MANILA (Bernama-PNA): The Philippines has launched a multiyear national action plan to end child, early, and forced marriages and unions, strengthening efforts to protect vulnerable children and uphold their rights, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
The National Action Plan to End Child, Early, Forced Marriages and Unions for 2025-2028 outlines measures to prevent child marriage, improve protection services, and address deep-rooted social norms that place children, particularly girls, at risk.
National and local government officials, youth advocates, and development partners participated in the launch.
Developed by the government in coordination with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and civil society group Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), the plan is anchored on child participation, ensuring young people’s insights shape priority actions.
Despite gains in policy reform, the country continues to face significant challenges, with one in 10 girls still vulnerable to early and forced unions.
Republic Act (RA) 11596, signed in 2021, criminalises child marriage, but sustained implementation and community support are needed to fully protect at-risk children. - Bernama-PNA
