TITLE IX

COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Chapter 1
CREATION AND COMPOSITION

Art. 205. Creation of the Council for the Welfare of Children. - A Council for the Welfare of Children is hereby established under the Office of President. The Council shall be composed of the Secretary of Social Welfare as Chairman, and seven members, namely: The Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education and Culture, the Secretary of Health, the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, City of Manila, and two representatives of voluntary welfare associations to be appointed by the President of the Philippines, each of whom shall hold office for a term two years.

There shall be a permanent Secretariat for the Council headed by an Executive Director, to be appointed by the Chairman and approved by a majority of the members of the Council.

For actual attendance at regular meetings, the Chairman and each member of the Council shall receive a per diem of one hundred pesos for every meeting actually attended, but the total amount of per diem that the Chairman and a member may receive in a month shall in no case exceed five hundred pesos.

Art. 206. Appropriation. - The sum of five million pesos is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the operation and maintenance of the Council for the Welfare of Children and Youth during the fiscal year. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its operation and maintenance shall be included in the General Appropriations Decree.

Chapter 2
POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Art. 207. Powers and Functions. - The Council for the Welfare of Children and Youth shall have the following powers and functions:

(1) To coordinate the implementation and enforcement of all laws relative to the promotion of child and youth welfare;

(2) To prepare, submit to the President and circulate copies of long-range programs and goals for the physical, intellectual , emotional, moral, spiritual, and social development of children and youth, and to submit to him an annual report of the progress thereof;

(3) To formulate policies and devise, introduce, develop and evaluate programs and services for the general welfare of children and youth;

(4) To call upon and utilize any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality, public, private or voluntary, for such assistance as it may require in the performance of its functions;

(5) Perform such other functions as provided by law.

Art. 208. Offices to Coordinate with the Council for Welfare of Children. - The following offices and agencies shall coordinate with the Council for the Welfare of Children and Youth in the implementation of laws and programs on child and youth welfare:

(1) Department of Justice

(2) Department of Social Welfare

(3) Department of Education and Culture

(4) Department of Labor

(5) Department of Health

(6) Department of Agriculture

(7) Department of Local Government and Community Development;

(8) Local Councils for the Protection of Children; and such other government and private agencies which have programs on child and youth welfare.

Existing as well as proposed programs of the above-named agencies as well as other government and private child and youth welfare agencies as may be hereafter created shall be implemented by such agencies: Provided, That, with the exception of those proposed by the Local Councils for the Protection of Children, all long-range child and youth welfare programs shall, before implementation, be indorsed by the agencies concerned to their respective departments, which shall in turn indorse the same to the Council for the Welfare on Children and Youth, for evaluation, cooperation and coordination.

Chapter 3
IMPLEMENTATION OF CODE AND RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY

Art. 209. Implementation of this Code and Rule-Making Authority. - The enforcement and implementation of this Code shall be the primary responsibility of the Council for the Welfare of Children. Said Council shall have authority to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Code.