and the sense of forgiveness in each child. “You feel their pain, but not hatred.” Madrid says that it is this resilience and strength that sends a message of hope from Filipino children to the nation, but is quick to add, “We hope we don’t have to always rely on that resiliency.”

“They are just like any other child,” says Madrid of the young charges of the CPU, and the aim is to help the children develop to their full potential.

The best gift that we can give these children, Madrid says, is to speak up about abuse. “People should be more involved and not apathetic. When you see something wrong, say something… The situation will not go too far if people just speak up.”