Makati City, 25 October 2005 --- In 2003, children from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao talked about their rights and what their families, communities and government should do. Today, a landmark publication on children's participation in the Philippines echoes the voices of these children.

UNICEF and the Council for the Welfare of Children(CWC) recently released a book called "The National Framework on Children's Participation".

The manuscript serves as a guide in promoting and upholding children's participation in the Philippines.

The document discusses the evolving definitions and guiding principles of children's participation. According to the participants of the consultation meetings, children's participation promotes self-development, leads to social awareness and responsible actions, upholds democratic principles and processes, strengthens resilience and protective systems, and benefits the community.

Organized by CWC and the National Coalition of Children's Associations in the Philippines (NaCCAP) and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the 2003 inter-island conferences resulted in declarations and plans of action for children's rights.

Their outputs are integrated in the National Framework. The framework stresses that the family is the first arena of children's participation.

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For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Dale Rutstein
UNICEF Manila, 901 0177 or 0917 866 4969, drutstein@unicef.org
Alexis Rodrigo
UNICEF Manila, 901 0173 or 0917 858 9447, arodrigo@unicef.org