Childism and its threats to Filipino children during the Duterte administration’s COVID-19 response

Abstract

While the policy responses of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration have been subject to much criticism, little has been said about Filipino children and their families who were directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. What is common, however, is the explicit use of the child as a metaphor to criticize Duterte’s actions. This metaphor is inherently childist and prejudiced towards children and their well-being. Thus, this paper examines the views of the media and the general public regarding Duterte and his administration, highlighting expressions of childist language. It also uncovers the systemic neglect of children under the Duterte administration, through a desk review of documents, reports, and implemented mandates that directly impact children and their families, specifically in the context of COVID-19. With these, the paper illustrates how childism and the metaphor of Duterte as a child poses a threat of neglect towards the Filipino child, resulting in policies crafted by a government and society that is prejudiced against children. Ultimately, a call to elevate the discourse is presented, urging greater care in how we contextualize children, as they are often overlooked but significantly affected by policy decisions. Reducing the pandemic response of the Duterte administration as “infantile” subverts the imminent threat of further neglecting the needs of children, which has yet to be addressed by robust government action that highlights a more responsive shift towards children’s development.