Speech
of
His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos
President of the Philippines
During the presentation of the United Nations Children’s Fund’s 1995 report on the State of the World’s Children and the ceremonial launching of International Children’s Day of Broadcasting

[Delivered in Malacañang, Manila December 19, 1995]

Children are at the heart
of all our strivings

WE GATHER HERE TODAY, in joy and pride, to mark two events focused on our children—the presentation by UNICEF of its 1995 Report on the State of the World’s Children and our country’s celebration of International Children’s Day of Broadcasting.

No other time than this Christmas season suits our affirmation that the welfare of children is at the heart of all our strivings to develop our economy and to ease want and poverty in our country.

Goals of the World Summit for Children on target

We heartily welcome the 1995 Report on the State of the World’s Children, and we rejoice in its encouraging news that more than half of all the developing nations are on target to achieve most of the goals they took up at the 1990 world summit for children.

The 1995 Report tells us that nations are putting the needs and rights of children at the very center of their development strategies. The Philippines is one with these nations in placing the highest priority on children’s welfare.

Our action plan for children is a vital component of our shared vision of Philippines 2000. Over the past three years, we have made good progress in achieving the goals in health, nutrition, education and water and sanitation we set for ourselves on behalf of Filipino children.

This year is our year of reckoning how far we have come—and how far we have to go—to achieve our mid-decade goals for children. Reaching our specific targets for 1995 is the first step in the series of action we need to undertake—to realize the goals of our national plan of action for children by the year 2000.

The Presidential review of our mid-decade goals for children—conducted last October—showed we are on target in the four goals of immunizing Filipino children against diseases like polio. But the review also showed we need to intensify our efforts to eliminate vitamin A deficiency, prevent iodine deficiency by the universal iodization of salt and to improve water supply and sanitation facilities.

We are heartened by the support we are beginning to receive from local governments.

A review of legislative initiatives for children’s welfare by the Ninth Congress and the formulation of a legislative agenda for the same cause for the Tenth Congress are being initiated by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee for Population and Development.

International Children’s Day of Broadcasting

Today we also join the rest of the world in celebrating International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, which is also organized by UNICEF.

This event is celebrated worldwide—it is participated in by nearly 1,000 radio and television stations in 112 countries—to generate and sustain media attention on children’s welfare worldwide.

I thank stations PTV-4, IBC-13, and Radyo ng Bayan for preparing special programs to celebrate International Children’s Day of Broadcasting—and I call on all our mass media to devote this special day to our children. This is the time for broadcasters to look at the challenges and also the dangers facing our children in our fast-changing world. Give children a chance to be heard—to talk about their feelings, their dreams and their hopes.

Kahit man lamang iilang araw ay maipadama natin sa ating mga anak at mga kabataan na talagang napakahalaga nila sa atin.

At dahil sila nga ang kinabukasan ng ating bayan, kilalanin natin ang kakayahan ng mga kabataan at ipaglaban ang kanilang karapatan at kinabukasan.