WORLD VISION-PHILIPPINES is a Christian development, relief, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by addressing the causes of poverty and injustice.
As a child-focused organization, World Vision-Philippines promotes and upholds children’s rights and protection as espoused in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children (UNCRC) and all other treaties, obligations, and existing national policies.
In a segment of the Willing Willie Show aired on TV 5 last March 12, a child who joined the program to showcase his talent and play in a game segment in the hope of bringing home big prizes was made to perform an erotic dance. Said incident is a clear violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (Republic Act 7610).
RA 7610 provides that “child abuse” includes the following acts: “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment,” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child as a human being.”
World Vision-Philippines strongly believes that children must be cared for, protected, and participating. As such, children are citizens and their rights and dignity must be upheld in order to achieve child well-being. In this regard, by allowing a six-year old boy to gyrate and mimic the body movements of a macho dancer on national television in exchange for money, Willie Revillame has exposed the child to risks and conditions prejudicial to his development.
We call on responsible government agencies to decisively act and continue to monitor this matter; and prevent, once and for all, similar events from happening.
We call on our fellow advocates to be vigilant and, at the same time, to continue to educate our people, the media and entertainment industries on the rights of children as well as their protection.
We affirm the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for expressing disapproval to the incidence. We pray that the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) will decide in favor of those who advocate for child’s rights. We support all other actions of AnakTV to advance the welfare of children. And we support all actions from all child rights organizations condemning this incidence.
Let us not treat our children as objects of ridicule but as gifts that are dear to God and entrusted to parents, care givers, those with parental authorities, and other significant people in their lives. In this way, we can together achieve our Vision for every Child, Life in all its fullness; Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
