ARTICLE 27

“The right to a decent standard

of living”

Article 27 says that every child has the right to a “standard of living” which is “adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. The term “standard of living” sometimes refers to the amount of income a family has, but in this article it refers to the condition in which a family lives.

As a general rule, of course, the more money a family has the better their living conditions will be. But there are some things that a government can do to make sure that even poor families have the basic necessities for a decent life. On the other hand, families with good incomes do not necessarily provide their children with living conditions which meet all of their needs.

Living conditions which are related to the physical development of children include housing, clothing, food, water and safe environment.

Avoiding exposure to harmful substances during pregnancy is especially important. Many children are born with mental disabilities caused by the mother’s use of medication that is inappropriate for pregnant women, exposure to harmful chemicals at work, smoking or drinking alcohol.

Social development refers to the development of social skills, that is, the ability to have normal relationships with other people. Children should be raised in conditions which help them develop a sense of self-confidence, the ability to trust others, to form friendships, to solve problems with other persons in appropriate ways, to make decisions, to respect other people, to accept responsibility for their acts, and so on.

Moral and spiritual developments are related. Moral development means the development of a sense of right and wrong, of what is fair and unfair, while spiritual development means the development of values which go beyond the material, a sense of the meaning of life and of one’s place in the universe. For many religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism, spiritual development means the development of faith in God, and an understanding of the relationship between God and mankind.

• The article also talks about child support payments. Both parents have an obligation to contribute their fair share to meet the needs of their children.

• Article 27 says that states must set up a system for making sure that the child support payments are collected from all parents who have a legal duty to make them.

In the Philippines Under Philippine law, parents have a

duty to provide children with food, shelter, clothing, medical attention and education, as far as they can. The law also says that the parents have a duty to make an effort to discover, encourage and develop the child’s talents and to encourage the habit of reading.

The constitution of the Philippines says that the states must respect the “natural and primary right and duty of parents” regarding the moral development of their children. The law adds that parents should encourage children to talk with them about their activities and problems, to give their children advice on things which affect their development and well-being, set a good example, provide moral guidance and religious instruction and encourage them to perform their religious duties.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is responsible for helping families that are not able to provide their children with suitable living conditions, in order to help the parents meet their responsibilities and prevent the break-up of the family.

Under Philippine law, a father has the legal duty to support a child born outside marriage, if he has admitted that the child is his or if it has been proved in court that he is the father.