(Photo courtesy of PNA)
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo City government is pushing for amendments to its Children’s Code to strengthen child protection measures and ensure that Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children (BCPCs) are fully operational across the city.
Councilor Frances Grace Parcon-Torres, chairperson of the City Council’s Committee on Women, Children and Family, said Tuesday that several barangays still lack functional child protection councils.
She also noted that some barangay officials were unaware that child representatives must be elected to ensure children’s participation in decisions affecting their welfare.
“Other barangays were not aware that the child representative should be elected because if there are those who know about the concerns of the children, other than their parents and people around them, are the children themselves,” Parcon-Torres said.
The proposed revisions also seek to strengthen measures against child trafficking and emphasize the responsibilities of parents and families in protecting children.
Parcon-Torres said the amendments would explicitly recognize the role of fathers, which was not included in the existing ordinance.
“Formerly, the Children’s Code did not mention the role of the father. So, we included it because we realized that in some cases of CICL (children in conflict with the law) and CAR (children at risk), they have no father figure,” she explained.
The councilor stressed that safeguarding children requires the collective involvement of families, communities and local authorities.
She expressed optimism that the amended Children’s Code would be approved before the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, Parcon-Torres said she was also pursuing the passage of a separate Juvenile Justice and Welfare Ordinance to further strengthen local policies addressing the needs of children at risk and those in conflict with the law.
