The National Council of Social Development (NCSD) Foundation, Inc. held its General Annual Assembly on December 7, 2017 at the Bayview Park Hotel, Manila with the theme: “NCSD @ 68: Re-affirming NCSD’s Advocacy on Child Protection and Participation”. Some 140 participants representing NCSD’s member organizations and other stakeholders attended the assembly. Parts of the stakeholders were children and youth, whose participation was very significant on that day.

A highlight of the activity was the presentation made by selected children and youth, who were trained and guided by the scholars of Kaibigan Foundation, on the pressing issues in the country that involve Filipino children and youth such as Online Exploitation, Extra Judicial Killings and Teenage Pregnancy. Part of the highlight was the different responses of the government to these issues.  Hence, representatives from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Ms. Victoria Diaz, Department of Health (DOH) Dr. Diego Danila, and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Ms. Racquel Shokouhi, engaged in a very productive discussion with the children and youth and the rest of the participants during the open forum. This provided the participants insights and an opportunity to better understand the issues and concerns and their implications to the lives of the children and youth in the country.

Indeed, NCSD, through the general assembly, has reinforced its commitment towards advocating for child protection and participation.  One of the objectives of the activity was to influence the member organizations and other stakeholders to continuously include in their respective policies, programs, services and advocacies child welfare and child protection issues, recognizing that the children and youth are the most important human capital that the country has. This is one of NCSD’s contributions towards the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that the Philippines has ratified in 1990. The active involvement of children and youth on issues and efforts that concern them is an expression of their right to participation. Inviting these children as facilitators of the issues has strengthened more the commitment and dedication of the agencies to support the agenda on children.

The assembly served also as an opportunity for the election of the NCSD board namely;

Officers:

Mr. Norman Franklin Agustin         – President

Ms. Susana  Biteng                         – 1^st Vice President
Ms. Ofelia  Dueñas                         – 2^nd Vice-President

Ms. Lorena Leyson                         – Corporate Secretary

Ms. Carmen Vicente                      – Assistant Corporate Secretary

Ms. Leah Lanzuela                         – Treasurer

Ms. Deborah Toribio                     – Asst. Treasurer

Ms. Consuelo Balbero                   – Auditor

Mr. Rolly Gocon                             – PRO

Trustees

Mr. Remegio Apit

Ms. Julieta Andaya

Mr.  Rolando Cusi

Ms. Josefina Dimalaluan

Ms. Corazon Siya

Ms. Roslyn Verendia

NCSD is grateful for the support of the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), member agencies and other stakeholders of the council that led to the attainment of the objectives and success of the assembly.

Marian Opeña is the Executive Director of NCSD.