UNFPA-OPS Policy Notes Series No. 7: Ensuring the Safety and Welfare of Filipino Children in the Covid-19 Pandemic and the New Normal

The children’s capacity to adapt to these changes are highly dependent on how much help they get from parents, teachers, and the community. This brings us to the question: Are children’s needs being addressed by current guidelines on COVID-19?

The Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Filipino Child (Cohort Study) presents an opportunity to look at data on these identified areas: handwashing compliance, the implications of home confinement, and distance learning preparedness and capability. Data and insights from the Cohort Study in the waves prior to the pandemic may be used to indicate readiness and capability for observing mandated policies.

As communities and countries transition to the new normal, insights from the Cohort Study findings may also help guide new policies or emphasize implementation of existing ones that still prove relevant. This policy note examines key results of the Cohort Study in the above areas and concludes with implications for policy formulation.