PAUL N.

RENDAL MPA

EXAM – Policy Science

1. Identify a national policy implemented (minimum of three years) and discuss

the following:

The DepEd Child Protection Policy or DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 is promulgated
on 14 May 2012. This Policy is in line with the constitutionally mandated right of
Filipino children to "assistance, including proper care, and nutrition, and special
protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other
conditions prejudicial to their development."

a. What are its main features?

The salient features of the said Policy are:

A. The Definition of Terms

Aside from providing the meaning of words and usage, Definition of terms
impliedly discusses the scope or coverage of the Policy;

B. Duties and responsibilities

The Duties and responsibilities narrates and lists down the duties and
responsibilities of the respective offices of the Department of Education
such as the Central Office, Regional Office and Division Offices down to
the School level which is composed of School Heads, School Personnel
and Students.

C. The establishment of the Child Protection Committee;

The Child Protection Committee is a mandatory requirement both to

public and private elementary and secondary schools. The Committee’s
main obligation includes drafting of the School Child Protection Policy
with a Code of Conduct, and ensure that the children’s right to be heard
are respected and upheld in all matters and procedures affecting their
welfare.

D. Measures to address the different forms of child abuse, exploitation,

violence, discrimination, bullying, and other acts of abuse;
 The Policy provides preventive measures address the different forms of
child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying, and other acts
of abuse. Also, the Policy provides protective and remedial measures to
address the different forms of child abuse, exploitation, violence,
discrimination, bullying, and other acts of abuse

E. Rules and procedures in handling child abuse, exploitation, violence,

discrimination, bullying, and other acts of abuse;

The Policy lists down the prohibited acts and narrates the proper conduct
of handling cases of abuse in public and private schools. This includes
discussion of the jurisdiction of the cases, the confidentiality of the facts of
the case, and the possible criminal and civil liability of the offenders.

F. Referral and assessment of victims and offenders and other children to

other government agencies

Those deemed victims and offenders may be referred by the School

Heads to Local Social and Welfare Development Office for appropriate
intervention.

b. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses/loopholes of the

policy?

The strengths of the policy are:

A. The Policy is in line with the constitutionally mandated right of Filipino

children under Section 3 (2), Article XV of the 1987 Constitution and in
consonance with Republic Act 7610 or otherwise known as “An Act
Providing For Stronger Deterrence And Special Protection Against Child
Abuse, Exploitation And Discrimination, And For Other Purposes”

B. The Policy serves as a comprehensive guidelines not only to pupil,

student, or learners enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools
but also apply to private elementary and secondary schools.

C. The Policy realizes the importance of different government sectors such

as the Department of Social Welfare and Development in dealing with
situations involving children.

D. The Policy identifies the key persons and lists down their duties and
responsibilities which promotes transparency and accountability.
 The weaknesses/ loopholes of the Policy are the following:

A. The Policy sets duties and responsibilities of each offices of the

Department of Education but failed to identify specific personnel that
should take charge or oversee the implementation of the Policy or of the
specific activity, campaign, or program;

B. The Policy failed to discuss the financial aspect that is necessary in

ensuring that capacity-building programs and campaigns will be fully
carried out.

C. The Policy is silent if it covers cases under Special Education.

c. If you have the chance to implement it in your municipality/city/province,

how will you do it and why?

If I will have the chance to implement it in my municipality/city/province, I

would include other government agencies in the implementation of the
Policy. Aside from LSWDO, I would include the Barangay Officials and
Police Officers in charge of Women and Children Desk. The Policy is good
as it protects the right of the children in school setting; however, there are
situations of child abuse involving students, pupils, and learners outside the
vicinity of the school or in places adjacent to the schools or during
weekends wherein there are no classes and the immediate persons who
take charge are the Barangay Officers or the Police Officers. Further, I
would like to improve the involvement of parents or the Parent-Teacher
Association in the implementation. It is necessary that the parents
become more than aware of the Policy and should be given specific task
in the implementation. After all, the parents has the primordial duty to
take care and protect the welfare and the rights of the children.

d. What changes would you recommend in the policy and why?

If I will be given a chance to change the Policy, I would enhance it by

making sure that there is a budget allocation for all the programs,
projects, activities, and campaigns necessary for the proper
implementation of the program by identifying the source/fund where the
budget should come from. The Policy will be useless if it is not properly
implemented due to lack of funding to support the programs or capacity-
building of the persons involved.
 More so, to ensure that all duties and responsibilities will be accomplished
and for accountability purposes, I will identify the key personnel for each
task.

Lastly, to be more inclusive, I will explicitly provide that students, pupils, or

learners under Special Education are cover by this Policy.

2. Can you cite a national or local policy that is reflective of the needs and
aspirations of the majority; give your reasons for citing it.

Republic Act No. 10931 also known as the “Universal Access to Quality
Tertiary Education Act” has been adopted from other countries such as in Brazil,
Germany, Finland, France, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden. In the Philippines,
21.6% of the population lives below the national poverty line (2015). Low
education and skill levels of the poor already hinder the Philippines’ economic
growth capacity and so to address the needs and aspirations of the majority of
the Filipino people, Senator Paolo Benigno (Bam) Aquino IV led the writing of the
said law. Free education for the Philippines however is not easy to be
implemented. As the law was approved after the signing of the National
Budget, the law was not funded sufficiently. For the meantime, budget
allotment by the government shoulders the tuition fees of students. Students who
were in the DSWD’s Listahanan, 4Ps, and those who were graduating were
prioritized to receive the free tuition from government schools.

The Philippine Constitution recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-
building. They have a great impact in creating a better tomorrow. As what our
national hero Jose Rizal said, “The youth is the hope of our country”. It has been
imparted in the mind of every Filipinos that education is the key to success and
that having an education will lead us to a successful and good life. Now, the
“hope” of the country has hope to finish their elementary, secondary and
tertiary education. It will improve the youth’s capacity and skills and it will ensure
the country to a better future.
3. Why is the sustainable implementation of a policy or policies always a
problem in governance? Explain using an example.

Governance in its simplest form refers to how societies make decisions and
take action. More attention and being critical in addressing governance would
sustain implementation.

In the Philippines, the governance “goes through the motion” of

addressing problems.

Without addressing the root causes of problems, policy implementation

would not sustain and will just go on a cycle. Corruption, ineffective budget
system, political dynasty, self-interests over public service, present-based
governance, slow-transition development, low economic capacity,
unimplemented urban planning and privatization, no monitoring and evaluating
of implemented policies are examples of root causes that hinder policy
enforcement.

Sustainability in the implementation of policies goes to the executive

branch of the government. Competing interests, especially in the Philippines – as
the late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago referred as the “world’s political
dynasty capital” – composes the 25% of government. Often, it was the reason
for having unsustainable implementation of policies. Their self-interest goes
beyond what was supposed to be intended and as the result, the people suffer
like how Vice-President Robredo blames political dynasties for the poverty in
Philippines.

Implementation misinterpretation has been amplified in recent events

such as in the issue of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law where
the Ombudsman suspends 27 Bureau of Corrections executives over the release
of heinous crime convicts. This loophole of the law was not monitored by the
legislative body yet those officers from the said Bureau were suspended.

Bias of the government to the elected officials is also prominent to the

Philippines. Big names often gets away from the teeth of the law. It’s as if politics
is business – those who have will have privilege and those who have nothing to
offer will certainly not have anything.

Addressing the needs, being proactive, being visionaries, inspiring the

youth and having the lenses of those people in the periphery should be the
priority of the government to break the said cycle but it will not be easy. But it
will resolve problems like the sustainability of policy implementation.