Focal Commissioner, Women and LGBTI DR. RENANTE A. BASAS Director, HRCMO SUBJECT : REPORT OF THE CHILDREN CLUSTER DURING THE JOINT MONITORING MISSION DATED 1-5 JULY 2017 DATE : 27 JULY 2017 Background: The Commission on Human Rights as a National Human Rights Institution and as the Gender Ombud under the Magna Carta of Women undertook a Joint Monitoring Mission Titled Human Rights Monitoring of Internally Displaced Persons: Locating the Experiences of Internally Displaced women, children and LGBTI. The Joint Monitoring Mission ran from 1 to 5 July 2017 with the CHR Joint Monitoring team composed of officers from CHR Central Office, CHR-X and CHR-XII. The Joint Monitoring Mission was duly coordinated with the Regional Human Rights Commission of the ARMM and the National Emergency Operation Center in Iligan City. The Mission covered evacuation centers in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur and aimed to monitor the situation and conditions of Internally Displaced Persons and specifically locating the experiences of displaced women, children, and lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders and intersex persons (LGBTI). The CHR Team also covered the following monitoring themes: (1) Core Protection Services to include: camp management, registration, information dissemination, advocacy, peaceful existence, and protection monitoring; (2) Human Rights Assessment: food, water and sanitation, health, education, work, women and children, property, clothing; and last (3) Protection from Displacement. Joint Monitoring Mission During the five day mission the team conducted interviews, focus group discussions, art sessions with children in the following evacuation centers: ILIGAN CITY: Buruun School of Fisheries (Brgy. Buruun), Buruun Gymnasium EC (Brgy. Buruun),Maria Cristina Gymnasium (Brgy. Maria Cristina), Bayanihan Gymnasium (Brgy. Sta Elena);LANAO DEL NORTE, Landa Madrasah EC (Brgy. Landa, Municipality of Balo-i), Madrasah Campong EC (Brgy. Campong, Municipality of Pantar); LANAO DEL SUR: Covered Court (Brgy. Poblacion, Municipality of Saguiaran). In the conduct of the monitoring, the team was divided into four: IDP, Government and CSOs, Women, and Children. Methodology for the Children cluster The aim of the Children Cluster is to make an assessment on the current condition and situation faced by the internally-displaced children in the evacuation centers. To this end, different methodologies were adopted by the group to effectively engage children and draw out responses from them. In choosing the right methodology to use, the ages of the children, time allotted for the visit, and the resources that are available in each evacuation center were considered. Art sessions were held in Buruun, Saguiaran and Pantar because of the availability of space and support staff. Focused Group Discussion was done in Balo-I because of the number of children and youths who are willing to be interviewed. Simultaneous to these activities are one-on-one interviews in all evacuation centers by the other members of team. The tool prepared by the GEWHRC was used as a guide for the interviews but the manner by which the interviews were conducted is different. Structured interviews were avoided so as not to confine the responses of children to “yes” or “no”. Children were also encouraged to tell their stories by letting them talk about things which matters most to them, i.e. family, home, food, education and play. 64