Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
Metro Manila
Twelfth Congress
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eighth day of July, two thousand three.
Republic Act No. 9231
December 19, 2003
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR AND
AFFORDING STRONGER PROTECTION FOR THE WORKING CHILD, AMENDING FOR THIS
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACTNO. 7610, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "SPECIAL
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION
ACT"
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
Section 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7610, as amended, otherwise known as the "Special
Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act", is hereby amended to
read as follows:
"Sec. 2. Declaration of State Policy and Principles. - It is hereby declared to be the
policy of the State to provide special protection to children from all forms of abuse,
neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination, and other conditions prejudicial to their
development including child labor and its worst forms; provide sanctions for their
commission and carry out a program for prevention and deterrence of and crisis
intervention in situations of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination. The State shall
intervene on behalf of the child when the parent, guardian, teacher or person having
care or custody of the child fails or is unable to protect the child against abuse,
exploitation and discrimination or when such acts against the child are committed by the
said parent, guardian, teacher or person having care and custody of the same.
"It shall be the policy of the State to protect and rehabilitate children gravely threatened
or endangered by circumstances which affect or will affect their survival and normal
development and over which they have no control.
"The best interests of children shall be the paramount consideration in all actions
concerning them, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions,
courts of law, administrative authorities, and legislative bodies, consistent with the
principle of First Call for Children as enunciated in the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child. Every effort shall be exerted to promote the welfare of children
and enhance their opportunities for a useful and happy life."
Section 2. Section 12 of the same Act, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows: