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Save the Children is working on the issue of banning corporal punishment in several

countries, one of them is the Philippines. It is not just by chance that this country, this spring,

can become the 34th country in the world, and the first in Asia, to enact a law banning

corporal punishment.

text ANNIKA RYDMAN PhOtO JONAs GRAtzeR

Moving towards enacting a new law

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In an alley in one of Manila’s northern suburbs there is a slogan painted on a wall surrounding a little basket-ball court “Positive discipline now” stands written in bold letters in yellow, green and red.– We’re the ones who painted that, says Rodinah

Pongan proudly.she is one of the young people in the Children and

Youth Organisation, CYO, that together with save the Children’s partner organisation zoto, is working

for children’s rights and against corporal punishment.the work to enact a law against corporal punishment has

been conducted with determination, in a very strategic manner and in cooperation with other voluntary organisations, both international and domestic, with politicians and other policy-makers. And at all levels of society. some of the children on the basketball court know what posi-

tive discipline means. they have learned from Rodinah and her friends in CYO. For several years, the organisation has been working to teach children about their rights.– We gather a group of children and tell them about the

Convention on the Rights of the Child and that it is not right for their parents and other adults to hit them, notes Rodinah at the same time as she laughingly greets her friend Glecery Paler who is walking up the alley.Many curious children gather around us and in the end, helen,

Glecery’s mother suggests that we go to her place in order to talk in peace and quiet.several alleys away, we turn into an even narrower alley. the

low houses are adjacent to one another, the roofs are of tin and it’s important to watch were your going.In the minimal living room, there is an inviting round table

where the children who joined us have settled down. their parents and other adults such as their teachers have hit some of them. they know all to well how it feels.– It hurts to be hit and it is humiliating, especially if it is in

front of your friends. You feel it not only in your body but it also wounds your soul, says Raven Arinino and several others around the table agree with him.– here in the Philippines corporal punishment is part of

the culture, people just don’t know any other way of repri-manding children. But it doesn’t make it any the more right, states Rodinah.

Glecery’s mother, helen has been deeply involved in the work against corporal punishment for many years. she has been active in zoto and is now employed by the district to work for children’s rights.she tells us that she herself hit her children as a way of

bringing them up. But that was before she came in contact with save the Children and zoto and got to know that there are other ways to bring up children – that there is a method known as “positive discipline”.– that was ten years ago. Before that I used my hands and my

big mouth when the children were disobedient, especially on Glecery. sometimes I even hit the dogs, says helen as she lifts up one of the family’s female dogs.she is quiet for a while before she continues to tell us:– When I hit them I felt bad inside, but I didn’t know any

other way. But ever since I learned what to do instead, every-thing is different. Now I have a very close relationship with my four children. Many believe that Glecery and I are actually sisters, she says laughingly. –>

»It hurts to be hit and humiliated, especially in front of your own friends«

In just ten years, Save the Children in

cooperation with their partner organisations

has, succeeded in putting forward legis-lation that would ban

corporal punishment in the Philippines.

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The educational materials save the Children has produced has been enormously beneficial, says helen. Both, for her personally and in her daily work among the people in the suburb. Marielle Marina, a child psychologist working for zoto in the area, agrees with her.– We meet not only children and parents but

even teachers, politicians and other policymakers. When we get the opportunity to talk about alternatives to corporal punish-ment, people are often positive, says Marielle.she tells us about one occasion when both children and adults

were invited to an information meeting. the children sat in a circle and the adults got to sit next to them and listen.– I saw several of the parents crying when they heard the

children’s stories about how sad and humiliated they felt each time they were hit.to be able to present an alternative to corporal punishment is

an excellent way of changing people’s attitudes – and in this way even change their behaviour,” notes Marielle. the Ministry of social Affairs has also taken this on board. Now positive disci-pline is the guiding principle in the work of the department.– We took in the entire save the Children concept of posi-

tive discipline into our organisation a year ago, says Josephine Arang, head of the department that works with children and

young peoples’ issues for the Ministry of social Affaires.ever since, we have started to train our staff which in turn will

transmit this knowledge to caregivers. Our goal is to spread this method nationwide.the Ministry has also decided that it is mandatory to be

