primary education in the Philippines are high, completion rates are low, and as many as 2.85
million children aged 5-15 remained out of school in 2015-2016, many from segments of the
population living below the poverty line.105 The role of climate change in exacerbating
inequities is only likely to heighten the barriers that these children face. For those in school,
low student performance persists, a problem that has been linked to both school-related
expenditures and an increasing number of students seeking employment in order to
augment family income.106 These factors are also likely to contribute to low enrolment rates
and particularly poor educational outcomes at secondary level, particularly among boys, who
make up the majority of children engaged in child labour (see section 4.5). It is likely that the
significant additional pressure placed on households by climate-related events and stress
plays a role in preventing children from enjoying their right to education.
Climate-related pressures on household incomes can also contribute to a decision to migrate
by one or both parents, leading to negative effects on the overall wellbeing, and notably the
educational outcomes, of children left behind.107 In particular, the absence of mothers has
been associated with a negative effect on children’s educational performance. 108 This is a
particularly pertinent issue in the Philippines, where approximately 10 per cent of the
country’s workforce is employed abroad.109 The majority of these migrants are women, and
many have children that are not permitted to accompany them. Research suggests that
Filipino children are up to 5 per cent more likely to experience educational impairments when
their mothers migrate abroad than if their fathers move, and that boys are significantly more
affected than girls.110
4.4
Right to an Adequate Standard of Living
Children’s right to an adequate standard of living is inextricably linked to their access to safe
housing. Increasingly severe and frequent flashfloods and landslides, intense storms, and
exposure to sea level rise and storm surges, particularly in low-lying coastal areas and along
river lines, undermines this right, with disproportionate impacts on the poor and those living
in informal settlements.
Since 2008, an average of 3.7 million disaster-induced displacements have been recorded in
the Philippines each year, of which 84 per cent are attributed to typhoons and storm surges,
floods and the strong winds that usually accompany them.111 Typhoon Haiyan represented
the single largest event, partially or completely destroying more than 1.1 million homes.112
Some four million people were displaced when the storm hit, including 1.7 million children,
and six months later, more than two million people still lacked adequate shelter or durable
housing, including over 26,000 people living in temporary shelters. 113 As of end 2016,
approximately 880,000 people were still without permanent housing, with thousands
returning to establish makeshift homes in highly-exposed coastal slums, including precarious
‘no-dwelling zones’.114 Children living in these circumstances face particularly acute threats
to their rights, including severe impacts on their health and education, and increased risk of
violence, exploitation and abuse, particularly when they have been separated from their
families and support networks.115
In addition to climate-related disasters, slow-onset processes will also have significant
impacts. In the future, sea level rise in the Philippines is projected to exceed the global
average by between 10 to 20 per cent,116 and to lead to almost 1 million people being
affected by flooding between 2070 and 2100 in the absence of considerable mitigation and
adaptation action.117 Ultimately, estimates suggest that 13.6 million people could be forced
to relocate altogether.118 Furthermore, while an estimated 385,000 Filipinos are currently
affected by inland river flooding each year, an additional 187,300 Filipinos are expected to
be at risk as a result of climate change by 2030,119 with associated heightened challenges