ADVANCING THE STRAW BILL. National Youth Commissioner Jose Rafael S. Cruz explains the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill to student leaders and teachers of Davao Region during a consultation Friday at DSWD Conference Hall. The STRAW Bill or the Magna Carta for Students aims to safeguard the freedoms and rights of students in both public and private schools. These rights include meaningful participation in decision making processes, the right to express and organize, right against discrimination in educational institutions, and the right to competent instruction and quality relevant education.

The National Youth Commission is an attached agency of DSWD along with the Council for the Welfare of Children, National Council on Disability Affairs and the Inter-Country Adoption Board. DSWD