Marcos admin fully backs BARMM protocol for children in conflict

The Marcos administration has given its full support to the newly launched Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) protocol aimed at protecting and rehabilitating children affected by armed conflict, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President said.

Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Anton Lagdameo affirmed the administration's "unwavering commitment" to the initiative, which was launched as part of Bangsamoro Children’s Month.

“The launching of Bangsamoro protocol on handling ‘children in situations of armed conflicts’ gets full backing from President Marcos and his administration,” Lagdameo said.

The BARMM Protocol on Children in Situations of Armed Conflict (CSAC) underscores a unified approach to view children affected by fighting as victims in need of care and reintegration, rather than as offenders. It serves as a localized implementation of Republic Act No. 11188, or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act.

The protocol mandates comprehensive protection and assistance for minors exposed to violence. It is designed to operationalize coordination among the national government, BARMM ministries, and security agencies to prevent child recruitment, facilitate rescue and recovery, and ensure psychosocial rehabilitation.

Police Col. Jemuel F. Siason, Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Police Regional Office in BARMM, represented the security sector, emphasizing law enforcement’s role in safeguarding children’s rights and welfare.

Lagdameo stressed the administration’s resolve to uphold these rights.

“Children have the right to a safe, healthy, and carefree childhood,” Lagdameo stated. “They do not belong in the battlefield and they have the right not to know the horrors of war.”

He also cited the ongoing efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to reinforce the "children as zones of peace" principle, which promotes that children and the areas they occupy must be free from any act of hostility.

"The principle that we wish for everyone in the Philippines to internalize is that children are zones of peace," he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has previously placed the welfare of children in the Bangsamoro region, especially those affected by decades of conflict, among his administration's priorities.

“Children deserve utmost protection from all forms of danger,” the president had emphasized earlier. “All efforts must, therefore, be exerted to ensure that they are sheltered and protected at all times.”

The launch of the BARMM CSAC Protocol marks a major step in institutionalizing localized child protection mechanisms and complements the broader national peace and development agenda by strengthening collaboration between the BARMM government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and humanitarian partners.