Children have the right to leisure, play, and recreational activities. This is crucial to their development and well-being while also enabling their participation in the community’s cultural, social, and artistic life. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the move of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to allow children aged 5 and above to go outdoors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ, as long as the areas are not under heightened restrictions.
During the course of the pandemic, there have been widespread reports on the mental toll and behavioral changes in children due to quarantine restrictions, economic loss for many families, and disruption of services. Limited social interaction, remote learning, and the closing of recreational facilities have also limited the ability of children to spend time outdoors and maintain healthy well-being.
Allowing young people to safely go outdoors will enable social interaction instead of just being glued on their digital devices. Outdoor activities will also revive their physical and mental vitality by being more engaged in the cultural and social life. More importantly, the outdoor ambiance, opportunity to access diverse recreational and leisure activities, and quality social engagement, can help maintain their well-being and mental health. Considering that face-to-face classes are still not allowed, outdoor activities can also help provide balance to the children’s confined remote learning routine.
It is expected that allowing children to go out will help revive businesses and tourist attractions particularly those that cater to family and children. We equally expect that all health protocols and mechanisms are being observed to ensure the utmost safety and protection of children. Primarily, limit in capacity of establishments must be strictly implemented.
Children remain at risk of being infected and can become carriers. As stressed in the guideline, children must always be supervised by adults to ensure the observance health standards, such as wearing of face masks and social distancing. It is important for parents and all adults concerned to remain vigilant and act responsibly towards protecting children’s health while allowing them to enjoy their rights.
The preservation of the children’s well-being and dignity is a collective responsibility. We must still ensure that children will suffer no further harm and that their best interest and basic rights are prioritised as we continue to hurdle through this pandemic. ###