RA 7610

Enacted in 1992, amended by RA 9231 (Anti-Child Labor Law) in 2003 and RA 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act) in 2006

The Child Protection Act provides special protection for children against abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. It criminalizes various forms of child abuse and has created programs to support affected children.

RA 8972

Enacted: November 2000

The Solo Parents Welfare Act provides benefits and privileges to solo parents and their children, including flexible work schedules, protection from discrimination at work, and entitlement to parental leave.

RA 8980

Enacted: December 2000

The Early Childhood Care and Development Act establishes a national policy framework for the health, nutrition, education, and social services programs for the needs of children from birth to age 6.

RA 9208

Enacted: May 2003, amended by RA 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012) in February 2013 and by RA 11862 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022) in June 2022

The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act criminalizes human trafficking for exploitation, including arranged marriages, adoption for exploitation, sex tourism, prostitution, and pornography.

RA 9262

Enacted: March 2004

This act defines and penalizes violence against women and their children. It aims to safeguard the rights of women and children within family and intimate relationships by providing protective measures for victim-survivors and penalties for offenders.

RA 9344

Enacted: April 2006, amended by RA 10630 (Act Strengthening the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act) in 2012

The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act raises the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 15, but provides accountability measures for children who commit either petty or serious offenses regardless of age. Based on the principles of restorative justice and the best interest of the child, it provides programs and interventions for children-at-risk, children in conflict with the law (CICL), and the CICL’s victims.

In 2012, the law was amended through RA 10630 to include children below the minimum age of criminal responsibility (under 15) who commit serious or repeat offenses to undergo intensive juvenile intervention programs in Houses of Hope or Bahay Pag-Asa.

RA 9775

Enacted: November 2009

This law defines and penalizes “child pornography,” now referred to in the more recent Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Law as child sexual abuse materials. Punishable acts include creation, possession, and distribution of such materials.

RA 10821

nacted: May 2016

Following the tragedy of Typhoon Yolanda and the experience of civil society and government in responding to various conflicts and calamities, the Children in Emergencies Act was enacted to protect the most vulnerable sector–children–before, during, and after disasters.

This law requires the government to prioritize children’s safety and needs in disaster preparedness and response. It involves gathering data on children and their specific needs, ensuring children’s participation in disaster-related planning, establishing child-safe evacuation centers and child-friendly spaces, training responders on child protection, ensuring proper nutrition for expecting and nursing mothers, providing health and trauma support, and getting children back to school as soon as possible.

RA 11166

Enacted: December 2018

This act expands the 1998 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Act and mandates confidential HIV testing and treatment access without parental consent for individuals aged 15 and older, aiming to protect the health of teenagers.

RA 11148

Enacted: November 2018

The First 1000 Days Act recognizes that the most critical period in a child’s life–from conception to the child’s second birthday–is essential for fulfilling all the health and nutrition needs of the child. This is key to reducing malnutrition and stunting. The law supports maternal and child health programs, including support for prenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding promotion, and early childhood nutrition.

RA 11188

Enacted: January 2019

This law establishes children and spaces where children congregate as “Zones of Peace” and provides protection for children involved in armed conflict, internally-displaced children, and children affected by armed conflict. It imposes penalties and imprisonment for those who will commit grave child rights violations, such as kidnapping, recruitment, inhumane treatment, acts of gender-based violence, denial of humanitarian access, and attacks on zones of peace. The law treats children, including children involved in armed conflict, as victims who need to be rescued, rehabilitated, and reintegrated into the community.

RA 11210

Enacted: February 2019

The Expanded Maternity Law extends paid maternity leave from 60 to 105 days, with an optional additional 30 days of unpaid leave. This change gives working mothers more time to focus on their recovery and care for their newborns.

RA 11596

Enacted: December 2021

Before the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, child marriage was permitted in indigenous communities as part of tradition and in Muslim communities under the Code of Muslim Personal Laws, leading to 1 in 6 girls in the Philippines already married before they reach 18 and placing the country 10th globally in the absolute number of child marriages.

The new law prohibits the facilitation and solemnization of child marriage across all communities, regardless of background, to protect children from its harmful health and socioeconomic effects. The new law also prohibits adults from living in or cohabitating with minors.

RA 11642

Enacted: January 2022

The Domestic Administrative Adoption Act shifts the adoption process from a judicial to an administrative procedure, making it quicker, less costly, and more accessible to Filipino families. The law establishes the National Authority for Child Care, which oversees all domestic adoptions, foster care, guardianship, and other child placement services. The law also mandates robust background checks.

RA 11648

Enacted: March 2022

The law raises the age for determining statutory rape from below 12 to below 16 and establishes identical penalties for sexual crimes regardless of the victim’s gender. This change addresses the significant trauma child rape victims experience in court, where proving consent is often a re-traumatizing process. Under this law, for statutory rape cases, minors only need to prove two elements: their age and that the act occurred.

RA 11650

Enacted: March 2022

This law integrates learners with disabilities into mainstream education, mandating that schools develop inclusive learning environments. Part of which is the establishment of Inclusive Learning Resource Centers in each city and municipality and the modification of curricula, facilities, and teaching methods to integrate diverse learning needs.

RA 11767

Enacted: May 2022

The Foundling Recognition and Protection Act grants natural-born Filipino citizenship to foundlings, ensuring their right to nationality, social services, and protection from discrimination. The law mandates immediate reporting and care for foundlings in designated “Safe Haven” facilities and establishes the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) to oversee their welfare. Foundlings are provided access to essential services and streamlined adoption options, with protections against fraudulent registrations.

RA 11862

Enacted: June 2022

The Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act strengthens the law by expanding its scope to cover trafficking in persons online. It also makes internet intermediaries accountable for knowingly or negligently allowing their platforms to be used for trafficking in persons.

RA 11930

Enacted: July 2022

The Philippines has been tagged as a primary target of online sexual predators due to factors such as poverty, social norms, and proficiency in the English language. Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) has become a cottage industry, with the Anti-Money Laundery Council flagging over P1.5 billion in suspicious transactions related to abusing children online at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Anti-OSAEC law establishes a National Coordination Center to unify efforts across agencies and the private sector to protect children in the Philippines against OSAEC. The law also makes Internet providers and platforms responsible in detecting, blocking, and reporting exploitative content and criminalizes acts such as grooming and sharing of child sexual abuse materials (CSAEM).

The law strengthens the government’s capacity to conduct financial investigations of perpetrators, blacklist foreign offenders, and implement age verification protocols. It also creates an offenders registry for Filipino nationals and foreigners and enhances international legal cooperation on cases.