CRC/C/15/Add.259 page 2 (b) The adoption, in 2003, of the Republic Act No. 9231, which amends the Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (Republic Act No. 7610) providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour and affording stronger protection for the working child; (c) The adoption, in 2004, of the Republic Act No. 9255, which allows illegitimate children to use the surname of their father, amending the Family Code of the Philippines (article 176 of Executive Order No. 209); (d) The adoption, in 2004, of the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act (Republic Act No. 9262) which defines violence against women and their children, providing for protective measures for victims and penalties for the perpetrators of this violence; (e) The adoption of other legal or administrative measures to promote the implementation of the Convention, such as the ratification of international conventions and protocols referred to throughout these concluding observations. C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention 4. The Committee acknowledges the particular nature of the geographical configuration of the State party, which is comprised of over 7,100 islands, and the challenges faced by the State party in implementing adequate programmes and services for children living in rural and remote areas of the country which are in many instances isolated and very difficult to reach. 5. The Committee also acknowledges that the natural disasters caused by tropical storms and several destructive typhoons at the end of 2004 have devastated the infrastructure of several provinces of the country giving rise to a growing number of economic and social difficulties. Domestic instability caused by, inter alia, political uncertainties and rebel movements, has adversely impacted overall human rights development in the State party. D. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations 1. General measures of implementation Committee’s previous recommendations 6. The Committee notes with satisfaction that various concerns and recommendations included in the concluding observations (CRC/C/15/Add.29) made upon the consideration of the State party’s initial report (CRC/C/3/Add.23) have been addressed through legislative measures and policies. However, some of the concerns expressed and recommendations made by the Committee regarding, inter alia, the minimum age of criminal responsibility and sexual consent, discrimination against children born out of wedlock, the lack of a comprehensive juvenile justice system, the lack of a monitoring system for the Convention and the prohibition of torture, etc., have not been sufficiently addressed. 7. The Committee urges the State party to make every effort to address the recommendations issued in the concluding observations on the initial report that have not yet been implemented and address the list of concerns contained in the present concluding observations on the second periodic report.