trained in positive discipline in order to receive welfare benefits. A key person in the work to eradicate corporal punishment

is Wilma Banaga at save the Children in Manila. she quickly understood the importance of working on this question at all levels of society – from the children in the poor suburbs to the wealthy political elite who run the country.– Corporal punishment was never something that was

discussed at all when we started working with this issue 10 years ago, not by politicians, ordinary people nor in the mass media, she tells us.– We have come a long way by working the way we did, as a

network with other organisations and at all levels of society.”Among the first things the network did to fight against corpo-

ral punishment was to examine the country’s legislation concern-ing the child’s right to security and protection.Law professor Alberto Muyot got involved early on in this

work. At present, he is secretary of state at the Department of education and has participated in the creation of new laws against child pornography and on juvenile justice, with the

Convention of the Rights of the Child as the basis of this work. he has also been involved in the on-going work to enact a law against corporal punishment.– this is a sensitive issue. Many, not the least teachers, feel

threatened, says Alberto Muyot. they are afraid of being without tools needed to discipline children. Nevertheless, his vision is that all of the country’s 550,000 teachers embrace positive rear-ing instead of hitting their students.– When I went to primary school I was so scared to death of

my teacher that I vomited every day before I went to school. I didn’t learn anything, I was just afraid. I hope that in the future, children will avoid this, he says.the challenge today is to get politicians in the senate on

board. the house of Representatives has already said “yes” to a law against corporal punishment. One of the driving

forces among the politicians for the past three years has been susan Yap.her hometown of tarlac, is a three-hour drive from Manila.

she receives us in a little office in the town’s municipal build-ing and we hardly have a chance to sit down before the roles are reversed – the subject of the interview wants to know everything about how legislation regarding corporal punish-ment works in sweden.– here in the Philippines there are reports nearly every day

about children being hit. It is so common in our country and that’s wrong, says susan Yap and continues:– When I had my first child, I bought a book on how to raise

a child. In it was stated that children should be hit. I was young and thought that corporal punishment was the correct way to raise a child. that’s the tradition here.

»I saw several parents crying when they heard their children’s stories

–>

>>

A million people live in Manila’s suburb Bagong Silng; most of them live in shacks.

Corporal punishment is common and socially accepted. But there is a change afoot.

Previously Helen Paler hit her children, but not anymore. Her daughter Glenda says she will never hit her little son Zeus Glenn.

Child rights advocates Glecery Paler and Rodinah Pongan.

Wilma Banaga, Save the Children, Manila

Spider wrestling.

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In the multi-million city of Manila, the streets are the playgrounds.

Sliding along on a piece of cardboard entertains both older and

younger children.

But her youngest two children’s reactions made her to change her opinion and she stopped hitting her children. ever since she was elected into the house of Representatives she has chosen to champion many controversial issues about child’s rights. Now she is keeping her fingers crossed that her bill against corpo-ral punishment will receive a “yes” in the spring.– I am sure that the law will pass. the president is not

going to veto it, she says.this is an exciting time for save the Children and all

the other organisations that are advocating for this law. Maybe the Philippines will be the first country in Asia to have a law against corporal punishment.– We are really keeping our fingers crossed! this law

is incredibly important for the children of this country. We need it. says Wilma Banaga.

This law is so very important for children in this country.We need it.«

>>Hello there, Sara Johansson who works with Save the Children’s international advocacy and programme work concerning the issue of corporal punishment.

What has Save the Children’s role been in pushing forward legislation against corporal punishment in the Philippines?–  We have been working with our partner organisa−

tions with several parallel processes. We have impacted on politicians and at the same time we have educated parents, children, social workers, teachers and others who are interested in this issue.

What has Save the Children brought to the process?–  We have been involved and produced training

materials explaining how to support parents and use positive discipline. At the same time as we are teaching people that it is wrong to spank children, we can also provide them with alternative ways to bring up a child by using “positive discipline”.

What has been the greatest opposition?–  To ban corporal punishment in the home is seen as

an invasion of the private sector. Corporal punishment is accepted and children are considered the property of their parents. It can be a sensitive issue for politicians to take up corporal punishment and then it is useful to be able to support our arguments with evidence.